In 1979, my mother got an award “from” the computer my father helped build at Data General. This project would eventually be memorialized in Tracy Kidder’s book Soul of a New Machine. I’ve written about the role of women in these projects before, but I don’t think I’d ever seen this award.

Hello from June. I’ve been working as a sub in an actual library that is open to the public this month, for a small community working on hiring a permanent librarian (job ad). It is both fun and humbling. I wrote two tweet-threads about it from my first week: first day here; second day here. Other high points of the past month include seeing my boyfriend in person for more than just a masked-up hike, going to an outdoor cookout with other people, and staying overnight in a place that was not my own apartment for the first time since…

If you are reading this and it’s April that means I’ve done an okay job trying to get newsletters out more frequently. 🎉 Today’s newsletter is more of an essay and a few links, hope that’s okay.

Hello Springtime in America! That means finding the occasional small snowdrift in the woods when walking around in 70° weather. For me, it also meant getting my first vaccination shot, of two, and helping a lot of folks locally to get appointments. Every locality has their own strategies (here’s a blog post outlining strategies in Vermont) but it’s been gratifying to see tech people building tools — Vaccine Spotter and Vaccine Fairy are two that have worked for people I know — to help make this process less onerous.

Happy 2021! Happy new administration! We are far from out of the woods in so many ways, but I have a better feeling about this year than last year. As always, I remain grateful for your readership, feedback, and collegiality. Just to drive home the “that year is over” note, here are the top checkout lists from the three big NYC systems. So interesting how different they are from each other. It’s cold here.

Folks! Hello and welcome to I guess it’s December. Our snow here in Vermont has come and gone and now it’s back again. But what isn’t weird about our current times? I feel like I’m in a holding pattern inside a holding pattern, waiting for January 20th. Our local libraries have been closing to browsing again; I know libraries nationwide have been having similar discussions.

I was proud at how many libraries stepped up to help people be part of civic engagement this election cycle. Just look at these snazzy ballot boxes outside of all 73 LAPL’s branches. …

Hello and thanks for reading. It’s been a month. I’ve been outlasting the blues by learning new Wikipedia skills, playing the is-this-COVID-or-flu-shot-side-effects game, and trying to help with morale for people who have it rougher than me. But I won’t lie, it’s tiring. We’ve had a few 30°-ish nights here and that’s my cue to get the sweaters out, stock up on root vegetables, and get the full-spectrum light out of the closet. If you like short fiction, might I suggest The Sleep by Caitlin Horrocks, about an entire town that decides to hibernate through winter? …

Hello and thanks for reading. It’s been a while! For me, the very strangest thing about all of this is that my perception of the passing of time is all ferkakte. I’m still hunkering. Many people aren’t however, some because they’re going back to work or school, and some because they’ve got… isolation fatigue? As libraries are well aware, you have to work with the population you have, not the population you want. I know it’s hard.