Author: Christian Zabriskie

This website is an attempt to codify a commitment to refugees by librarians and libraries. It is an ongoing, fluid, and mobile effort to bring information and resources to library services to refugee populations. We are actively soliciting information and partnerships. We want to leverage every bit of influence and pull that we possibly can for these often forgotten new members of our society.

Why do refugees matter? In the case of the United States of America refugees are the backbone of our nation. We are a country built on the principle of getting out of somewhere that sucks and trying a new start. If things are crappy back home, America has always been the land of promise, the shining city on the hill.

A lot of us who work in libraries still believe in all that stuff. We actively want to make it happen for as many people as possible. We believe that libraries as public institutions of trust, privacy, and social diligence are the perfect vector for helping refugees of all kinds.

Please use this space to exchange and develop ideas. Librarians have a lot of talent and ability to apply to this issue. We have a unique place of trust in society that lets us get to the heart of these things. Please set your shoulder to the wheel and help us in what we are doing. If you have refugee populations in your community please reach out to them and use the resources here to help. If you need something that you don’t see here please let us know and we will try and find a solution.

Thank you for the work that you do every day. If you are a refugee who has found this page thank you for your courage. Hold fast, together we shall move forward!