Macy Ferguson

govt librarian - research, reference, info ethics - @dartmouth & @UNCSILS alum - lover of rock music, roller skating & fiction of all kinds - ΑΠΩ #BLM

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

i hope to be the sexy librarian that my friends imagine i am

[We Need Diverse Books @diversebooks]

LAST DAY to apply for the Native Children's & YA Writing Intensive! Learn from our esteemed faculty of industry professionals like @CynLeitichSmith and connect with other Native creatives: https://t.co/w58WY8Cd04

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

@Morgan_J_Talty you’re welcome, congratulations!! so excited for you, it’s well earned ☺️

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

librarians, plan on including Morgan’s collection on your order list for next year! His unique, well crafted stories need to be in the hands and minds of readers.

[Morgan Talty @Morgan_J_Talty]

So. This is actually happening. I’m thrilled to announce my story collection, NIGHT OF THE LIVING REZ, will be published by the wonderful Tin House Books (@Tin_House) in 2022. Woliwoni to everyone who has supported me so far on my writing journey!

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

all this to say, that while i know many library systems & structures are veritably toxic & out of our hands as underpaid individuals, we still should definitely think about how our own individual approaches & practices make our work environments feel personally toxic & unhealthy

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

all this talk about toxic library culture has me thinking about how those of us in the profession can be guilty of creating toxic work cultures for ourselves in the sense that we aren’t good at saying no, logging off or honoring our personal work life balance

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

many of us are vocal about how librarians aren’t superheroes, our jobs are still just a job but we aren’t very good about embodying that in our own actions and the way we prioritize our time and workloads

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

@librarian1108 Yes! I had this exact same thought because it made me think of our discussion in Mary Grace’s class about how flashy interior design in libraries seems irrelevant & misleading to us, but it can be a big draw for tourism & the local economy

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

i get their frustration & i certainly get wanting ppl to take our work seriously but is it rly all that bad that most ppl have fond library memories they want to connect to us thru? & do we rly want to act like library work is this arduous complex labor that outsiders cant grasp?

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

@lkemccann right! i think we can be too quick to assume that people are purposefully trivializing or over looking the more complex/less glamorous aspects of our work when more often than not they’re just genuinely unaware of the realities of the work by, typically, no fault of their own

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

@CopyrightLibn Otherwise, I can’t imagine holding it against them that their mental model of the field is founded upon fond memories. Many of us came to libraries for that reason and even though it’s cliche and trite, at least it’s genuine in most cases

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

@CopyrightLibn I hear you, but for me it would depend on the context of the talk for me to feel it merits criticism. If they’re being paid, sure they should put in the work beforehand to understand the field and our work better.

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

like I hope and would like to believe he is an extreme outlier, but we can’t assume that he is

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

my 1st reaction beyond horror to the news of the Proud Boys-affiliated NC State library employee is that this is an extreme example of why stereotypes abt ppl in our profession by & large being benevolent & innocent in their handling of knowledge is more detrimental than we think

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

@marijel_melo Thank you professor! And thank you for all your help, wisdom, and encouragement in getting me here ☺️

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

on this potentially stressful and contentious day, I want to share the good news that I am now very happily employed as an Online Research Librarian for the EPA in a full time contract role! I’m so thrilled to be doing important work in the interest of making research accessible

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

@TheRealAnh already decently turned?

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

@jsgoforth thank you! and thanks for playing an important role in my journey here 😄

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

@dndurbin thank you Dayna! wouldn’t have made it here without your help and guidance! 🤩

[Macy Ferguson @mferg336]

@heyrosalita thank you 🥰 likewise!!