With over 40 years of experience as a public school educator, Barbara Gomez shares lessons learned for supporting students, creating a culture of acceptance of all genders and identities, and how librarians work to overcome the digital divide.

Read the episode transcript.

Meet the guest

Born in 1954, Barbara’s idols were Peter Pan and Babe Didrikson Zaharias. For the first 13 years of her life, she wanted to be an Olympic athlete, and trained daily, until hurting her knee. This injury was the catalyst for many undesirable shifts in her life. Dyslexia and other cognitive processing problems, combined with her love for activity and running, made school a challenge. However, Barbara’s mother was an avid reader, bringing Barbara to the library often to help pick out books and explore the shelves. Eventually, she choose her career based on these early years browsing the library. Barbara began her journey as a reference librarian in urban libraries, but her love of youth and all the promises their lives hold that brought her focus to education for the past 30 years. Working in school libraries, Barbara’s deep love and commitment to her students keeps her going (although this year has been especially hard). Working from home, not seeing students and not hearing their stories has resulted in all of her thoughts focused on how they’re doing, how their families are doing and what, if anything, she can do to help them. Barbara cherishes the spaces that libraries hold for students, and finds her personal joy in helping youth find their own path in this world.

Resources

How to help:Covid-19 impact on kids and nutrition

• No kid hungry - Coronavirus (can donate)

• Want to help feed kids that depend on school meals? Here are ways to give

• The Impact of Changing SNAP and School Meals During Covid-19

Covid-19 and the digital divide 

• 5 Insights for How to Tackle the Digital Divide During the Coronavirus and Beyond

• The Disparities in Remote Learning Under Coronavirus

Young adult queer fiction and connection

• The rise of young adult books with LGBTQ characters - and what’s next

• YA Pride - Advocating for Inclusive and Affirming Content in YA Lit

Suicide support and help

• American Foundation of Suicide Prevention

• The Trevor Project (LGBTQ youth)

• Active Minds 

Support your local schools and libraries

• Friend Your Library

• Adopt a Classroom

If you are feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting yourself, or are concerned that someone you know may be in danger of hurting himself or herself, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is staffed by certified crisis response professionals.