Episode 10: Meet Me at the Library

Libraries are the information infrastructure of universities. And as with most infrastructure, the critical work they do is often invisible—that is, until something breaks.

There’s a lot more to the library than meets the eye, so we asked Maura Seale, history librarian at the University of Michigan, to break it down for us. In true librarian fashion, she provides a wealth of information and perspective about what university libraries do and why they are so vital to the campus community.

Throughout the conversation, Maura challenges the myth of librarians as enemies of the digital, makes the case for why libraries still need physical space in the age of the internet, and reveals the often invisible intellectual labor and care work performed by librarians. Libraries are the “front porch,” as sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom has said, or a gathering place where everyone on campus is welcome.

Then, in the final segment before our summer session, Nan and Lisa tell their own library love stories, reflect on the first season of the podcast, and shout-out listener ideas for future episode topics.

If you’re going to be in Wisconsin this summer, you can hear clips from our food insecurity episode on FairShare CSA’s Routes to Roots self-guided tours. Registration opens June 1.

About our guest
Maura Seale is a history librarian at the University of Michigan and co-editor of The Politics of Theory and the Practice of Critical Librarianship (Library Juice Press, 2018). Previously, she was a collections, research, and instruction librarian at Georgetown University.

Produced and edited by Richelle Wilson
Theme music by Josh Wilson
Show cover art by Margaux Parker
Episode cover art designed by stories / Freepik

A special thanks to Wisconsin Humanities for their support.

Want to get in touch? Email us at collegelandpod@gmail.com or send us a voice memo on Anchor.fm.