Meg An Open Librarian

05/06/2026

I wrote something I needed to get out of my body.

It’s called For Whom, and it’s a spoken word poem for Su***de Prevention Month.

It’s about the cost of seeming fine.
The ache of being misunderstood after trying to tell the truth.
The grief of realizing some people only knew how to love the performance.

I don’t think I’m done with this poem yet.

But for now, I’m sharing the words.

For Whom is a haunting spoken word poem and visual meditation for Su***de Prevention Month, exploring mental health, quiet suffering, hidden strength, and the cost of seeming okay.

04/18/2026

Some leaders leave behind compliance. Others leave behind courage, trust, and growth.

This essay reflects on a kind of leadership I believe we do not name nearly enough, the kind that does not rely on title, fear, or performance, but earns trust through care, steadiness, and the quiet work of truly seeing people.

At the center of this piece is Ssiah Ross, or, as I call him, Coach Ross, whose leadership this season gave me a living example of what I have been thinking about, researching, and trying to name for a long time.

The trophy is real. So is what came before it. I watched Coach Ross build a team where every child knew he mattered. This piece is about leadership that leaves something behind: trust, capacity, and courage. The kind that does not make itself permanently necessary.

03/21/2026

I’m honored to be featured by Influential Women and to have the chance to reflect on the work and values that continue to shape my path. My feature highlights my role as an Open Educational Resources Librarian at The University of Texas at Arlington, along with the commitments that matter most to me: authenticity, access, meaningful connection, and helping people feel capable as they learn and grow. 

What meant the most to me in this conversation was the opportunity to speak honestly about leadership, learning, and the importance of leading in a way that is human, compassionate, and real. I’m grateful for every mentor, colleague, and community member who has helped me become the person and professional I am still becoming. 

Thank you to Influential Women for the feature and for creating space to share my story.

03/14/2026

📣Need a reminder? You’re allowed to rest and recharge! Treat yourself with kindness, just as you would a friend.

Download Color Your Calm free at my website. Link in the bio!

This video contains music from Shutterstock, licensed by Splice video editing app.

03/13/2026

When you think of a librarian, what do you see?

Maybe quiet stacks of books and a request for silence.

But for me, the work happens in the noise of systemic change.

I am a librarian, but not the kind you’re picturing.

My day-to-day isn't just about managing collections; it’s about navigating the course materials crisis, fighting for student privacy, and building learning ecosystems rooted in care ethics. It’s about asking: Who does this system serve? And how do we fix it when the answer isn't 'the student'?

Traditional librarianship is often seen as preservation.
Modern librarianship is an act of advocacy.

In my latest blog post, I unpack what it means to be a scholar-practitioner in the world of open education. It’s a role that’s more about human dignity and justice than just 'free textbooks.' It's about refusing the status quo and co-creating something better.

If you’ve ever felt like your professional title doesn’t capture the heart of the radical care you provide, this one is for you.

Read the full post at meganzara.com.

How has your role evolved beyond its traditional definition? 💜✨

03/12/2026

Theory feels safe in journals. It feels distant when you’re exhausted.

I’ve spent years talking about care ethics in the abstract: writing policies and citing research. But I rarely talked about the cost: the burnout and invisible labor that felt like it was swallowing me whole.

'Color Your Calm' is my way of bringing theory into the physical world. It’s for the librarians, teachers, and advocates who need a place to process the weight of their work without another dense academic article. ⚡

It’s a coloring book. A research project. A personal reckoning.

I made this format because accessibility is not an accommodation; it’s a baseline. I made it for you, and honestly, I made it for me, too. Care isn't just a concept; it’s a practice we have to inhabit if we want to survive.

Download the digital version for free at the link below. I’ve shared the full story on the blog.

What does care work cost you? 💜

https://www.meganzara.com/blog/i-made-something-for-you-and-for-me

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/693c749ca6745369ab71232c/1771266211340-JM62KIPIMVCXJE046HFM/Color+Your+Calm+Cover.webp

03/10/2026

I just shared a new blog post about Open Education, inspired by a recent convening with educators across the UT System.

This piece is for anyone curious about how colleges and universities can make learning materials more affordable, accessible, and thoughtful for students. Instead of focusing only on adoption, I talk about the tools and learning resources that help educators explore their options well in the first place.

In the post, I share:
🔹a free mini-lesson series on finding and evaluating OER
🔹a practical tracker for comparing resources and documenting decisions
🔹examples of how educators are mapping what exists, what is missing, and what students truly need

At its heart, this is about making educational decisions with care, clarity, and real attention to student access.

A reflection on the UT System Momentum on OER Convening exploring how structured tools, mini-lessons, and the OER Tracker support rigorous, accessible, and sustainable Open Education decision-making.

03/09/2026

Authenticity is a buzzword that has been stripped of its teeth.

We’re constantly told to "be ourselves," but there’s usually an unspoken asterisk: only the parts that are marketable, professional, or easy for others to digest.

The truth? Real authenticity is deeply uncomfortable. It’s inconvenient. It’s the choice to honor your internal compass even when the system is screaming for compliance. It’s the "anchored refusal" to be sanded down for the sake of a corporate-friendly aesthetic.

I’ve been sitting with the cost of being "digestible" versus the cost of being true. In my latest blog post, I’m unpacking why we’ve sanitized this concept and what it actually looks like to lead with your whole, messy, human self.

This isn't about a curated look. It’s about the labor of reclaiming your agency in systems that prefer you to be predictable.

If you’ve ever felt the exhaustion of performing a version of yourself just to survive the workday, I hope these words offer some space to breathe.

Read "The Uncomfortable Truth About Authenticity" at the link below.

https://www.meganzara.com/blog/the-uncomfortable-truth-about-authenticity 💜✨

03/09/2026

Sometimes, staying afloat is an act of defiance.

In systems that reward the heavy, the rigid, and the "grounded": which often just means the compliant: choosing buoyancy is radical.

It’s about holding onto hope when the atmosphere feels like lead.
It’s about trusting your internal compass when the wind tries to tear you off course.

I’ve been reflecting on what it means to lead and create from a place of lightness. Not because the work isn’t heavy, but because our nervous systems weren’t built to carry the weight of the world without coming up for air.

I wrote a short piece called "I am a balloon."

It’s a reflection on agency, the ethics of care, and the quiet power of refusing to be weighed down by expectations that don't align with your soul.

If you’re feeling the pressure today, I hope this offers a moment of lift.

Read the full post here: https://www.meganzara.com/blog/i-am-a-balloon

Are you finding ways to stay buoyant this week? I’d love to hear what’s keeping you afloat. 💜✨

03/08/2026

Obedience is a quiet thief.

It steals our agency in exchange for a temporary sense of safety.

But for those of us in education and library spaces, "safety" often feels like staying silent while the systems we work in demand more than we can humanly give.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to find your True North.

Not the north a policy manual points to.
But the one anchored in your bones and your values.

I call it "anchored refusal."

⚡ It’s the radical act of saying "no" to what is harmful.
⚡ It's prioritizing human dignity over corporate efficiency.
⚡ It's trusting your internal compass when the map is broken.

Control feels safe to institutions. It feels suffocating to everyone else.

If you’re feeling the weight of being a "good" practitioner while your heart is telling you something else entirely, I wrote this reflection for you, friends.

Read "True North in a World That Rewards Obedience" at the link below:
https://www.meganzara.com/blog/true-north-in-a-world-that-rewards-obedience

How are you protecting your internal compass this week? I’d love to hear your thoughts. 💜