In order to expand our network, knowledge, and stewardship capabilities at the Library Field, the Metropolitan New York Library Council has joined the Lower Hudson PRISM. From their site:
“The Lower Hudson Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (LH PRISM) is a collaboration of environmental organizations, engaged community members and other stakeholders that are dedicated to invasive species prevention, detection, education, and habitat restoration in the Lower Hudson region of New York State. LH PRISM is one of eight PRISMs that collectively encompass all of New York State.”
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending my first partners meeting out at the Cornell Cooperative Extension office in Rockland County. The theme for the meeting was education and outreach. We heard from a variety of speakers about how to effectively lead public programs concerning the challenges that non-native species can cause when introduced. One presentation, “Invasive Species Communication: Inspiring Action through Positivity and Learning,” felt especially compelling to me as a librarian.
Catalogers and metadata specialists out there know that the language we use to organize and describe things is powerful; it can create real harm or do a great deal of good. Thoughtfully considering the nomenclature and attitude we apply to living things, in this case non-native species – organisms that were brought here by people, that are simply living to their greatest potential – is of critical importance.
The Library Field is a great place for continued discourse and interdisciplinary conversation about how and why we give things names, and how we make determinations regarding what materials do and don’t fit within our collections. Through our partnership with the PRISM network, we expect to bring more programming to the METRO community.