Narratives of (Dis)Enfranchisement: Reckoning with the History of Libraries and the Black and African American Experience. Tracey Overbey and Amanda L. Folk. Chicago: ALA Edition, 2022, 88p. Paper, $24.99 ($22.49 ALA members) ISBN: 978-0-8389-3737-2. Narratives of (Dis)Engagement: Exploring Black and African American Students’ Experiences in Libraries. Amanda L. Folk and Tracey Overbey Chicago: ALA Edition, 2022, 80p. Paper, $24.99 ($22.49 ALA members) ISBN: 978-0-8389-4886-6

Abstract

ALA Editions features two special reports written by Tracey Overbey and Amanda L. Folk. Studies such as these help to fill knowledge gaps in the academic literature and center the narratives of Black and African American experiences in American libraries and various learning spaces from K–12 to higher education. The authors have stimulated a meaningful dialogue that is, quite frankly, long overdue in addressing several critical issues within the LIS profession. Both reports speak to topics such as systemic racism and white supremacy, confronting whiteness in American libraries, and instilling and promoting antiracist principles and values within our work environments. This review examines both of Overbey and Folk’s reports, and supplies the reader with pertinent information and valuable resources for further consideration and exploration.