February is Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and of course, the month of valentines. We are debuting cryptic crosswords for all of you who love puzzles with our new column 793.73. This month, we are featuring eight clues that challenge readers to identify eight Black authors whose work is worth celebrating. And we are also featuring articles from women co-edit books, find more respectful ways to describe people and their work, want to live in good relationships on Turtle Island, and land the right job because they know how to make the most of the interview process.

What’s new in Open Shelf: July 2020
This a summer like no other…activities we take for granted, like travelling or reading a book on the beach, can’t be taken for granted any longer. Fights for social justice continue, more critical and intense than ever. And we wonder what our libraries (school, academic, special, hospital) will look like in September.
Contributors to the July issue of Open Shelf are tackling these issues and more while following the mantra of Dr. Bonnie Henry (a Canadian medical leader par excellence): Be kind, be calm, and be safe.
Here are the articles we’re publishing this month, in the order they appear in the magazine.
- Memespiration: To be perfect or not
- It’s elementary: Amplifying the voices of school libraries (summer lending programs)
- LGBTQ+: The importance of context
- Phone-a-friend: SOLS helps libraries (pandemic or not)
- Put your oxygen mask on first: 13 strategies to support your teams and yourself
- Due North: Dr. Paul’s pandemic ponderings
- Open for all? The new model public library
- Wildcard* Black Lives Matter: Does silence signal complacence in public libraries
- Taking responsibility: Why state-imposed governance for Indigenous Peoples
- Water, survivance and erotica: A conversation with illustrator Chief Lady Bird
- Post COVID19: K-12 school library learning commons
- InsideOCULA: Statements and action against anti-Black racism
Plus, we are calling for submission for two key volunteer positions, editor-in-chief and deputy editor, and the deadline for submissions is August 15, 2020. And finally, don’t forget to take our poll. We’d love to know: How are you ensuring that your services for your local LGBTQ+ community are appropriate?
Why do Open Shelf contributors always feel cold? Because they are surrounded by drafts.
For reading addicts