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In this episode, part 2 of 2, our hosts welcome ILLUMINATION collection team members Irene Rasheed and Megan England about their unique roles on their project teams. They explore how shared community identity and relationships, built on trust, impacted their work and the stories that were shared and what influence this has on how communities interact with libraries and museums.

Listen to Part 1 here.

ILLUMINATION is a history and story collection project started by Madeline McGraw and Mindy Linder to actively work to address representation in its collection, recognizing that museum institutions have historically used gatekeeping and erasure in collection practices.

Through ILLUMINATION, the museum’s intention is to lead with transparency and accountability, to build relationships and trust with members of the community who have been left out of the historical narrative. The goal is for the Springfield History Museum to offer a more inclusive representation of all the people who have both shaped and been shaped by Springfield and rural east Lane County. For these people to be empowered as stewards of their own stories, and to entrust the Springfield History Museum with the preservation, documentation, interpretation and display of their stories through exhibits, archives and digital collections.

The culminating works from this project will all become part of the Springfield History Museum archive, available to the public. Selected images and narratives will also become part of the permanent heritage exhibit on display at the museum.

Hosts: Kristen Curé & Mindy Linder (guest host)

Date of recording: December 11, 2025

Mentioned in this episode:

ILLUMINATION virtual exhibit

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In this episode, part 1 of 2, our hosts welcome ILLUMINATION collection team members Ofelia Guzman and Thomas Hiura to discuss their experiences with the project, the impact they’ve seen from this work and what they’d like to see in the future.

ILLUMINATION is a history and story collection project started by Madeline McGraw and Mindy Linder to actively work to address representation in its collection, recognizing that museum institutions have historically used gatekeeping and erasure in collection practices.

Through ILLUMINATION, the museum’s intention is to lead with transparency and accountability, to build relationships and trust with members of the community who have been left out of the historical narrative. The goal is for the Springfield History Museum to offer a more inclusive representation of all the people who have both shaped and been shaped by Springfield and rural east Lane County. For these people to be empowered as stewards of their own stories, and to entrust the Springfield History Museum with the preservation, documentation, interpretation and display of their stories through exhibits, archives and digital collections.

The culminating works from this project will all become part of the Springfield History Museum archive, available to the public. Selected images and narratives will also become part of the permanent heritage exhibit on display at the museum.

Hosts: Kristen Curé & Mindy Linder (guest host)

Date of recording: October 27, 2025

Mentioned in this episode:

ILLUMINATION virtual exhibit

Send us a text

This episode originally aired on December 31, 2024 and is being re-released.

In this episode we welcome We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) board members and authors Caroline Richmond (Executive Director) and Dhonielle Clayton (COO) to discuss why it is more important than ever to ensure diverse books are available and accessible to youth.

Since its creation in 2014, WNDB has championed diverse publishing and diverse creators, and has pushed back against the lack of diverse representation in youth literature, publishing and collections. Their advocacy efforts include, but are not limited to: mentoring marginalized creators, donating diverse books to schools and libraries across the nation, providing resources to diverse publishing professionals, and supporting educators and creators facing censorship attempts.

Learn more about WNDB's programs, resources and successes.

Hosts: Gene Iparraguirre and LaRee Dominguez
Date of recording: November 8, 2024

Mentioned in this episode:
Indigenous Reads Rising
Books Save Lives Campaign
Walter Grant
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Caroline Richmond's Author Website
Dhonielle Clayton's Author Website