Why Do So Many Anthropologists Work in Public Libraries? A public library is a community resource hub, providing everything from children’s story hours to cultural events to job training to a warm building where unhoused people can go in the winter. The library’s mission is to know the community, provide people what they need, and build a strong institution that brings people together. What better job for an anthropologist? Join us for a conversation with Suzette Chang, Executive Director of the Guthrie Public Library, and Dr. Elisha Oliver, Board Chair of the El Reno Carnegie Library, as they discuss what brought them from the anthropology department to the public library, what they do there, and how you might join them.
Panelists
Elisha R. Oliver, PhD, Adjunct Professor - Oklahoma State University, University of North Texas; Practicing Anthropologist & Deputy Director - Texas Folklife; Board Chair - El Reno Carnegie Library
Suzette Chang, Founder and CEO of Thick Descriptions; Executive Director of the Guthrie Public Library
Moderator
Daniel Ginsberg, PhD, Director, Education and Professional Practice - American Anthropological Association