Melissa checks in with of her closest friends, fellow librarian and avid reader, Kymberlee Powe, about the work Kym is doing for Hear Our Voices (HOV), a unique company on a mission to "Nurture the Collective Heart of Voices of Color"  through the hosting of digital/virtual book tours across multiple platforms for marginalized authors and readers. The innovative work HOV is doing to build literary inclusivity is both important and super interesting. Other topics discussed: sewing, musical theater, growing up a military kid, and of course, books and reading!**Guest Bio: Kymberlee Powe is the Children and YA Consultant for the Connecticut State Library Division of Library Development. She is a national presenter and a leading voice in the area of Growing Equitable Library Services. In addition to her daytime job, Kym is also the part time Logistics and Finance Director at Hear Our Voices, an organization whose mission is to “Nurture the Collective Heart of Voices of Color”. Kym is a plant mom, library lover, podcast listener, and crochet newbie. You can often find Kym crocheting while watching Law and Order!**Connect with podcast host, Melissa Thom: https://twitter.com/MsThomBookitis *https://www.instagram.com/msthombookitis*https://www.melissathom.com**Connect with podcast co-producer, Carrie Seiden https://twitter.com/lovealibrary**Connect with podcast guest, Kym Powe: https://twitter.com/librarykym*https://www.instagram.com/librarykym *linktr.ee/LibraryKym**Resources Mentioned in Episode 6: Here Our Voices Digital Book Tour Company https://www.hearourvoices.me/*Luxbook Planners https://www.etsy.com/shop/Luxbook*Kym’s father’s efficiency-related saying: “Prior proper preparation prevents piss-poor performance!”**Books:The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander--NPR Book of the Day about the Door of No Return (7 Minute Listen) https://www.npr.org/2022/09/27/1125438027/the-door-of-no-return-is-a-story-for-children-about-slavery