Public Library
Libraries are still alive and well, and even thriving, with an estimated 139,287 librarians and media collections specialists, 16,383 library technicians, and 92,159 other educational instruction and library workers in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census. How, exactly, are libraries thriving when they must rapidly adapt to meet the demands of the public…
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DisruptED
Public Libraries are Protecting Against Censorship and Introducing E-Sports
Within the last six to eight years, what qualifies as fact-based information has been challenged by several political groups and debates. Advocacy for censorship has been on the rise; this is especially true for young adult books involving LGBTQ+ themes and books centering around people of color. While censorship demands were predominately held in…
DisruptED
Episode Two: Queens Library—The Public Library Innovations that Created an Even More Essential Service for the Community During the Pandemic and Beyond
The Queens Public Library is a library system that includes a digital and written collection with sources of information in over 200 languages, provides free classes and workshops each year at 65 locations across 178 square miles, and welcomes more than 11,400,000 visitors through its doors with 940,000 active cardholders. When the pandemic hit…
DisruptED
Essential Community Services—A Profile on the Queens Public Library
Host Ron J Stefanski is excited to bring another episode of this special DistruptED Public Library Edition series to listeners and viewers. In this second installment, Stefanski looks at Queens Public Library and the public library innovations that created an even more essential service for the New York City Borough for over 125 years,…
DisruptED
Boston Public Library-David Leonard Speaks on the Power of the Public Library
Public libraries have become more than just a place where people can read, borrow books, and access various types of information. They are vital centers for research in many schools and institutions. Technology has significantly impacted the growth of libraries and their necessity. Since the 60s, the introduction of computers into libraries, technology continues to…
DisruptED
Public Libraries: Essential to Community Building Like Never Before
The majority of Americans over the age of sixteen say public libraries play a critical role within their communities, with 95% agreeing the materials and resources available at public libraries provide opportunities for everyone to succeed and promote literacy and a love of reading. 94% of these Americans say having a public library improves the…
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Clip 2 – Fighting for Coverage: One Patient’s Story
Health insurers love to advertise themselves as guardians of care, but the real story often begins when a patient’s life no longer fits neatly into a spreadsheet. In oncology especially, “coverage” isn’t a bureaucratic checkbox—it’s the fragile bridge between a treatment that finally works and a relapse that can undo years of grit…
Just Thinking… About How Rapid Shifts in AI and Policy Are Elevating the Need for Educator Advocacy in Texas Schools
Schools today are navigating a whirlwind of change, from new expectations in the job market to the growing influence of AI and the constant push to rethink accountability. That’s why conversations about educator advocacy matter so much right now. Texas, for example, ranks among the lowest ten states in per-pupil funding—even while boasting the seventh-strongest…
Why Great Leaders Hire People Unlike Themselves
Leadership today is being reshaped by a simple lesson many leaders learn the hard way: a team full of people who think the same way won’t get you very far. Research shows that teams with deeper diversity—meaning differences in perspectives, values, and cognitive frameworks—consistently outperform more uniform teams in creativity, innovation, and complex decision-making. Today,…
Just Thinking… About How Career and Technical Education Can Keep Up With AI and Automation
Automation and AI aren’t arriving someday—they’re already reshaping factory floors, logistics hubs, and technical workplaces right now. That shift is putting schools, especially Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, on the spot: the jobs students are training for are evolving faster than most curricula. In its Future of Jobs Report 2025, the World Economic…