iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Rocking ALA Executive Board meetings from the comfort of my couch. Sad health required me to be virtual but grateful to connect & collaborate with my incredible colleagues in this important #workingweekend toward a stronger future for our members & profession. #SaturdayLibrarian #ForOurLibraries

040

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

It’s Taco 🌮 Day in the PR & Marketing Department! I’m bringing cookies that match my sweater. 🍪 🍂 🍁 #happymaking #librarylife #workculturematters

031

Reposted by Sam Helmick

Steve Thomas @circulatingideas.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Circulating Ideas 322: The Case for a Professional Foundation in Librarianship, with @librarianbyday.bsky.social and @samhelmick.bsky.social circulatingideas.com/2026/09/16/3...

044

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Headed to #ARSL2026 to connect with amazing colleagues and present “Law for Librarians Presents Privacy, Patron Policies, and the Limited Public Forum” with Sarah, Summer and Tyler! Excited to see old friends, make new ones, and fill my mind with more wonderful things! #LibraryLife ✈️ 📚

071

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

My last regular youth programming was about 15 years ago. I can hardly share how excited and honored I am to temporarily step into this program series for the Iowa City Public Library Childrens Department! Wish me well please! #LibraryLife ✍️ 🖼️ 💜 📚

020

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I'm doing a thing. Opening up my #thoughtbunnies substack for subscriptions with the plan to use any proceeds to publish my first book of poetry. #nervous #excited #amwriting thoughtbunnies.substack.com

010

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Turns out one of the perks of being an adult is after your leave the gym, you can have animal crackers for dinner and call it “recovery nutrition.” 🦁🐘🐒 I don’t make the rules, I just abide by them. #adulting #dinnertime

050

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

This third #SundayLibrarian shift in a row is brought to you by copious amounts of coffee and much Back to School Joy! #LibraryLife

010

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Its little tail swivels back and forth! Friends, I hope something small and unexpected brings you incalculable joy today too. #SundayMorning #LEGOlife #buttercow

020

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Thank you, Carter! I’m excited to assemble this #IowaStateFair exclusive LEGO Butter Cow!! Appreciate all my lovely friends who offered to grab one of these for me before they sold out! #HappyMaking #humbled #buttercow 🧱 🧈 🐄 🌽

010

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Thank you, Lone Tree Community School! The Iowa City Public Library and Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation loved welcoming your students Back-to-School and supporting their success with homework help and literacy resources! #BackToSchool #LibraryLife

010

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

While I'll be unable to join my colleagues in Bengaluru, I am beyond humbled and honored to deliver the S. R. Ranganathan Memorial Lecture virtually to the 2026 International Conference on Knowledge Organization and Library Information this year! #ickolis2026

001

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

This! Tyranny is often disguised as protection.

010

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Starting the week with an #IntellectualFreedom presentation with @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social and @libraryfutures.bsky.social LibraryFutures dropped a third scenario TODAY!!! Check out The Pickle of the Persistent Press Hound at: imagineif.libraryfutures.net

032

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Friends! *jumps up and down giddily* There are some many incredible local poets! I heard so much amazing art tonight and my heart is cracked open to the world in a new and exciting way tonight. Oh, and I read three poems and everyone was so welcoming and kind!! 🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰 #poetry #art #humbled

040

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Super jazzed to be trying this tonight. Not sure which of my poems to read yet but thinking 2-3 covering different topics and forms. #poetry #TheSpokenPint #amreading

130

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Des Moines/Iowa Friends! I work through the 10 days of the Iowa State Fair this year but am hoping one of you might grab a LEGO Butter Cow for me? It’s my mission to obtain one of these glorious exclusives! I’d be delighted to provide escrow/finder fees for anyone who could hook me up. 🧈 🧱 🐄 🌽

021

Reposted by Sam Helmick

Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

There's still time to register for Tools for Intellectual Freedom Training (Monday 8/17). Learn some stuff AND play a bit of the Pickle of the Persistent Press Hound with our own @librariansreed.bsky.social, @littlewow.online, and @samhelmick.bsky.social! elearning.ala.org/local/catalo...

suspicious dog reporter writing in a notebook

032

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Rocking a #nightbrarian shift on the Iowa City Public Library Help Desk with a shiny, new RFID pad! Let’s answer some questions, make some community connections, and check out some stories and knowledge! #LibraryLife

260

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I'm privileged to keynote this year's @ulunyc.bsky.social Conference: Still Standing. I am looking forward to a deeply relevant and resonant time together. #resilience #librarylife #alwayslearning

020

Reposted by Sam Helmick

American Library Association @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

National Voter Registration Day is almost here: Is your library #ReaderVoterReady? Check out our ideas for resources, programming, and more! Register your library as an NVRD partner: bit.ly/ALA-NVRD26 More resources: www.ala.org/advocacy/initiatives/re…

September 15, 2026. ALA is a proud partner of NVRD. bit.ly/ALA-NVRD26.

Sep 15, 2026. ALA is a proud partner of NVRD.
Join ALA & libraries to get #ReaderVoterReady:
- Register voters
- Help voters confirm their registration
- Provide information about voter registration requirements, including dates, times, and locations.
- Publicize election dates and deadlines
- Host voter ID clinics
- Partner with local election administrators for office hours at the library
- Support the voter registration needs of your community.
bit.ly/ALA-NVRD26

National Voter Registration Day: September 15, 2026. Become a partner: bit.ly/ALA-NVRD26. Find tools to support voter outreach and get your community #ReaderVoterReady: ala.org/ReaderVoterReady.

03215

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

"People often ask me how we keep going. The truth? We don't stop needing encouragement when we become leaders." My #thoughtbunnies on The Cost of Caring: Why Leaders Burn Out and How We Stay Whole. thoughtbunnies.substack.com/p/the-cost-o... #leadership #selfcare

Six Practices for the People Who Care Too Much

020

Reposted by Sam Helmick

CNN @cnn.com · 06/06/2026

Leisure reading is beneficial because it allows the brain to "decompress" by absorbing information that isn't tied to a particular purpose, said Sam Helmick, president of the American Library Association. cnn.it/4ocSwJO

211532

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Meeting so very many amazing Illinois library workers from the Pinnacle Library Cooperative! #PinCon26 #LibraryLife #HappyMaking

010

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Thanks for telling our federal representatives that we are not interested in a national book banning bill. This era of censorship and government overreach is scary and relentless and not at all addressing the needs of Americans. #FreePeopleReadFreely

021

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Hey Friends! The @sxsw.com EDU Panel Picker is up and I'm kindly asking folks to vote for my panel "Beyond the Scroll: Teaching News Literacy in the Content Age" You can learn more (AND VOTE) here: sxswedu.com/panelpicker/ #SXSWedu

000

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

One of my favorite things about working in a college town is the opportunities it affords me to listen and encourage and dispense hope on members of a new generation filling up with amazing community builders, literacy advocates, and library workers. #happymaking #mentorship #librarylife

020

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Thank you, librarians and library workers, for the opportunity to represent your care, expertise and impact to the communities we serve as @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social president. It has been the privilege of a lifetime. #OurStoriesAreWorthSharing #FreePeopleReadFreely

092

Reposted by Sam Helmick

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

"I know firsthand what we’re protecting. I know who I’m protecting. And it makes me feel quite happy and validated to restore what belongs to them.” - Sam Helmick, Iowa City Public Library @samhelmick.bsky.social @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social #NEH

083

Reposted by Sam Helmick

Amy Hermon @slupodcast.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Tune in to hear from @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social president @samhelmick.bsky.social! #alaac26 apple.co/4nVDIiJ

032

Reposted by Sam Helmick

🇺🇦 paul q. brussée @paulbrussee.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

„Terwijl we de Nationale Bibliotheekweek vieren, benadrukken we opnieuw dat bibliotheken plekken zijn voor kennis, die voor iedereen toegankelijk moet zijn.” @samhelmick.bsky.social @pinedonrc.bsky.social @nrc.nl #Bibliotheken www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/...

023

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

It’s a beautiful day in the bookmobile, a beautiful day in the bookmobile, come on inside, there are stories to feel! It’s a beautiful day in the #bookmobile. 📚 🚍 💜 📚 🚍 💜 📚 🚍 💜

140

Reposted by Sam Helmick

BLACK IOWA NEWS @blackiowanews.com · 27/03/2026

Letters to the Editor: An amendment to SF2432, affecting Iowa libraries, deserves open debate, says the president of the American Library Association. Story link in the comments. #iowa #sf2432 @samhelmick.bsky.social

Sam Helmick, president of the American Library Association.

131

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Team Iowa City Public Library is training for our new ILS today! Learning so much and very excited about the features that will enhance patron service and automate circulation, communication, and reporting functions! I’m also really digging this Quote of the Day feature. 💜 📚

072

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Soliciting petitions and prayers for travel mercies. Wonderful opportunity to rest, reflect, and restore from a rewarding whirlwind of a trip to champion information science and libraries and to remember the power of connection and community building everywhere we go. #travel #LibraryLife

090

Reposted by Sam Helmick

Nils Pharo @nilsph1.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

I morgen kl 1430 vil Sam Helmick (@samhelmick.bsky.social) presidenten i American Library Association snakke om bibliotekenes betydning for ytringsrom, informasjonsfrihet og fellesskapsbygging på @oslomet.bsky.social. Pilestredet 48 eller strømming på film.oslomet.no/bibliotekene...

film.oslomet.no

Bibliotekenes betydning for ytringsrom,...

Hvordan historiefortelling kan styrke informasjonsfrihet og bygge fellesskap.I dette foredraget reflektererSam Helmick, presidenten for American Library...

052

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

What a true honor and delight it is to have contributed to the 11th Edition of the @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social @oif.bsky.social Intellectual Freedom Manual. My copy has arrived and I can hardly wait to dive in and learn! #FreePeopleReadFreely #Freadom #IntellectualFreedom

053

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

I’m about a giddy as a goat that my post ALA networking/business cards have arrived and that there’s an actual thought bunny hiding in my jacket. #HappyMaking #ThoughtBunnies

391

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Thank you, Oklahoma Library Association! It’s been such a blessing and bringer of joy to learn and network together with your members at #OLA26! Oklahoma Libraries (their library workers and their communities) ROCK!

051

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Thank you @iowapublicradio.org for the opportunity to talk about the importance of local collaboration between Iowa’s city councils and community library trustees and how fundamental access is to parental choice in terms of reading and life long learning. #ialegis #librarylife

031

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Thank you to the 200 library leaders at the Capitol today telling the stories about America’s libraries and to every amazing library worker supporting their communities today! #NLLD #ShowUpForPurLibraries

091

Reposted by Sam Helmick

American Library Association @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

National Library Legislative Day is officially here! Library advocates are on the Hill in Washington to make their voices heard and urge support for our country’s libraries in Congress. Thank you to EVERY ALA member and advocate who’s here to show up #ForOurLibraries! #NLLD26 #FundLibraries

A photo of a large group of people on the steps of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

07518

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Absolutely honored to visit the amazing Augustana College Library Team to celebrate their current exhibits, tour special collections, learn about their wonderful student-focused approaches, and review one of the most beautiful Zine collections I have ever encountered. #LibraryLife

021

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Grateful for the Association of Bookmobile & Outreach community for teaching me so much about the importance of library outreach and bookmobile services. Humbled to speak in defense of access, community building, and library partnerships. #ialegis

061

Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Fact: Thousands of Iowan parents manage their child’s library accounts today. Fact: Minors have 4th Amendment Rights that librarians are responsible to honor by both Iowa Code & professional ethics. Fact: Compelling the government to monitor & report (regardless of the Iowan’s age) is not legal.

0125