Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
@justbeyondthepages.bsky.social
Current MLIS student and prison librarian. I write about all things libraries, books, information access (Blog under development/hiatus)📚📜 Sam Ward, She/They
Opinions are strictly my own and do not represent my employer.
Opinions are strictly my own and do not represent my employer.
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
I'm going to get something up Monday but in the mean time, y'all, IMLS got a *massive* win today.
The judge in the case between 21 states and the administration blocked further dismantling of the IMLS by Trump. It'll be appealed, but we've gotta take the Ws.
www.wordsandmoney.com/in-a-major-v...
The judge in the case between 21 states and the administration blocked further dismantling of the IMLS by Trump. It'll be appealed, but we've gotta take the Ws.
www.wordsandmoney.com/in-a-major-v...
In a Major Victory, Rhode Island Judge Permanently Blocks Trump's Bid to Shutter the IMLS
In a November 21 summary judgment ruling, judge John J. McConnell held that the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the IMLS and several other federal agencies via executive order was both ill...
www.wordsandmoney.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:33 PM
I'm going to get something up Monday but in the mean time, y'all, IMLS got a *massive* win today.
The judge in the case between 21 states and the administration blocked further dismantling of the IMLS by Trump. It'll be appealed, but we've gotta take the Ws.
www.wordsandmoney.com/in-a-major-v...
The judge in the case between 21 states and the administration blocked further dismantling of the IMLS by Trump. It'll be appealed, but we've gotta take the Ws.
www.wordsandmoney.com/in-a-major-v...
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
Closing soon, our representation statistics survey. If you are ND and work in libraries archives and information then please fill this in, thankyou.
✨We're delighted with the response to our survey for #neurodivergent staff in the #library & information sector
It takes 10 mins, so if you haven’t already filled it in, please think about doing so (closing date is 30/11/25)⬇️
lancasteruni.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
psst. Pass it on!
It takes 10 mins, so if you haven’t already filled it in, please think about doing so (closing date is 30/11/25)⬇️
lancasteruni.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
psst. Pass it on!
a man in a tie says attention everyone
ALT: a man in a tie says attention everyone
media.tenor.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Closing soon, our representation statistics survey. If you are ND and work in libraries archives and information then please fill this in, thankyou.
I don’t say this with pride but I have somehow managed to sustain the habit of procrastinating on assignments till the last minute from middle school all the way through grad school.
November 14, 2025 at 1:26 AM
I don’t say this with pride but I have somehow managed to sustain the habit of procrastinating on assignments till the last minute from middle school all the way through grad school.
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
In the last half decade, our writers have shared stories about surviving extreme heat, navigating broken health care, and being shut out of elections. One of our most read pieces of 2025 is about how kittens softened an entire yard.
Help support our work:
Help support our work:
Donate | Prison Journalism Project
Prison Journalism Project is supported by people like you. Support Prison Journalism Project today.
prisonjournalismproject.fundjournalism.org
November 3, 2025 at 4:15 PM
In the last half decade, our writers have shared stories about surviving extreme heat, navigating broken health care, and being shut out of elections. One of our most read pieces of 2025 is about how kittens softened an entire yard.
Help support our work:
Help support our work:
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
If you don't subscribe to my newsletter–it's not the Book Riot ones but a personal side project–don't miss out on tomorrow's story. Everything here is always free, but paid subscribers help keep my kid in books <3
buttondown.com/wellsourced
buttondown.com/wellsourced
Well Sourced by Kelly Jensen
It’s everything you are curious about when it comes to books, reading, censorship, and libraries within the context of pop culture and mental health. If you like getting curious and appreciate well-so...
buttondown.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:51 PM
If you don't subscribe to my newsletter–it's not the Book Riot ones but a personal side project–don't miss out on tomorrow's story. Everything here is always free, but paid subscribers help keep my kid in books <3
buttondown.com/wellsourced
buttondown.com/wellsourced
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
My library is still dealing with the repercussions of a local election that took place over a decade ago. "Down ballot" elections are really, really, really important and this is the hill I choose to die on.
You need to vote. Yes, in every election. Yes, even down-ballot elections. Yes, even if there's only one thing on your ballot. YES YES YES, VOTE EVERY SINGLE ELECTION. Your vote matters. Your voice matters. It is your civic duty!
November 4, 2025 at 4:34 PM
My library is still dealing with the repercussions of a local election that took place over a decade ago. "Down ballot" elections are really, really, really important and this is the hill I choose to die on.
Work finally said we could do (simple) costumes this year. Me and my yellow cardigan couldn’t pass up the chance to be Arthur!
(Yes, the nose ring stayed in 😂)
📚📜
(Yes, the nose ring stayed in 😂)
📚📜
October 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Work finally said we could do (simple) costumes this year. Me and my yellow cardigan couldn’t pass up the chance to be Arthur!
(Yes, the nose ring stayed in 😂)
📚📜
(Yes, the nose ring stayed in 😂)
📚📜
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
Hey library folk libraries are often the first place people go to find out where they can get help. With the SNAP suspension looming creating a list of local food pantries and other organizations that may be able to assist is one way we can help out vulnerable patrons! This is one I made:
📚📜
📚📜
I made a resource list for people served by my library that may be affected by the SNAP benefit suspension:
Resources for People affected by the SNAP Benefit Suspension — a staff-created list from Johnson County Library
A list of links to Food Pantries and other resources in and around Johnson County that may be able to provide assistance for people affected by the suspension of SNAP benefits in November.
Also inclu...
jocolibrary.bibliocommons.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Hey library folk libraries are often the first place people go to find out where they can get help. With the SNAP suspension looming creating a list of local food pantries and other organizations that may be able to assist is one way we can help out vulnerable patrons! This is one I made:
📚📜
📚📜
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
I hate gay Halloween what do you mean you’re an uncataloged book someone tried to rebind with duct tape
October 31, 2025 at 1:26 PM
I hate gay Halloween what do you mean you’re an uncataloged book someone tried to rebind with duct tape
Apparently y’all really like me talking about the crafts I do for my library, haha. I love it! 🎨✂️🧵
📚📜
📚📜
October 29, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Apparently y’all really like me talking about the crafts I do for my library, haha. I love it! 🎨✂️🧵
📚📜
📚📜
Halloween decorations are finally up in my library! 🎃 (We had an audit, so I couldn't do it earlier.)
I have Dollar Tree ghosts, pumpkins, and bats hanging from the ceiling and made some of these fun paper plate Venus Fly Traps (below) to put in our plants.
www.pinterest.com/pin/26951297...
I have Dollar Tree ghosts, pumpkins, and bats hanging from the ceiling and made some of these fun paper plate Venus Fly Traps (below) to put in our plants.
www.pinterest.com/pin/26951297...
www.pinterest.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Halloween decorations are finally up in my library! 🎃 (We had an audit, so I couldn't do it earlier.)
I have Dollar Tree ghosts, pumpkins, and bats hanging from the ceiling and made some of these fun paper plate Venus Fly Traps (below) to put in our plants.
www.pinterest.com/pin/26951297...
I have Dollar Tree ghosts, pumpkins, and bats hanging from the ceiling and made some of these fun paper plate Venus Fly Traps (below) to put in our plants.
www.pinterest.com/pin/26951297...
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
If the impending freeze of SNAP benefits is what has you particularly animated, these questions might help. You can really substitute any issue and ask the same questions of yourself.
4 grounding questions [if useful at this moment]:
1. What resources exist so I can better educate myself [about x issue]?
2. Who's already doing work around this injustice?
3. Do I have the capacity to offer concrete support & help to them?
4. How can I be constructive?
1. What resources exist so I can better educate myself [about x issue]?
2. Who's already doing work around this injustice?
3. Do I have the capacity to offer concrete support & help to them?
4. How can I be constructive?
October 22, 2025 at 6:36 PM
If the impending freeze of SNAP benefits is what has you particularly animated, these questions might help. You can really substitute any issue and ask the same questions of yourself.
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
Not so fun fact: The most banned book in US prisons is… a cookbook😐
This week is Prison Banned Books Week – the system’s attack on books is sinister, to say the least, and emerging technology, like tablets, is not helping.
Here’s what you should know:
This week is Prison Banned Books Week – the system’s attack on books is sinister, to say the least, and emerging technology, like tablets, is not helping.
Here’s what you should know:
Prison Banned Books Week: Books give incarcerated people access to the world, but tablets are often used to wall them off
Instead of taking advantage of their possibilities, the companies that got rich off prison phone calls offer limited book selections on tablets, as part of ...
www.prisonpolicy.org
October 21, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Not so fun fact: The most banned book in US prisons is… a cookbook😐
This week is Prison Banned Books Week – the system’s attack on books is sinister, to say the least, and emerging technology, like tablets, is not helping.
Here’s what you should know:
This week is Prison Banned Books Week – the system’s attack on books is sinister, to say the least, and emerging technology, like tablets, is not helping.
Here’s what you should know:
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
Over the summer I spoke to a source about how cuts to SNAP would harm her physical and mental health, including how it'd impact eating disorder recovery, and I'm thinking about that conversation constantly as millions of people stand to lose SNAP benefits next month.
October 20, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Over the summer I spoke to a source about how cuts to SNAP would harm her physical and mental health, including how it'd impact eating disorder recovery, and I'm thinking about that conversation constantly as millions of people stand to lose SNAP benefits next month.
This quarter's book club class is centered around genre exploration and students pick a book of their choice to read / discuss with the group as we go through a (admittedly short) list of genres:
📚📜
📚📜
October 16, 2025 at 4:01 PM
This quarter's book club class is centered around genre exploration and students pick a book of their choice to read / discuss with the group as we go through a (admittedly short) list of genres:
📚📜
📚📜
This morning I hosted our first information session on library services / resources offered (something I've been meaning to add to our schedule for a while now) and wow!
You don't realize just how much you're doing till you have to write it all down.
📚📜
You don't realize just how much you're doing till you have to write it all down.
📚📜
October 14, 2025 at 4:26 PM
This morning I hosted our first information session on library services / resources offered (something I've been meaning to add to our schedule for a while now) and wow!
You don't realize just how much you're doing till you have to write it all down.
📚📜
You don't realize just how much you're doing till you have to write it all down.
📚📜
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
I see pieces like this a lot, often w/ a spin of lamenting cultural degeneration, but reading is a LABOR issue, it’s declined because so many people are working overtime or two jobs & employers expect after hours work. France has Earth’s highest reading rate b/c long lunch breaks & labor protections
October 7, 2025 at 12:25 AM
I see pieces like this a lot, often w/ a spin of lamenting cultural degeneration, but reading is a LABOR issue, it’s declined because so many people are working overtime or two jobs & employers expect after hours work. France has Earth’s highest reading rate b/c long lunch breaks & labor protections
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
Baker & Taylor appears to be shutting down. A post on the r/libraries subreddit from an employee of B&T breaks the news and there appear to be other employees in the comments confirming the situation.
From the Libraries community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the Libraries community
www.reddit.com
October 6, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Baker & Taylor appears to be shutting down. A post on the r/libraries subreddit from an employee of B&T breaks the news and there appear to be other employees in the comments confirming the situation.
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
For #BannedBooksWeek, we’re highlighting the unjust censorship of political books which impacts countless incarcerated readers each year.
For every book purchased from this reading list, we will be sending a book to someone who is incarcerated.
For every book purchased from this reading list, we will be sending a book to someone who is incarcerated.
Books Are For Everyone: A Banned Books Week Reading List
Banned Books Week—October 5th to 11th—is an annual celebration of the freedom to read, and the aspiration that books should be accessible to all. In recognition of Banned Books Week 2025, Haymarket is...
www.haymarketbooks.org
October 6, 2025 at 3:51 PM
For #BannedBooksWeek, we’re highlighting the unjust censorship of political books which impacts countless incarcerated readers each year.
For every book purchased from this reading list, we will be sending a book to someone who is incarcerated.
For every book purchased from this reading list, we will be sending a book to someone who is incarcerated.
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
We’re out of 2025 world almanacs and low on dictionaries—two of our most popular requests. Can you help us stock up?
It’s #BannedBooksWeek, too, which means that if you purchase a book from our indie bookstore partner wish lists and donate it to APBP, your gift will be matched.
It’s #BannedBooksWeek, too, which means that if you purchase a book from our indie bookstore partner wish lists and donate it to APBP, your gift will be matched.
October 6, 2025 at 4:04 PM
We’re out of 2025 world almanacs and low on dictionaries—two of our most popular requests. Can you help us stock up?
It’s #BannedBooksWeek, too, which means that if you purchase a book from our indie bookstore partner wish lists and donate it to APBP, your gift will be matched.
It’s #BannedBooksWeek, too, which means that if you purchase a book from our indie bookstore partner wish lists and donate it to APBP, your gift will be matched.
Wearing my "Library Lady" shirt lead to a weird conversation today, so now I have to ask:
Is there a rumor out there making some people think librarians make a ton of money? I always thought it was a notoriously underpaid job, but maybe that's because I'm actually in the field. 🤷
📚📜
Is there a rumor out there making some people think librarians make a ton of money? I always thought it was a notoriously underpaid job, but maybe that's because I'm actually in the field. 🤷
📚📜
October 3, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Wearing my "Library Lady" shirt lead to a weird conversation today, so now I have to ask:
Is there a rumor out there making some people think librarians make a ton of money? I always thought it was a notoriously underpaid job, but maybe that's because I'm actually in the field. 🤷
📚📜
Is there a rumor out there making some people think librarians make a ton of money? I always thought it was a notoriously underpaid job, but maybe that's because I'm actually in the field. 🤷
📚📜
Just started a new quarter of the book club elective class I teach, and during introductions two students said this was their second class with me and one student said it was his third.
Sometimes I question how well I do these, but these students help affirm that I must be doing something right 😊
Sometimes I question how well I do these, but these students help affirm that I must be doing something right 😊
October 2, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Just started a new quarter of the book club elective class I teach, and during introductions two students said this was their second class with me and one student said it was his third.
Sometimes I question how well I do these, but these students help affirm that I must be doing something right 😊
Sometimes I question how well I do these, but these students help affirm that I must be doing something right 😊
My workplace loves putting together potlucks for different celebrations, and today's was for the retirement of a dear coworker.
I'm always bringing new things I see on Pinterest (or elsewhere on the Internet), and today's dish, Cowboy Caviar with "hint of lime" tortilla chips, was a big hit! 😋
I'm always bringing new things I see on Pinterest (or elsewhere on the Internet), and today's dish, Cowboy Caviar with "hint of lime" tortilla chips, was a big hit! 😋
September 29, 2025 at 4:29 PM
My workplace loves putting together potlucks for different celebrations, and today's was for the retirement of a dear coworker.
I'm always bringing new things I see on Pinterest (or elsewhere on the Internet), and today's dish, Cowboy Caviar with "hint of lime" tortilla chips, was a big hit! 😋
I'm always bringing new things I see on Pinterest (or elsewhere on the Internet), and today's dish, Cowboy Caviar with "hint of lime" tortilla chips, was a big hit! 😋
Reposted by Just Beyond the Pages (Sam Ward)
🎶 Take a look, it's in a book 🎶
🥹 After nearly 20 years... Reading Rainbow is returning to motivate, help, and encourage kids to become avid readers with new episodes, new friends, new projects, and of course... new books! Make sure to follow the rainbow 📚🌈
#FollowTheRainbow
🥹 After nearly 20 years... Reading Rainbow is returning to motivate, help, and encourage kids to become avid readers with new episodes, new friends, new projects, and of course... new books! Make sure to follow the rainbow 📚🌈
#FollowTheRainbow
September 29, 2025 at 3:06 PM
🎶 Take a look, it's in a book 🎶
🥹 After nearly 20 years... Reading Rainbow is returning to motivate, help, and encourage kids to become avid readers with new episodes, new friends, new projects, and of course... new books! Make sure to follow the rainbow 📚🌈
#FollowTheRainbow
🥹 After nearly 20 years... Reading Rainbow is returning to motivate, help, and encourage kids to become avid readers with new episodes, new friends, new projects, and of course... new books! Make sure to follow the rainbow 📚🌈
#FollowTheRainbow
My job has me explaining the most random things to my patrons to help them better connect with loved ones on the outside. This week’s questions included Darry Ring, Roblox, and different ways online content creators might make money.
September 27, 2025 at 8:57 AM
My job has me explaining the most random things to my patrons to help them better connect with loved ones on the outside. This week’s questions included Darry Ring, Roblox, and different ways online content creators might make money.