Embracing the Value of Sharing: A Conversation with Jessica Zairo

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 09:02:00 -0400

Myka Kennedy Stephens and Jessica Zairo in conversation.

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In episode 8 of the Fosgail Mindset podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jessica Zairo, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at ByWater Solutions, for an extended conversation exploring the profound impact of sharing and open source philosophies on the library ecosystem. Our discussion delved into the cooperative ethos of open source technology and how it can meaningfully transform communities, bringing about a deeper sense of collaboration and mutual growth.

Advocacy as a Path to Realize Potential

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 12:16:00 -0400

Myka Kennedy Stephens and Cynthia Changyit Levin in conversation.

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A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down in conversation with a long-time friend, author and activist Cynthia Changyit Levin. We first met when my family moved to a new area and we discovered our children were the same age. Over the four years we shared the same neighborhood, Cynthia (I knew her then as Cindy) regularly invited us to her house for letter writing campaigns or to join her at the local public library for community events. We’ve stayed in touch even though we’ve both moved away from the neighborhood where we met. I’ve watched her influence on a variety of social and political issues grow while she’s networked with lobbyists and members of Congress, published numerous letters-to-the-editor and op-eds in newspapers across the US, and became a successful author and speaker.

Libraries on Fosgail

Embracing the Value of Sharing: A Conversation with Jessica Zairo

Advocacy as a Path to Realize Potential