62 Theological librarianship • Vol. 12, No. 1 april 2019

Library Association Spectrum Doctoral Fellow and contributing author, writes, “The text will not lay blame on the numerically dominant White professionals or assume support networks for Black and women of color librarians. However, the text seeks to reveal how macro-discriminatory and oppressive systems reinforce marginality and limit the use of voice” (148). This silence includes a gap in literature that the editors and authors have recognized needs to be addressed. With this volume, the gap is filled with excellent resources that can aid in a librarian’s discussion within his or her own institution and beyond.

The editors’ presentation of the essays is clearly explained as providing a space for expression according to the essays’ common themes. Thus, connected by way of intersectionality, they together acknowledge, “There is no one practical solution that could truly address the systemic underpinnings of oppression that frame our society at large and trickle into how libraries and archives operate” (4). In addition to providing this space for calling out, the essays unveil recent scholarly literature that discusses these issues. Through their clear, and at times painful, writing, these professional women share their interconnected findings that only reinforce the repeating theme of oppression and marginalization.

The volume is specifically focused on the discussion of intersectionality in the LIS field. As the editors write, “Intersectionality is a tool for studying, understanding, and responding to the ways in which axes of identities intersect and how these intersections contribute to unique experiences of oppression and privilege” (5). There is no confusing the topic, nor its audience. The goal is not to be objective in the approach to oppression and marginality, but instead to be, as the editors express, “unapologetic in centering women of color and in making the statement that above all else, we matter, our experiences are valid, and that we will be heard” (12). This is a must-read for all who want to listen to Women of Color and their unique prophetic lens in the LIS field.

Pushing the Margins: Women of Color and Intersectionality in LIS is a worthwhile addition to any library’s collection and is recommended without reservation as a resource for every LIS professional.

Ondrea M. Murphy

Cataloging and Collection Development Librarian

Delaware State University

Dover, Delaware