Stacks & Strategy

Lizzo, Skeptics, and the Civic Work of Libraries

Two TikToks That Got Me Thinking

Sep 8 • 

shamichael hallman

4

August 2025

Airplane Mode: Rediscovering Connection in a Lonely Age

On Sunday afternoon I joined a room full of young people in Washington, D.C., for the inaugural Airplane Mode gathering.

Aug 26 • 

shamichael hallman

4

July 2025

A New Chapter, Continued: Teaching Civic Skills in the Everyday Spaces of Public Libraries

In my last post, I highlighted the recently published Experiential Civic Learning for American Democracy, a project of The Task Force on the Value of…

Jul 28 • 

shamichael hallman

1

June 2025

A New Chapter for Civic Learning in Libraries

The Civic Work Already Happening in Libraries—and a Blueprint for What’s Next

Jun 30 • 

shamichael hallman

2

Phase II of the Library Bridgebuilding Project Begins

A Collective Effort to Help Libraries Bridge Divides and Foster Belonging

Jun 16 • 

shamichael hallman

5

Can libraries truly bridge political divides—and are librarians nonpartisan?

This is part two of my recap from the Next Library Festival.

Jun 9 • 

shamichael hallman

4

1

My Book, A Missing Chapter, and What I Witnessed in Denmark

My book has been out for just over six months now.

Jun 2 • 

shamichael hallman

4

May 2025

From the Stacks to the Soul

A Memorial Day reading roundup filled with reflection, resonance, and really good books.

May 26 • 

shamichael hallman

1

Seven Links That Gave Me Life—and Pause—Last Week

Rather than share my usual reflections, I wanted to highlight seven links that have stayed with me.

May 19 • 

shamichael hallman

1

The Only One: Representation, Libraries, and the Power of Being Seen

January 10, 2025 at 1:52pm.

May 12 • 

shamichael hallman

3

Preparing the Next Generation of Citizens: What Libraries Can Learn from Campus Civic Initiatives

What colleges and universities are teaching us about civic readiness—and how libraries can carry the work forward.

May 5 • 

shamichael hallman

4

April 2025

Honoring Tradition, Embracing Innovation: Reflections from the BLK Powerhouse Summit

I was recently invited to be a guest panelist for the BLK Powerhouse Summit — a virtual gathering of Black professionals across the book ecosystem…

Apr 27 • 

shamichael hallman