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This episode originally aired on August 31, 2023 and is being re-released to celebrate Native American Heritage Month (November).

In this episode we talk with Dr. Sandy Littletree (Navajo/Eastern Shoshone), Assistant Professor at the Information School at the University of Washington, whose work focuses on Native North American Indigenous Knowledge.

Dr. Littletree shares background about Indigenous systems of knowledge, and practical application as it pertains to Indigenous information science, Indigenous librarianship and the intersections of tribal sovereignty, technology, knowledge, and information in Native North America. The discussion also shines a light on the importance of cultivating cultural humility as an ongoing practice, and as a foundation of establishing meaningful, authentic and compassionate connections.

Hosts: LaRee Dominguez & Kristen Curé
Date of Interview: August 16, 2023

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In this episode, we chat with the magical Nisha Mody, a Liberatory Life Coach, facilitator, and former librarian, about how library workers can navigate, survive, and heal from toxic work environments.

Nisha shares insights on trauma-informed care, values alignment, and relational liberation, offering practical tools for self-compassion, boundary-setting, and fostering more supportive and inclusive library cultures.

From identifying red flags in job interviews to re-centering personal values, this conversation highlights the importance of healing, community, and showing up authentically in library spaces.

Date of interview: September 24, 2025
Host(s): Ericka Brunson-Rochette & Brittany Young

Mentioned in this episode:

• Nisha Mody l Website (www.nishaland.com)
• Nisha Mody I Notes from Nisha (Newsletter)
• Nisha Mody I Values Workbook
• Nisha Mody | Instagram (@healinghypegirl)

Upcoming learning:

• Wednesday, October 1st @ 4:00-5:30 PST: How to Break Up with Codependency (and finally figure out who YOU are) - Free (Recording Available)
• Trauma-Informed and Relational Care for Libraries (Self-Paced Course)*

*Oregon Library Association's Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Antiracism (EDIA) Committee's Professional Development Scholarship Application form

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This episode originally aired on July 31, 2024 as Season 3, Episode 5, and is being re-released in light of Fobazi's recent health challenges. Listeners who wish to support Fobazi, can access the Go Fund Me by clicking on the hyperlink.

In this episode we are joined in conversation by scholar, academic consultant, librarian and educational game designer, Fobzi Ettarh, who notably coined the concept of "vocational awe" in 2018. Ettarh shares how vocational awe operates at both the micro and macro levels, contributing to problematic hiring, onboarding, and retention practices in the library profession, and illustrates how this concept directly ties to workplace inequities and burnout.

Additionally, Ettarh provides actionable ways to escape the trap of vocational awe by prioritizing mental health and rest, achieving work-life balance, reframing how we are showing up for community, and urging administrators to lead by example.

Date of interview: July 17, 2024
Host(s): Ericka Brunson-Rochette & Rodrigo Gaspar-Barajas


Additional Info. & Links:

Vocational Awe- “the set of ideas, values, and assumptions librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in beliefs that libraries as institutions are inherently good and sacred, and therefore beyond critique.” (Ettarh, 2018)

• "Vocational Awe and Librarianship: The Lies We Tell Ourselves" (January 2018 article from, In the Library With the Lead Pipe)
• Ettarh's Webpage/Blog
• Follow Ettarh on Twitter @Fobettarh
• Latanya Jenkins' story
• ALA Memorial Resolution Honoring Latanya N. Jenkins