First Amendment Auditors

By Rebecca Potance (Follow us on LinkedIn) Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. –First Amendment of the

Depression Hurts: You Can Make It Better

By Rebecca Potance (Follow us on LinkedIn) If you or a loved one suffer from clinical depression, I recommend watching the 2011 film “Melancholia.” The first part of the movie features a recently married woman named Justine at her hilariously dysfunctional wedding reception. She puts on a smile in front of her husband and the guests,

Animals and Inmates: Second Chances

By Rebecca Potance (Follow us on LinkedIn) Looking for a heart-warming story? How about a way to alleviate two societal problems with one solution? Recently I learned about programs letting incarcerated people care for feral cats that I just couldn’t keep to myself. The logic is simple: animal shelters cannot find enough homes for all of

Different Strokes for Different Folks

By Rebecca Potance (Follow us on LinkedIn) Recently, the Governor of Pennsylvania signed an Executive Order removing four year degree requirements for numerous state jobs. Some people saw this as part of a larger trend in this country of emphasizing skills over degrees in hiring. Unfortunately, someone I know lambasted the decision on social media, claiming

On Going with the Flow

By Rebecca Potance I have this recurring dream where I’m sitting in the passenger seat of a car desperately trying to steer the vehicle. My feet can’t reach the pedals, my arms can’t reach the steering wheel, there’s no one in the driver’s seat, but yet the car is moving. I feel sick and I

Nothing Compares 2 U

By Rebecca Potance “Every calculation based on experience elsewhere fails in New Mexico.” – Lew Wallace In 1881, then-Governor of New Mexico Lew Wallace, better known as the author of the classic novel Ben Hur, made the above quoted remark about his experience in what was then still the territory of New Mexico. Lew Wallace’s

Libraries Work Because People Do

By Rebecca Potance Libraries that run themselves are the stuff of fiction. A library may feel like a magical place, but, in reality, it takes human labor to keep everything running smoothly. Too often library workers are invisible, undervalued and ignored. Our visibility varies depending on the nature of our job duties. Teaching, committee work,

“Sovereign Citizens” in the Courts : A Law Librarian’s Perspective

How do you talk to someone who denies the legitimacy of the institution you work for? For those of us who work in the public sector, this is not a hypothetical question. As long as government institutions have existed, there have been segments of the population denying their authority. In recent history, poor economic conditions