Leading with Purpose: Libraries, Equity, and Community Power

In this episode, we speak with Eboni A. Johnson, STEM Librarian and Head of the Science Library at Oberlin College and President of Oberlin City Council, about her unexpected journey from a reluctant prospective student to a leader shaping both campus and community.

Eboni reflects on how mentorship, representation, and access to information have defined her path, and how libraries serve as powerful sites for equity and social justice. She also shares her entry into local government, her work advancing housing access and Oberlin’s nationally recognized Social Equity Plan, and what it means to lead with integrity. Grounded in the belief to “do your best and do right by people,” this conversation highlights how leadership can emerge in unexpected ways and how it can create lasting impact.

🔗 Find out more about Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder.
🌎Visit Oberlin College's website.
Podcast Produced by: Paradigm Media Group

🔗 Find out more about Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder.
🌐 Follow the Center on social media: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
🌎 Visit Oberlin College's website.

Podcast Produced by: Paradigm Media Group

Transcript

Meet Ebony Johnson’s Many Roles

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Today's guest is Ebony A. Johnson, STEM librarian, and head of the science library at Oberlin's Colleges Library. And Ebony is also president of Oberlin's City Council. Since 2009, Ebony has moved from reference and instruction to outreach and programming to her current role, where she designs new services, supports faculty, and empowers students as confident critical users of information. Ebony's work centers mentoring, social justice in libraries, preservation and making underrepresented people visible in collections. She's also the editor of Librarian as Mentor, Grow, Discover, Inspire, a contributor to Crucible Moments, Inspiring Library Leadership, and author of the chapter, Show Them Who You Are: Code Switching and Code Meshing in the Academy in Music Information Literacy Inclusion and Advocacy. Ebony is also an OB, class of 1997, and she also sits as the executive, a member of the executive committee of OA4, which is Oberlin's Alumni Association for Folks of African ancestry. That was certainly a mouthful, but we did it. Welcome, Ebony, stop. Thank you so much. All right.

Upward Bound And Choosing Oberlin

SPEAKER_01 1:25

So after that long introduction, let's just start a little bit with before we jump into your story at Oberlin and all the wonderful work that you do, the STEM library and working with the city of Oberlin and City Council. Just tell us a little bit about who you are and what drew you to Oberlin as a student.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Oh, that's a funny story. So I grew up in Elyria, Ohio, which your listeners might know is just a stone store away from Oberlin, not too far. And so when I was looking at going to college, I wanted to come anywhere but here. Oh, wow. Anywhere but here. So I'm looking at colleges like all across the US, like down in Atlanta, out in California, wherever. And so at the time there was a college prep program called Upward Bound. Oh yeah. Here at Oberlin. And my mom was like, hey, there's this program at Oberlin. I want you to check this out. So she told me about it. And I'm like, no, thank you. I'm good. So part of what I why I said no is because there was a six-week summer component where participants stayed on campus in the dorms during the week, went home for the weekend. They took classes that were taught by college students and community members. And it was really designed to mimic the college experience of like being away from home, going home. I said no, thank you. But then I found out that some friends of mine at school were in it. And so I uh went ahead and she's like, just have the interview. If you don't want to do it, you don't have to, but I want you to at least check it out. So I did, and then I'm like, oh, this sounds really cool. I want to do it. So what I didn't know until much later was that was her Jedi mind tricking me into becoming a student at Oberlin. So by the time I finished my time with Upward Bound, I think I did two summers and three academic years.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

And so the academic year component was, you know, sort of college prep, getting ready for college and help with applications and financial aid and all that. So by the time I was done with all that, Oberlin was literally the only place I wanted to go. I didn't want to consider anywhere else. But she told me that was her way of getting me to consider Oberlin as a viable possibility. Mamas know best, don't they? Yeah. Don't

The Library Path She Resisted

SPEAKER_00 3:52

they? Can I tell you the next part of the story? This is how I got to be a librarian. Yes. It was also her. So I was working here. I was working in um MUD. Okay. It was my second semester freshman year. I got a job as a student research assistant. So I called her up on the phone. I said, Mom, I got this work study job at the library. And I was telling her, I was so excited. She's like, You should think about becoming a librarian. And I said, That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, and I'm not gonna do that. I said, No way, I'm not doing that. Like, nobody does that. Mind you, I was working in a building full of people who chose to do that. So actually, I had little small interviews with them just asking them how they got to be librarians. And most of them said that they fell into the career kind of by accident. So I'm like, oh, okay, okay. So I did that job for a while. I got another job in the library in the preservation lab, which is where we fixed the hurt books, so repairing broken spines and torn pages, stuff like that. And that was actually the job that got me to think about going to library school, but I wanted to be a book and paper conservator. And so that's the job that got me there. Anyway, it took me a couple of years to tell my mother that, oh yeah, I'm gonna go become a library. And once I finally did, she's like, Yeah, I knew you'd come around and see it my way. But you know, I didn't actually follow that track of book and paper conservator. I followed a different path, but all of that led me to where I am right now. Oh my gosh. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

So you do upward bound, right? You get this opportunity to spend time on a college campus as a high school student. And even though, you know, against your better judgment, right? Um you spend the time at Oberlin and you make the decision to come here. What was it about Oberlin that really sold you, right? Because I would imagine there's still parts of you that thought maybe you go to other, you know, schools. You mentioned Atlanta and and uh California and other places. What is it about Oberlin now that you know it's no longer 1997, Ebony? It's no longer 1990 anything, right? It was a pretty good year for me. The the 90s were were great for me, right? And the early 2000s, by the way. What is it about Oberlin that that drew you in that kind of you know made it so special for you?

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Oberlin is a really special place. So, like as I got into the Upward Bound program, I got to meet college students. So people I sort of became friends with, I guess as much as you can as a college student. Um, but getting to know the campus, the community, got to know some people around campus staff and all that. And I'm like, this is really cool. And I realized that I was close enough to home, but still far enough away from home. So I have the support of my family when I needed it, but it wasn't like they were gonna be dropping on campus every other day to stalk me or anything like that. So I was like, I can get a world-class education 20 minutes away from where I live in a really cool community with people that I know. So, like, I ended up coming to college with my high school best friend. We were roommates our first year. Wow. So, like, you know, I already had some people that I knew, friendly faces on campus, that sort of eased the anxiety of going off to college because I was close to home, but also knew some people coming in. I think that really made it easier for me.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

Love it. Okay, so we know that you started working at Oberlin

Leaving Oberlin Then Coming Back

SPEAKER_01 7:42

in 2009. So what did life look like for you in between the time you graduated from Oberlin and the time that you returned to Oberlin to work?

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Oh, wow. So I graduated in '97. I hung around Oberlin for a couple of years. I think it was 1999 or so. I decided I needed to get out of Lorraine County. I needed to get out of Oberlin and go do something else. Well, the thing is, I didn't know where I wanted to go. And so I'm like, well, you can't go anywhere until you have a job. So I started job hunting in various places. And I don't know how I got a copy of the Columbus Dispatch newspaper, but I did. And I was looking in the uh want ad section for jobs. Well, they were advertising for a job in the newspaper library. I think the job was called information specialist or something. No, editorial assistant. And so basically that job was to help support the reporters, editors, and columnists who get the paper out every day. We're sort of the research arm of the newspaper. And so they listed all of the qualifications and requirements. I'm like, oh, I can do that, I can do that, I've done that, I've done that. And there were a few things that I hadn't done, like I didn't have experience with their particular software that they use to archive the paper every day. But I'm like, I can learn that. I went to Oberlin, I can learn anything, I can do anything. So I applied and got that job and moved to Columbus in 1999. And I worked at the dispatch for almost six years. So I was one of I think seven people in the library of the newspaper. So again, like doing research for reporters, editors, and columnists. Eventually, my job became to um manage the library, like the books that we checked out to people, um, purchasing books, checking them out to people, helping to create the online intranet, archiving the paper, maintaining the clip file and photo file, like all the. I swear to God, it's still one of my favorite jobs that I've ever had. But I did that for about close to six years, and then I moved to Ohio State, the Ohio State University. Yes. Um, where I worked as the at the librarian for food, agricultural, and environmental sciences. So kind of similar to what I'm doing now in the science library, the STEM librarian, um, but specifically in the College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences. Love that. Where I did that, I lived in Columbus. I calculated, I lived there for 10 years and one day, and then I moved back to Oberlin. Um, and I wasn't even sure I wanted to do that. I was, you know, kind of feeling like I was wearing out my welcome at Ohio State. Like, huh, maybe I should go somewhere else, do something else. Saw a job opening here, and I'm like, wait, I left Oberlin, I left Lorraine County, I left all that for a reason. Do I really want to go back? And I'm like, what do you got to lose? You apply for the job. I was like, probably the last person to apply. I found out about it. I applied for it maybe three weeks after the deadline for applications. Oh my gosh. It's a long story, but I ended up getting an interview. I was actually out of town when I got the call for an interview. So I had a phone interview. There was no Zoom back in those days. Um, so I had a phone interview. By the end of that same day, I got an invitation for an on-campus interview. And then a couple weeks after that, I got the offer for the job, and I've been here ever since. Wow. Yeah. And the rest is history. The rest is history. The crazy thing is, I thought I would come here for three to five years and then go do something else. But I just started my 17th year.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

Unreal.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

I know, I know. Three to five. I'm like, yeah, I'll I'll hang around Overland for a while, go do something else, but now there's no way I want to leave. Oh this is my place.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

Okay. So here we are, 17 years later.

Representation And Leading As First

SPEAKER_01 11:50

So, and thinking about the evolution of the work that you've been doing since you returned to campus in 2009. How has your understandings of libraries as sites for equity and social justice evolved, right? Because I think that's something that I know for me is a very fascinating topic. So can you talk to us a little bit about how libraries operate as that site for equity and social justice? Because that that's really something that people probably don't think enough about, right?

SPEAKER_00 12:29

I think I can. I hope I can do it justice. But one thing I would love to tell you is how I didn't meet another librarian who looked like me until I got here to college.

SPEAKER_01 12:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

So I was just turned 18 when I got to campus, never met another black woman librarian until then. Isn't that crazy?

SPEAKER_01 12:51

Well, okay. Before you answer that question around the libraries of site of equity and social justice, can we talk about what you just shared? Sure. What do those numbers look like as it relates to numerical representation of folks of color in library in in the libraries in general? What does that look like?

SPEAKER_00 13:12

You know what? I wish I had time to do some research on that because I don't have exact numbers. But what I I think I can fairly say is that it's a lot better now than it used to be, at least from my point of view. So I can only speak about my lens right now. Um, but yeah, I didn't meet anybody who was a a librarian that wasn't not a white woman until I got to college. Since then, of course, I've met librarians of you know all different races, ethnicities, genders, everything. And I think it's wonderful that we can, especially when we really reflect our communities where we are. I think that's a beautiful thing. And so I can also tell you that I'm fairly certain there has never been someone that looks like me that's been the head of this library.

SPEAKER_01 13:59

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 14:00

So my predecessor, she was the science librarian for 40 years before she retired. 40 years. And I knew her as a student. She was a lovely woman. Unfortunately, she passed away shortly after she retired. Um, but for 40 years, she was the librarian here. And so what I love is like being a black woman who's the head of this library. When I walk in and I see students who look like me, who are hanging out in here studying, doing their thing, I love to see that so much.

SPEAKER_01 14:35

Let's talk about the gravity of that, right? So, Ebony, it's currently Black History Month. We're marching into the month of March, which is Women's History Month. How often do you think about what you just said? Does it weigh on you at all? I I know it, I know that that data point does not get lost on you, but here you are, uh a woman of color, a black woman who graduated from Oberlin, and you are the first. As far as I know, I'm the first woman, right?

SPEAKER_00 15:09

Yep. What does that mean? I think about that every day. Every day. Every day. I get to come in here and be the boss lady of this library. I love it. I love it so much. I love that I get to introduce myself to students and parents and families. Like, hey, I'm the science librarian. That's not a small thing. I just was at a reception for parents on Friday for all roads. For all roads, yeah. And so I met some parents who are lovely. Like, I love getting able to meet with prospective parents and students and say, hey, I'm an alumna.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 15:48

I'm the librarian. I've been here for a long time. I'm president of city council. And they're like, whoa. But the part about me being the first person that looks like this to do that is not lost on me. I think about it every day when I walk into the door.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

Yeah. Quite honestly, you are our ancestors' wildest dreams, right? And that is so very cool. And the fact that you're head of the science library, I mean, that's awesome as well. Because when we think about science, right, typically, you know, I spent five years working at the National Center for Women in Information Technology, right? And my role there was as a senior research scientist and also the director of racial equity and uh uh strategy. And the goal of NCWIT is to really broaden the participation of women and girls in computing. So I understand how important it is to disrupt messages and to disrupt norms when it comes to computing, right? And so and also STEM education. So when you think about how important it is to have a person of color, a black woman in charge of the science library, it's a big deal.

SPEAKER_00 17:04

It's so cool. And I will also say that when I came to Oberlin, I didn't tell you what I majored in. Let me tell you what. I came here, my plan was to be a pre-med major. I was gonna major in some science and go off to medical school. So I'm supposed to be Dr. Ebony right now, but my grades in science and math were not supporting my dream at all. So I I had to pivot a little bit. I ended up majoring in English and Africana studies. So I don't have a degree in a science STEM field at all. But I'm a really good librarian. So even when I was at the Ohio State as the agricultural sciences librarian, I would say I'm not an expert in whatever you're studying, but I'm an expert in how to use the libraries. And so we can work together to get you what you need to do your work. But like I don't have a super strong science background. I took the bare minimum to get the graduation requirements taken care of. Um but yeah, I don't even have that background. So I feel extra lucky to be able to be in this role right now. I love that. It's working out pretty well, I think.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

I think so. I think so.

What A STEM Librarian Actually Does

SPEAKER_01 18:21

You know, you mentioned something um briefly, so I'd like to shift our conversation there because that's really, really important too.

Becoming City Council President

SPEAKER_01 18:29

So you mentioned briefly that you're head of Oberlin City Council. Did I get the title right? President President, Madam President of Oberlin City Council. And for those folks who don't understand the broader structure of Oberlin's uh city leadership, first of all, can you explain what being president of Oberlin City Council, what that means, what that looks like, and tell us about what it's like to be in that role.

SPEAKER_00 19:01

It's really cool. So how it works is Oberlin has a council manager form of government. So the voters elect the seven members of city council. The seven members of council elect their president and vice president. So in some communities, it might work differently where you run for the elected position of city council and the voters elect you, but here the voters elect all seven of us, and then amongst ourselves we decide on our leadership. So um, related to that, that also means that I'm the mayor of the city.

SPEAKER_01 19:35

There you go. That's what I wanted you to say. That's what you were looking for. That's what I wanted you to say.

unknown 19:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

For for purposes of statewide or national emergency, if the governor needs the highest elected official for this municipality, that would be whoever is sitting in the role of council president. So we have four appointees that we sort of work with very closely on a day-to-day. That's the city manager, the finance director, the law director, and the clerk of council. And then beyond that, there are city department heads and employees, but council works directly with those four appointees that I mentioned.

SPEAKER_01 20:17

So yes, as the mayor of Oberlin or president of city council. What got you into politics? What made you want to be involved in this way in city leadership?

SPEAKER_00 20:33

You know, I never really had a desire to be in politics at all whatsoever. But what happened was one day happen was what had happened was I think this was in 2022, summer of 22, I believe. I was having dinner at the hotel at Oberlin. A friend of mine who was serving on council at the time came up to me. She's like, Hey Ebony, can you do you have a minute to to chat? I'm like, Yeah, sure. What's up? So she said, I was wondering if you had ever thought about running for city council. And I'm like, girl, no. I've never thought about that. Like, why? But at the time, I was the chair of the Human Relations Commission, which is one of the boards and commissions that city council appoints people to. And so she said, I had an opportunity to watch several of your meetings. I think you would really be a great council member and just, you know, think about it. And so this was right not long before the deadline to submit your petition to get on the ballot was due. So I was like, huh, I don't know. I'll think about it. But in the meantime, finish my dinner, talk to guess who I talked to? Who? My mom. Your mom. My mom. And I told her that story. And she's like, oh yeah, you're gonna run for counsel. I'm like, girl, what? And by she said, she said by the time our phone conversation was over, she had designed. My campaign yard signs and stuff in her head. But here's why I decided to do it.

Affordable Housing As A Mission

SPEAKER_00 22:06

At the time, I was a new homeowner in Oberlin. Okay. And so I had been looking to buy a house that I could afford on a single modest librarian salary. And it took a while, but I found the exact thing that I wanted. That's a whole other story that I will tell you some other time. But I was a new homeowner. And so what I noticed in my search for a house is that there wasn't a whole lot that was affordable for people of modest means. Or that things were just, you know, too big, too expensive for regular people, what I say. So my dream was to help bring about more affordable, accessible housing for people at all income levels. Um, whether you're a single person, a young family, uh, somebody who's retired and wants to downsize. You might have raised a family in a big house, but you need to downsize now. For those people, there's not very many options for places that they can go. And so people end up leaving Oberlin to go somewhere else where they can find what's appropriate and affordable for what they need. So my main goal for running was to help bring more housing options to Oberlin. And we are on the track of doing that right now. It feels really good. It's as things do, they take longer than you might want them to, but there's there's progress being made, and it feels really good to kind of see that come to fruition.

SPEAKER_01 23:48

I love that. So you were elected to council, and then you were elected as the president.

SPEAKER_00 23:56

Well, not the first term, so this is my third term on council. Oh, okay. Come on, third term. Okay. So third term, we serve two-year terms. Okay. And we are term limited at five. So we can do five consecutive two-year terms before we have to sit out.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

And then we can come back after a term if we wanted to. So this is my third term. So the first term, I was not elected president. I was the only person, I think there were seven people running for seven seats, and I was the only one that didn't have previous council experience. Um, but can I humble brag just a little bit? Oh, you need to. Just a little bit. Yes. So that that first time as a rookie, I got the most votes out of everybody, but it it was a slim margin. It was like six or eight votes. Um, the next term I also got the most votes by close to 400. And this last election, I also got the most votes. I don't remember what the margin was. Um, but I will also say that getting the most votes does not mean automatically that you'll be president, right? Your your peers still have to vote for you for that role. But it's really exciting to have been a part of some important changes that are happening in Oberlin and working with, you know, all the people that we work with to get stuff done. I love it. I love it. I love it too. That's amazing. And I never thought I would do anything like this, but I'm having a good time.

SPEAKER_01 25:26

Well, we can tell, and we can absolutely tell why you are the person doing it. I cannot imagine anyone else to do this. You seem to be absolutely dedicated to it. I want to ask you, though, if you could share a little bit about Oberlin recently was lauded and received some acknowledgement for their work. The city of Oberlin was recently lauded and praised for their work around social equity. Can you tell us a little bit more about that? Because I think that's really important for folks to know more about.

Oberlin’s Social Equity Plan And Award

SPEAKER_00 26:02

I can. So I think it was around 2020. The city manager at the time invited me to become a part of the social equity working group, which developed Oberlin's very first social equity plan. And so I worked on that working group for a while. And then I think I got off of the working group because I was on council, and not that I couldn't have done it, but you know, as a new council member, I needed to be careful about how much I was committing myself to and how thin I was spreading myself. Um, so while I didn't serve on that working group the whole time that it's been in existence, I was eagerly keeping track of what the group was doing and watching the progress. So, City Council, I think it was, oh, was it last term? I think it was last term. We approved unanimously our first social equity plan. And that ties in really closely with our comprehensive plan and our climate action plan and all of the other plans and hopes and dreams that we have for Oberlin. But thinking about everything through a social equity lens, I think is really important to considering how we grow from here forward, what we do, what we don't do, what we say yes to, what we say, maybe not. Um, but I love to think about this as thinking about how we want Oberlin to look a generation or two from now. Yeah. Not just who's here now and what we're doing right now, but thinking ahead a couple generations and then planning for that, if that makes sense. I love that. That's yeah. So I think it's really good work that we're doing and continuing to do. So now that working group, I think, was transformed into the social equity um after we approved the plan, the social equity implementation team. And so now we are, you know, in that phase of working to make sure that we're doing things with an eye on social equity and in keeping with our comprehensive plan.

SPEAKER_01 28:08

Love that. And Oberlin, the city, has received some um attention from you know nationally, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:19

So it's the Norman Krumholtz Equity Award that we received in 2025. I love that for our social equity plan. And so that's from the Ohio chapter of the American Planning Association. So this has been a long time coming with the very first social equity working group starting around 2020 to developing the plan to getting it approved from council to now the implementation phase, but also receiving this award. It's it's really good. It's really good.

SPEAKER_01 28:52

That's great work. That's really good work, and that's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 28:57

And thank you. And it's the work of a lot of people over a long period of time. So, not just people from Oberlin City staff, but from around the community have dedicated hours and years of time and thought and dedication and commitment to making this a thing. So I'm really excited that you know we can keep that going forward.

SPEAKER_01 29:18

I love

Carrying Oberlin’s Justice Legacy Forward

SPEAKER_01 29:19

that. So, as we wrap up, we typically I've got three questions that I ask every guest if that's okay. All right. So here we go. Um, and this is such a great segue given what we just talked about. Uh, so Oberlin has always claimed a legacy of being first to admit black students, first to be co-educational. How do you see libraries can contributing to that legacy today?

SPEAKER_00 29:46

So in 20, was it 2018, the main library of Oberlin College Libraries was named for Mary Church Terrell. Yes, who was a graduate from the class of 1884 and 1888. And so, from the whole history of the college, as far as I know, right, the main library has never been named for anyone. And to have it named for someone who was such a powerhouse for civil rights, for women's rights, and all of those things, like it it really means a lot that um, you know, we're not necessarily resting on our laurels from 1833, yeah, but we're bringing that forward, and it took a long time for any building on campus to be named for her. And I think the library is a perfect one for that. Yeah. You know, she's one of our powerhouse alumni, right? And so I think it's really important to have that recognition that we're we're taking that history that we talk about all the time, but we're bringing it into the present. And now people have traditionally called that building Mud Library. It was never called Mud Library, it's Mud Center, and the library is within that, but to have the name Mary Church Terrell Library, it's very cool. And so I'm hoping that we can keep doing that and bring our powerhouses like um just recently, the Langston Hall dorm was officially dedicated for John Mercer Langston. So it was renamed Langston back in 1994 when I was a student here, but apparently there was never an official dedication naming it for him. And so we've got these powerhouses that came to Oberlin, came through Oberlin, took Oberlin out into the world with them. And there's so many connections that, you know, all roads lead to Oberlin. I think that's absolutely true in the truest sense of the word. It all comes back here. And so Oberlin, what I love about this, the college and the town, right? We mentioned the Social Equity Award, is that as small as we are, we can stand as an exemplar for other communities to look at. Oh, how is Oberlin handling housing? Oh, how is Oberlin doing this? Oh, what's Oberlin doing about that? What's Oberlin doing about sustainability and climate, right? So we're revising our climate action plan that we've had for over 20 years, I believe. And so there's lots of ways that we can stand as an exemplar and a beacon for other people who want to do the things that we're doing. So we're not just saying, oh, hey, we did all this stuff in the 1830s and that's all we're gonna do. No, we keep doing the work and keep standing up as an example for others to follow.

SPEAKER_01 32:43

Well stated. So when we look forward to our um 200th or to our bicentennial in 2033, and we're thinking about social

Looking Toward 2033 And Her North Star

SPEAKER_01 32:56

justice and equity as our goals. What do you think our future will look like? Wow.

SPEAKER_00 33:05

First of all, 2033 is not that far away. It's literally tomorrow. I know. We're gonna wake up and it's gonna be bicentennial. I know. But what I think is really exciting is that the city of Oberlin has already started planning for well, and I'm sure the college has too. So I'm looking forward to partnering together to make a really great celebration for our community. But like I said earlier, I especially am looking forward to the Oberlin of a generation or two from now and continuing to work toward that. And so whatever that looks like, I think it's gonna be bright, it's gonna be sustainable, it's gonna be healthy, it's gonna be happy. And regardless of, you know, the outside forces that we are dealing with in the world right now, I think that we can still remain true to who we are and hold up our values and do the right thing always. So that's the kind of future that I'm or present, present and future that I'm holding close for Oberlin. Love that.

SPEAKER_01 34:09

And final question: What is your own North Star as a librarian, as a mentor, and as a leader?

SPEAKER_00 34:19

Oh girl, there's so many.

SPEAKER_01 34:21

Give me three.

SPEAKER_00 34:23

So I always have to remember, like my mother tells me, I gotta remember who I am and whose I am. Yes. I could tell you stories about that in the interest of time. I won't. But I will say I am my mother's daughter. And so there are times that I open my mouth and my mama comes out, like something that she has told me, something that she has said, something that I learned from her. So I'm very much my mother's daughter. Um, but I always want to be able to wake up and look myself in the face, in the mirror, whatever, and say you did your best and you did right by people. So those are my North stars making my mama proud, doing my best, and doing right by people. I love that. Yeah. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 35:12

And you cannot go wrong with any of that.

SPEAKER_00 35:15

With any of that, make your mama proud.

SPEAKER_01 35:17

You cannot go wrong with that. Okay. Well, Ebony Johnson shows us that our stories are sites of power and possibility. Her work asks essential questions who gets access to information, whose stories are preserved. How do we build spaces where everyone has access and everyone can grow?