From Quilts to Gemstones: Edith Campbell Moves to SLJ

A new blog! Ruby’s and Pearl’s is a space premised in the West African tradition of Sankofa. This mythical bird, with its feet planted in the present, maintains a steady gaze back as it moves forward. That image reminds me to responsibly ground my work with intention and purpose, learning from the past to build the future. For me, as an information worker, a culture keeper, this thought has become core to what I do.

So, I’m thinking about marginalized creators and librarians who have been trendsetters, leaders, community builders, or legacies in their own right; those who are doing critical work on behalf of children, literature, and libraries that we don’t typically consider. I think of how erasing words and stories evolves into the disappearance of people and lives. I’m thinking about how necessary the work is that we do in libraries even when our communities are so quick to challenge our work when the political mood seems to shift. We exist as information workers who are caretakers of our community’s stories. It’s those stories that differentiate us one from the other, and in sharing them they become the things that bring us closer together, aligning our collective past, present, and future. Our work in libraries protects all these stories while also providing access to them. There should be tip jars on every checkout and reference desk in every single library because we are truly worth it!

I’ve been doing this work for a while now. I think some of you know me from my blog, CottonQuiltsEdi (previously CrazyQuiltsEdi) that I began 18 years ago. I’ll make a bittersweet transition from that blog to do my work here, in this space. I hope to do a few different things here, including working with my friends, Alia and Sujei. These women teach me so much every single day. I appreciate that they laugh at my grandma jokes, room with me at conferences, and shop with me. This blog is truly going to be a gem!

Right now, I’m preparing for a new semester here at Indiana State University where I work as a reference and instruction librarian. This semester, I plan to boost my skills by creating online learning objects, and by finding meaningful ways to incorporate generative AI into research practices. If you’ve read my posts before, you’ll appreciate that I’ll also use AI to proofread my writing, something I cannot do on my own. I’m still researching and writing about anthropomorphized primates in picture books. Last year, I began Black Cotton Reviews , a site where a cohort of Black academics, educators, and librarians review books based in the Black experience. For the 11^th year, I’ll continue working with one of the best group of librarians, academics and authors ever to create the We Are Kidlit Summer Reading List. It’ll be ready for you spring, 2024. I’m doing a few other things, but that’s the big stuff, right beside gardening and getting back into quilting. I hope to learn more about the people who are following this blog, to share the story of what you all are doing, or have done, and to include you in the legacy we’re building.

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