UCM ‘Scholarship Surge Day,’ Feb. 18, 2025

As a recipient of scholarships for my graduate studies at the University of Central Missouri, the UCM Alumni Foundation asked me to help promote its Scholarship Surge Day fundraiser on Feb. 18, 2025. Money raised will benefit 15 scholarships at UCM, and the foundation is offering a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $50,000.
https://youtu.be/jolqBytbhww

Learn more about the fundraiser:
https://ucmgives.org/

Neuroqueer Heresies: Critiquing ‘tame autistics’

As an autistic and queer student and an acting librarian for young people, I’m interested in how autistic people are portrayed in children’s and Young Adult literature.

I’m especially interested in the idea of an “Autistic Book Club” that would engage with ways that autistic people are portrayed and the implications that they present for autistic people’s lived experiences. So I was intrigued by a statement by Nick Walker, author of Neuroqueer Heresies, regarding the curriculum for a course on autism.

As part of the “guiding principles” for creating such a course, Walker stated that “At least 80% of the assigned readings should be by autistic authors” (p. 546). Walker went on to add, however, that works by “tame autistics” couldn’t count toward this percentage.

Envisioning an ‘Autistic Book Club’

As part of my studies of Action Research in libraries, I want to look into creating an “Autistic Book Club” through my public library. The problem that this would address for me is actually very personal: it’s that as an autistic person, I face challenges when trying to socialize with other people.

‘Action Research’ expressed in a zine

Parkhill-ZINE-Participatory-action-research-with-an-Autistic-Book-Club
by Cynthia M. Parkhill

As part of my studies toward “Action Research” in libraries, I worked on constructing a zine that explored the concept of “Participatory” action research and applied it toward my interest in creating an “Autistic Book Club.”

UCM, LIS 5900 : Introductions

For spring 2025, I am enrolled in LIS 5900, Action Research in Libraries, as part of my studies in librarianship, University of Central Missouri.
https://youtu.be/Hh-gPbPEF-Q