Resisting Erasure: Libraries in Palestine and Palestine in Libraries – Part 2

April 2, 2026
12pm (EST)
Online
Free

Join editors Nora Lester Murad and Mary L. Onorato, along with and a selection of authors, as they discuss Resisting Erasure: Libraries in Palestine and Palestine in Libraries, new book from Library Juice Press.

This is part two of a two-part book launch. Be sure to catch both to hear from a variety of authors.

About the Book

The diverse pieces in this anthology explore research and experiences at the intersection of Palestine and libraries. Part one examines how Palestinian librarians, archivists, and individuals resist erasure by preserving Palestinian materials and narratives and by ensuring Palestinians’ access to library resources amidst recurring cycles of destruction and confiscation. Part two explores how librarians in the United States respond to pressure from right-wing and pro-Israel advocacy groups that are quick to label any effort to include Palestinians and their histories as antisemitic.

Presenter Info

Nora Lester Murad

Nora Lester Murad is an educator, activist, and author of the award-winning young adult novel, Ida in the Middle, among other books about Palestine. Nora, who is Jewish, married a Palestinian Muslim and raised three daughters in the West Bank. She shares K-12 teaching and school advocacy resources and research for librarians at www.IdaInTheMiddle.com and can be reached through her blog at www.NoraLesterMurad.com.

Mary L. Onorato

Mary L. Onorato has enjoyed a career in library reference publishing that encompassed several years of editorial work and ultimately product development and management. She also lived in Lebanon and Syria, where she worked as an editor and French-to-English translator.

Eman Khadra Ansari

Dr. Eman Khadra Ansari is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, specializing in Critical Care and Pulmonology, and practices Emergency Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH). She is widely recognized for clinical excellence and leadership, serving as Chair of the PICU Committee and on the PCRF Medi cal Advisory Board and Board of Directors. As founder and director of the BCH Book Club, she fosters empathy and inclusion through literature. Dr. Ansari earned her MD from King Abdul-Aziz University and an MPH from Harvard.

Eman’s chapter is: Lost Homeland, Lost Sanctuary

Deanna Roberts

Deanna (Dee) Roberts, (MDiv/MILS) is a theological librarian based in Atlanta, Georgia. She is passionate about information literacy, ethics in academia, and furthering the discourse for a liberated Palestine within theological institutions in the United States. She serves on the Steering Committee for the Palestine Justice Network of the PC (USA), is the Library Manager for the Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism, and is actively involved with Librarians and Archivists with Palestine.

Deanna’s chapter is: Neutrality, Social Justice, and Palestine: A Theological Librarian’s Perspective

Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow is an award-winning children’s book author who worked as an educator for more than fifteen years, teaching children and teens in schools and alternative settings and writing anti-racist curricula. She has earned the prestigious Walter, Irma Black, and Golden Kite award honors for her work. In addition to producing children’s literature, she mentors aspiring authors through We Need Diverse Books and the Highlights Foundation.

Jamilah’s chapter, co-authored with Hannah Mermelstein, is: Who is Being Protected? An Author and a Librarian in Conversation About a Canceled School Visit.