Rats in Stacks Issue #12 (May 2025)
Competition alert: name the rat!
Intro
This issue I’m putting the rats back in Rats in Stacks by announcing a little competition: name the rat!
If you’re reading this on Substack, drop a suggestion in the comments, or you can email me on ratsinstacks@gmail.com. I’ll put all the suggestions in a poll for the next issue, so get your names in before then (1st June). The winner gets, uh…the sense of satisfaction of knowing they named the rat. Go forth, name that rat!
Misc
Trans and Gender Diverse LIS Network
Due to recent events, I’m re-sharing the Trans and Gender Diverse LIS Network (TaGDLN), an informal community for trans and gender diverse workers in the sector based on Discord. It’s a bit USA-centric, but still a great place for any trans, non-binary, and gender diverse folk looking for peer support.
Events/Training
13 May - Advocating for Queer People in Museums - online
A free talk aimed at those in the cultural sector about queer inclusion in museums (advocating for both queer staff and visitors).
The annual FanLIS conference is back, celebrating the intersection of fan studies and LIS. Free to register, fully online, and you can view the recordings of previous years on their website as well.
5 June - Council of Research and Academic Libraries (CORAL) Spring Conference - online
CORAL is a consortium of libraries in Texas, and the theme of their virtual conference is “Together We Thrive: Collaborating for Impact to Advance Library Services”. Free to register, and should begin at 7pm BST if I’ve worked out the time zones correctly.
Resources/Articles
I’m almost certain I’ve shared Hiring Librarians generally before, but not specifically their podcast, which contains a series of interviews about careers and hiring in the sector. The most recent episode is a two-parter about disability and LIS hiring. Listen at the link above or on your usual podcast platform.
In the Library with the Lead Pipe
An open access, peer reviewed journal by and for librarians. Recent articles include topics like banned books, evidence-based practice, and carceral collecting.
Thank you for reading! If you have any suggestions for the next issue, feel free to email me on ratsinstacks@gmail.com or contact me on Bluesky @scatterbones.bsky.social.