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Sam Helmick

@samhelmick.bsky.social
822 followers 340 following 181 posts

5k-er. American Library Association President. Author. Baker. Christian. #FreePeopleReadFreely. LEGO lover. #Library Worker. Policy Wonk. #ThoughtBunny Wrangler. 🐇

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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
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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
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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...
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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 ✈️ 📚
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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 ✍️ 🖼️ 💜 📚
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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 🧱 🧈 🐄 🌽
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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
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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
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Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
This! Tyranny is often disguised as protection.
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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
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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
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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
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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. 🧈 🧱 🐄 🌽
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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
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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
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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
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American Libraries magazine @amlibraries.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
The #alaac26 closing session featured a panel of ALA leaders discussing the current state of intellectual freedom, where it’s headed, and how to connect it to our other freedoms and to democracy. americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs…
americanlibrariesmagazine.org
Joy as an Act of Resistance | American Libraries Magazine
With intertwining milestone anniversaries—the nation’s 250th and ALA’s 150th—ALA leaders discussed intellectual freedom and democracy.
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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-NVRD26National 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.
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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
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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
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Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Meeting so very many amazing Illinois library workers from the Pinnacle Library Cooperative! #PinCon26 #LibraryLife #HappyMaking
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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American Libraries magazine @amlibraries.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
"After years of navigating shifting landscapes, there is no substitute for the hand-to-hand knowledge exchanged among colleagues." ALA President @samhelmick.bsky.social looks ahead to #ALAAC26. americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2026/…
americanlibrariesmagazine.org
Sparking a New Era | American Libraries Magazine
ALA's Annual Conference and Exhibition returns to Chicago, and the 150th celebration signifies the momentum we carry into the next era.
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Amy Hermon @slupodcast.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Tune in to hear from @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social president @samhelmick.bsky.social! #alaac26 apple.co/4nVDIiJ
ALA Annual Conference in Chicago
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American Libraries magazine @amlibraries.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
ALA President @samhelmick.bsky.social reflects on the Association's first 150 years, and looks forward to the next. americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2026/…
americanlibrariesmagazine.org
ALA at 150 | American Libraries Magazine
Libraries are not just buildings; they are the pulse of democracy, the heart of community, and the echo of our collective soul.
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Leila Green Little @ifightforbooks.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Great piece from @19thnews.org about the ongoing toll of censorship on librarians. Features @samhelmick.bsky.social and several librarians from across the country. 19thnews.org/2026/04/book...
19thnews.org
Book bans and culture wars came for libraries. They’re still standing strong.
During National Library Week, librarians throughout the country fight for books, jobs and truth.
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🇺🇦 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/...
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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. 📚 🚍 💜 📚 🚍 💜 📚 🚍 💜
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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.
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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. 💜 📚
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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
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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...
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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
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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
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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!
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Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
#loving #travel #poetry #peoplewatching
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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