OVERDUE: Weeding Out Oppression in Libraries

S4, E10: Illuminating Local History Part 2 with Irene Rasheed and Megan England

Send us a text

In this episode, part 2 of 2, our hosts welcome ILLUMINATION collection team members Irene Rasheed and Megan England about their unique roles on their project teams. They explore how shared community identity and relationships, built on trust, impacted their work and the stories that were shared and what influence this has on how communities interact with libraries and museums.

Listen to Part 1 here.

ILLUMINATION is a history and story collection project started by Madeline McGraw and Mindy Linder to actively work to address representation in its collection, recognizing that museum institutions have historically used gatekeeping and erasure in collection practices. 

Through ILLUMINATION, the museum’s intention is to lead with transparency and accountability, to build relationships and trust with members of the community who have been left out of the historical narrative. The goal is for the Springfield History Museum to offer a more inclusive representation of all the people who have both shaped and been shaped by Springfield and rural east Lane County. For these people to be empowered as stewards of their own stories, and to entrust the Springfield History Museum with the preservation, documentation, interpretation and display of their stories through exhibits, archives and digital collections.

The culminating works from this project will all become part of the Springfield History Museum archive, available to the public. Selected images and narratives will also become part of the permanent heritage exhibit on display at the museum.

Hosts: Kristen Curé & Mindy Linder (guest host)

Date of recording:  December 11, 2025

Mentioned in this episode:

ILLUMINATION virtual exhibit