I’m always chasing new experiences—but I could’ve done without the experience of being laid off.

It was both a shock and somehow not a surprise.

Knowing it wasn’t about my performance—just larger forces beyond my control—brought some comfort. But it still stings.

It’s only been about a week since the funding for NNLM Region 5 was terminated and I’m still processing everything.

My family and friends have been incredibly supportive, and I’m so grateful that I have a community of loved ones I can lean on.

And yet, the strongest outpouring of support has come from my professional community—my fellow librarians.

Throughout my career, I have always found my fellow librarians to be extremely compassionate and kind – it’s one of the things I love most about this field.

So, I should not have been surprised that as soon as word started to get out about the termination of Region 5 funding, the librarian community leapt into action. People are asking to write letters of support, gathering to share how the loss of our program has impacted them, and sharing job postings with my team.

In the midst of all of this uncertainty and grief, it’s heartening to see that our colleagues see us, appreciate us, and are willing to fight for us.

Being laid off wasn’t an experience I wanted—but it reminded me why I chose this field in the first place. I’ve never been prouder to be part of this incredible community.