Mariela Martinez Siegert (she/her)

HS librarian. Comic Lover. Techie. @SOISDom Adjunct. @RCYRBA Brd Mbr. @nfntreviews Editor. @libcomix Adlt Cmcs Admn. Asst. @AISLEd_org 2021 Schl Lbrn of the Yr!

[Mariela Martinez Siegert (she/her) @marris116]

PSA!! 👏👏 It's not the responsibility of the author to teach you about their culture! 👏👏 If you don't understand the word, phrase, or custom--do some research! Also, don't assume that students won't find a way to understand. That's degrading to them, the book, & the author!

[Book Riot @BookRiot]

Calling the Rebecca Caudill awards "left leaning," the school board in Wadsworth, Illinois, canceled the long-running award program in the district.

https://t.co/HZNK4ZeUXJ

[Mariela Martinez Siegert (she/her) @marris116]

@kelseybogan Try anything by @boxbrown for fascinating topics from Marijuana legalization to marketing of toys to children in the 80's. Also @01FirstSecond World Citizen Comics are excellent!

[Tom Taylor @TomTaylorMade]

We see you, #Nightwing fans.
Thanks.
https://t.co/hi7LSbwxCb

[Tom Taylor @TomTaylorMade]

#Nightwing #FallenGrayson.
Everything you need to know, right here ->
https://t.co/hi7LSbwxCb

[Tom Taylor @TomTaylorMade]

#Nightwing fans.
It's all been leading to this. A Nightwing story not to be missed.
Me. @Bruno_Redondo_F. @fxstudiocolor_
Starting May 2024. Fallen Grayson.

[Daniel Sampere @Sampere_art]

My variant cover for Nightwing #114
Homage to Bruno's first cover on the Nightwing series.
Colors by Alejandro Sánchez

[Caudill Award @RCYRBA]

Don't forget to cast your students' votes for their favorite #Caudill book before the end of February!!

[Heather Jochens (ヘザー•ジョケンス) @heatherjochens]

“Butterfly in the sky, I’d like to see a bitch try~”

[Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation @OKWildlifeDept]

🎶 You got a fast car,
I got a plan to run in front of it 🎶

[Mariela Martinez Siegert (she/her) @marris116]

Accessibility is crucial at all times, not just when convenient.

[Team Servicerottie🇨🇦🐕‍🦺🦽 @servicerotties]

We weren't welcome to attend the grand opening event of the @CityofEdmonton's new dog park today!
Why?

The event, hosted by city councilor @michaeljanz was not accessible with a wheelchair. The public and their dogs were invited to join him, along with MP @HMcPhersonMP to come out and make friends and have treats.

The issue was a significant drop from the concrete at the entrance that would result in landing in soft dirt. It was a barrier that could have been safely mitigated with a proper temporary ramp, like the yellow ones the city uses in other areas. It seems the bigger issue is that nobody took time to identify and address barriers before today's event. This should be a normal part of planning public events to ensure they are inclusive. Event organizers should have simply made arrangements for a proper ramp. The city also has an accessibility policy that is supposed to prevent these types of problems. It seems that policy needs to be reviewed.

Some of the attendees said the dog park project was delayed and more work needs to be done. I totally understand delays, but that doesn't justify exclusion. The event could have been rescheduled for when the City's access standards were met if the organizers weren't willing to get safe ramps.

A few attendees suggested having people lift the wheelchair in and out of the dog park. Though these suggestions come from a place of trying to help, they aren't solutions. Not only is this unsafe, it's a really dehumanizing experience. Someone else wanted to find a sheet of plywood. Again, this is a safety issue. Most power wheelchairs weigh between 350 and 450 pounds. While it's possible to construct good, safe wooden ramps, improvising with spare material isn't wise.

The really disheartening part is that many attendees seemed to view it as normal and acceptable that we couldn't enter a public dog park or participate in a public event. The city Councilor and MP didn't even attempt to come discuss the issue. This is why we need allies to speak up against exclusion and discrimination. It's why we need leaders that won't just toss out words like inclusion and then stand there and let things like this happen. And they happen a lot.

There's many public events we can't easily access. In fact, we've been butting heads with our city councilor recently because he frequently has presentations and events in inaccessible places. Even though access is a human right, we can't seem to convince him to make it a priority or get him to understand that as a community leader, this perpetuates discrimination. The funny (not funny haha) thing is this was supposed to be an event that we could go to without having to ask or even beg for access. And still we couldn't.

Not everyone will care. That's OK. Some people have deeper systemic beliefs than others. But if the people whose values center around inclusion start speaking up, start pointing out barriers and discrimination, it will make a difference. You can make your communities more inclusive places, places where everyone can fit. You have the power to make that change.
Thank you to everyone who does.

And City of Edmonton, you owe Chesnyy a treat.

#InclusionMatters #Yeg #Accessibility

[Mariela Martinez Siegert (she/her) @marris116]

@BringerCynthia You are amazing! Thank you, it was a blast!

[Mariela Martinez Siegert (she/her) @marris116]

@ipushbooks You are the best!!!
My horror section rocks because of you.
#Librarian #LibrarianFriendsAreTheBest #ILoveBeingALibrarian

[ALA Graphic Novels & Comics RT 🔜 #NYCC @libcomix]

ICYMI #LibComix Webinar on August 1st!
https://t.co/seidYZLFrL

[Becky Robison @Rebb003]

I’m from Chicago, okay? I simply refuse to acknowledge it when people rename things. Always Sears Tower. Always Marshall Field’s. Always Twitter.

[Mariela Martinez Siegert (she/her) @marris116]

@ipushbooks

[PBS News @NewsHour]

The Disney Plus series “American Born Chinese,” which features Academy Award winners Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, is loosely based on the groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name.

@johnyangtv talks to the author of that book @geneluenyang for more. https://t.co/6Mxk29JLZx

[Mariela Martinez Siegert (she/her) @marris116]

36% done with Once Upon a Broken Heart, by Stephanie Garber https://t.co/rQEY7egiJZ

[Mariela Martinez Siegert (she/her) @marris116]

Finished with Hoops, by Matt Tavares https://t.co/gO5u1oRK4X

[Mariela Martinez Siegert (she/her) @marris116]

7% done with Once Upon a Broken Heart, by Stephanie Garber https://t.co/wFFmNQ7NvF