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2023 marks the second annual Libraries Collection Development Internship organized by librarians in Library and Information Technology Services (LITS). The goal of the program is to expand and diversify BMC's library collection by having the students choose books for the library. Browse the 2023 titles.

Six students learned about collection development goals and processes in the Bryn Mawr Libraries, at the Bryn Mawr College Bookshop, and at Ludington Public Library in Bryn Mawr. They visited two Philadelphia bookstores, Uncle Bobbie's Coffee and Books and Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni's Room, where they learned about selection of books for sale, the history of these stores and their roles in their communities. Interns then chose books for the Bryn Mawr College library from these stores within their allocated budget. Through this internship, the library established community partnerships by supporting independent local bookstores while simultaneously expanding the library collection.

Student Participants:
Kate English, Noshin Haque, Sunny Lucal, Katrina Sparks, Ava St. Pere, and Madi Wyttenbach

LITS Staff Leaders:
Joyce Angelucci, Kate Blinn, Berry Chamness, Jennifer Coval, Amy Graham, Camilla MacKay, Laura Surtees, and Arleen Zimmerle

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This week has been such an amazing experience! As an English major and a Canaday employee, I spend plenty of time surrounded by books, but I hadn't considered how our books make it onto the shelves. There is an incredible amount of work that goes into curating a collection, whether it be at an academic library like Canaday, a public library like Ludington, or one of the independent bookstores we visited. I have a much greater appreciation for our lovely librarians and for the institutions that unite us with our shared love for reading. Thanks to these librarians and all the fantastic books they've put on our shelves, it's been tricky to add my own personal touch to our collection, but I hope that my selections will speak to other readers as much as they've spoken to me. I've chosen books that cover a variety of topics, including music, art, cooking, and contemporary Irish fiction. These themes, much like the books and bookstores they reside in, allow their readers to connect over a shared passion for all things creative, artistic, and inventive. As the authors I have chosen suggest, art, whether it be verbal, visual, or culinary, unifies us.

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I had an amazing time participating in this internship! I practically grew up in libraries, and I am currently working two library jobs. So, it is safe to say that I love books, reading, and libraries/bookstores. At the start of this internship, I didn't know a lot about library collection development and how certain books were chosen over others. During the course of this week, I was able to expand my understanding of how collection tactics differ between libraries and bookstores. To me, libraries and bookstores are important centers for community and support, and I really got to see that at Uncle Bobbie's and Giovanni's Room. I came into this internship with the desire to expand our collection of BIPOC trans voices. As a BIPOC trans person, I tend not to see other people like me in our collections, so it was incredible being able to extend that representation to our collections. It was amazing to see these narratives being sold at Giovanni's Room and Uncle Bobbie's. I hope that the addition of these stories to Bryn Mawr's libraries will help more people feel at home on the shelves.

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This internship has taught me a lot! I learned about the process of acquisition and book selection which was really interesting. I absolutely loved learning insightful details about Giovanni's room, Ludington library, BMC bookstore and Uncle Bobbie's bookstore. How Giovanni's room fought with homophobia and is still thriving as a Queer bookstore is really inspiring. The fact that Ludington library let's people borrow cake pans is very interesting to me.

I also enjoyed learning about the intricate details of the BMC libraries. I always saw libraries as a source of only borrowing books and a place to study but the BMC libraries are a lot more than that. The Canaday library's special collections of rare books and artifacts is a great resource for students. Similarly, Carpenter's puzzle lab is very fun! I particularly enjoyed buying books from different bookstores. I felt like a child in a toy store without financial limits!

Growing up I could have never imagined how much work and effort are put behind libraries. The BMC libraries make sure that they are listening to the student voices and this internship is also another platform which is an example of how BMC libraries appreciate the opinions and voices of Bryn Mawr students. I really appreciate how Bryn Mawr libraries are always trying to find ways to improve diversity in their collections.

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I always knew the bookselling business could be difficult, but I never knew how difficult it could be in detail. Talking to so many professionals really provided so much insight and even though they were very transparent about their struggles in the industry, I always felt very giddy after our conversations. I think their passion for the field really rubbed off on me. From learning that it takes a rough average of four quarters to sell a book to talking about the devasting affect Amazon has had on the bookselling world, there was never a dull moment. Overall, I realized how many moving parts there were to libraries and just how many people are involved in the chaos behind the scenes. It certainly made me appreciate libraries more and I can see why it is a whole field of study. Everyone was so polite and encouraging, it was an amazing opportunity.

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Although he didn’t whistle, Christopher from Giovanni’s Room did sing the praises of this postmodern on-the-road novel, which was the first queer book he bought, decades ago, from the very bookstore in which we stood. The Whistling Song chronicles a hitchhiking orphan’s journey as he navigates both the expansive country and his sexual identity.

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Working in the libraries this week has been such a wonderful and fulfilling experience! I have always been a lover of books and storytelling of all kinds but had no idea coming into this internship how libraries and bookstores ran. This week I was able to learn about the selection process of choosing books, how funds for books are allocated, and how books are organized and made accessible to patrons between different organizations. My goal coming into this week was to expand our collection to include more works by survivors of abuse and assault, works on abolition and restorative justice, works of surreal fiction, and works at the intersection of politics and health. I am incredibly proud and excited about the selections I made and hope they bring joy and knowledge to many years of library patrons here at Bryn Mawr.

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I grew up working in a children’s bookstore in Oregon, so I thought I had a good idea of how collection development of bookstores and libraries worked. Oh man was I wrong about libraries. Especially at Bryn Mawr! There are libraries and bookstores that receive books based on national statistics of interest and put books on display based on how much the publisher is paying for a spot - there’s very little human involvement. Not here! The Bryn Mawr librarians dedicate so many hours every week to sifting through pages of newly-released books and faculty requests across every academic discipline to curate and expand the Bryn Mawr collection.

Go ask the librarians what they recommend for fun reading or to help you with your research!
Ask Jim in the bookstore about his favorite mystery books!
And definitely definitely definitely make the treks out to Uncle Bobbie’s in Germantown and Giovanni’s Room in the Gayborhood for even more curated reading suggestions!

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Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books is a bookstore and coffee shop in Germantown, founded in 2017 by Marc Lamont Hill that provides a book selection curated for its community and a space where everyone feels valued.

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Although you can use The Vegan Chinese Kitchen like any other cookbook, picking through the delicious recipes and sleek, stunning pages, you can also read it from cover to cover, eagerly and excitedly, as I did. Che’s book is an ingenious account of a cooking tradition that celebrates vegetables and just about every form of tofu you can imagine. Veganism, which we often think of as contemporary and Western, has been around for centuries in Buddhist temples like the one in which Che developed many of these recipes. Her book introduced me to an entirely new cooking culture and dozens of new ingredients. Even if you don’t have kitchen access, this book is a fantastic way to learn about new cultures, veganism, and cooking. I will warn you, though…your mouth will be watering!

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Emily Ladau wanted this book to be an intersectional guide about disability and every aspect of the human experience. NPR touted it as one of the best books of the year, and here are a few of the things you can expect to learn when you read it:

• How to appropriately think, talk, and ask about disability

• Recognizing and avoiding ableism

• Practicing good disability etiquette

• Ensuring accessibility becomes your standard practice, from everyday communication to planning special events

• Appreciating disability history and identity

• Identifying and speaking up about disability stereotypes in media

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Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room is the oldest continuously operating LGBTQ+/feminist bookstore in the country. Since 1973, it has served as a vital gathering space for the queer community of Philadelphia. Giovanni’s Room is part of local nonprofit Philly AIDS Thrift, carrying contemporary queer and feminist literature from mainstream, small-press, and self-published local authors as well as a sizable used book collection. As part of a non-profit organization, they are now able to donate a portion of their proceeds to help those living with HIV.

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Get it for the books, free museum passes for you and your friends, the cake pans, and the playaways if you're feeling retro.

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This dog was politely sitting in Giovanni's Room! What a good boy!

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The cheery blossoms outside Canaday are one of the best parts of this library!

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Ekattorer Dingulee (Bengali: একাত্তরের দিনগুলি, English: The Days Of 71)) is an autobiography by martyr-mother Jahanara Imam based on her experiences of the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. Jahanara Imam's son Shafi Imam Rumi, a student, fought the Pakistani army in Dhaka and urban regions.
The liberation war of 1971 holds a massive significance for Bangladesh and I'm really happy that I could incorporate a book about the liberation war in our library's collections.

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Choice Words is a collection of poems, stories, and essays on abortion in which each page reinforces the need to defend reproductive rights. It’s timely, it’s haunting, and it’s just as easy to read cover-to-cover as it is put down for a breather and pick back up. Author Katha Pollitt’s review sums it up best, "Every kind of abortion you can imagine is represented here: abortions legal and illegal, safe and dangerous and fatal; abortions despite the wishes of others and abortions at the behest-the compulsion-of others; abortion as a claiming of self and abortion as an abnegation of self. There is abortion as tragedy, and also abortion as an occasion for wry comedy." Others have deemed this book a gift, a necessity, a guide, but many agree that it’s long overdue. Stories save lives, and the ones in here have surely done the same.

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A lonely sex therapist transcriptionist + a house full of bees + a tall and serious woman with a dark past + a bizarre love affair = Big Swiss
A read if you're a fan of SGW literature (Sad Gay Woman literature)

P.S- It's being adapted into a show starring Jodie Comer apparently...

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Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood

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As a big fan of RuPaul's Drag Race, I am extremely excited to add this book to our collection. While watching the show, I have seen the struggles and obstacles these drag queens face and their stories of perseverance are inspiring.

In this book, Trixie and Katya will advise readers on beauty and fashion and tackle other vital components of a happy home, such as money, self-love, and friendship; sharing advice and personal stories in high-concept fashion through stories, conversations, and how-to sections peppered with hilarious, beautiful photos.

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Wash Day Diaries is a beautiful graphic novel and it tells the stories of four best-friends: Kim, Tanisha, Davene, and Cookie and the book is filled with short story comics that follow these young women through the ups and downs of their daily lives in the Bronx.

Growing up I had no sisters even among my cousins and hence, my bond with all my friends were really important to me. All the women in my life had a huge impact on me and made me who I am. Surviving this world without my girls would have been difficult and so I really appreciate the books which portray the values and importance of female friendships.

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Read Ukrainian authors! Read female Ukrainian authors! This book revolves around three women: Daryna, a TV journalist trying to uncover the story of a woman in a picture taken during WWII; Olena, the woman in the photo who was killed by Stalin’s secret police; and Vlada, a woman who died a suspicious death. This book is centered around understanding people close to the characters and not. For us, this multigenerational saga that spans 60 years is also a way of understanding Ukrainian history that informs its conflict with Russia right now. It’s a very long read that took a great amount of effort to translate, and it will definitely leave a mark on all of its readers.

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A book touted as a "rediscovered classic" from the 1940s and just recently translated into English- I had to include it. Suat Dervis is an acclaimed feminist writer from Turkey. Set in the space between the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of the Republic, "The Shadow of Yali" describes a torrid love affair while also reflecting on the limits placed on women by society.

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This classic haunted house story follows three friends, Alice, Ila, and Hannah, who spend a night together in an abandoned house. A year later, Alice's life is falling apart as she descends into loneliness and alcoholism. She hasn't spoken to Ila since that night, and she hasn't seen Hannah either. Yet, when Ila asks her to go back to the scene of where it all happened, Alice immediately agrees. Together, they must save Hannah, who the House has decided to claim for its own. Tell Me I'm Worthless is a cutting work of trans-fiction that confronts both supernatural and everyday horrors and explores what fascism and trauma does to the human soul.

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Playful and unsettling, joyous and critical, Pond re-imagines individuality as it relates to material objects, other people, and most importantly, oneself. Bennett skillfully weaves together twenty fragmentary chapters following the daily routine of an unnamed narrator parsing through the difficulties of self-perception. This narrator develops a comical yet relatable dependence on her belongings, and the domestic space becomes a unique kind of character. This is a book about womanhood, individuality, dependence, and isolation--but on a lighter note, it's a book about the delights we find in routine. I can't recommend it enough.

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Don't Forget Us Here: Lost and Found at Guantánamo

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There's not much I can say about this book except it's barebone summary which speaks for itself. "Don't Forget Us Here: Lost and Found at Guantánamo" is a memoir by Mansoor Adayfi, who was wrongfully imprisoned in the  Guantánamo Bay detention camp from 2002-2016. He details his experience and the preservation of the human spirit.

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This novel in-verse follows the lives of six, mostly trans, women as they live their day-to-day lives in Brooklyn. It has all the iconic fixings of the queer community, from drag shows to literary events, to racism in queer spaces and cancel culture. The novel explores important questions like the aforementioned, the destructive nature of racism in queer spaces, and how to hold people accountable. It explores topics such as consent, and feminist theory, and what does it take to build, or destroy, a marginalized community.

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This book is broken into three parts: Disparities, Barriers, and Perseverance, which all illuminate Dr. Tweedy’s examination of race as it impacts medicine throughout every level of his medical training. Dr. Tweedy’s goal as a pre-med student was to please his parents and become a doctor…. and he wanted to make a lot of money. But as one of the few recipients of a diversity scholarship in his Duke University School of Medicine cohort, Dr. Tweedy was frequently confronted with issues of race in medicine. His goal for writing this book was to put human faces to the serious dilemmas that race causes in medicine so that he could add to the public dialogue on improving the health of black people. He delivered just that!

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Drawing Power: Women's Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival 

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This collection of over 60 non-fiction comics from women on experiences of sexual harassment and abuse sheds light on experience of violence often dismissed as too taboo to write about let alone illustrate. This anthology shows the diversity of experience of those who encounter violence as well as the similarities of a culture of shame, disbelief, and stigma that survivors are forced to struggle through. I would recommend this book to absolutely everyone. If you aren't a survivor of violence yourself it's very possible you know someone who is and engaging in these stories opens empathy, understanding, and considerations of how to build a world where violence is not so common as it is now.

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Indigenous Theology and the Western Worldview: A Decolonized Approach to Christian Doctrine

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What drew me to this book was the way it was written. While published by an academic press, Indigenous Theology and the Western Worldview is written in a very accessible way, consisting of written out interviews and stories, making it a valuable read for many people. I was also compelled by the author, who is a theologian, historian, and Cherokee wisdom keeper. It is a great book for anyone who is trying to look at Christianity with a new lens.

"The book encourages readers to reject the many problematic aspects of the Western worldview and to convert to a worldview that is closer to that of both Indigenous traditions and Jesus."

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This is a fictional story about queerness, multiracial identity, displacement, belonging, surviving, and monstrosity that unfolds through the narrative of a werewolf telling his life story to a history professor based in Calcutta, India. This book asks who can be believed?, what can be forgiven? and is there a monster howling in us all? I would highly recommend this book for those looking for horror, surreality, and narratives of complex identity and love.

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Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, And The Pursuit of Freedom by Dereka Purnell 

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Becoming Abolitionists is a must-read for those invested in building a world of alternatives to policing and imprisonment. Purnell writes from the perspective of a human rights lawyer and a survivor of violence, and brilliantly addresses the common refrain of "What do we do about violence?" that advocates for abolition constantly address. She provides a myriad of examples of the violence built into modern policing and envisions possibilities for healing in building structures of justice outside of our existing unjust systems. This book deftly weaves together personal experience and political observation in an inspiring call to dismantle policing and address root causes of violence. I would recommend this book for all who are interested in law, abolition, violence, justice, and healing.

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This book is one of its kind. A mixture of self-help and guidebook, The Transmasculine Guide to Physical Transition deals with all sorts of issues that range from starting HRT to prepping and aftercare for top and bottom surgery. Not ready or do not want to medically transition? No problem! Sage Buch goes through nonmedical options such as chest binding and packing. Every topic, including medical jargon, is dealt with in easy to understand language, and allows for a better understanding of transition, without pushing trans-medicalism.  What I love so much about this book is its dedication to a varied trans experience. It draws on personal narratives to create an empowering guide to figuring out which type of transitioning is the best for you.

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