# “You Don’t Have to Earn Permission to Take Up Space” ft. Tiffany Alston, the Chief Librarian

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/urban-whispers-the-lacie-knight-chronicles-6739956/you-don-t-have-to-earn-permission-to-take-up-space-ft-tiffany-alston-the-chief-librarian
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/urban-whispers-the-lacie-knight-chronicles-6739956/you-don-t-have-to-earn-permission-to-take-up-space-ft-tiffany-alston-the-chief-librarian.md
Podcast: [Urban Whispers: The Lacie Knight Chronicles](https://stenobird.com/podcast/urban-whispers-the-lacie-knight-chronicles-6739956)
Published: 2026-07-14T17:02:15+00:00
Episode link: https://urbanwhisperspodcast.transistor.fm/s2/16
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/bd434a95/3475dc84.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/urban-whispers-the-lacie-knight-chronicles-6739956/episodes/you-don-t-have-to-earn-permission-to-take-up-space-ft-tiffany-alston-the-chief-librarian
Duration seconds: 4490

## Resource

Libraries are about so much more than books, and Tiffany Alston, also known as the Chief Librarian, joins Urban Whispers to talk about why. In this episode, LaCie and Morgan sit down with Tiffany to discuss her 31-year career in librarianship, from shelving books as a teenager in Harlem to becoming a leader, mentor, coach, and advocate. Together, they explore the evolving role of libraries, book access, representation, community, banned books, leadership, and why everyone deserves spaces where they feel seen and valued. Tiffany also shares the inspiration behind her company, Excellence Established, her podcast What's Next with the Chief Librarian , and the powerful reminder that inspired this episode's title: you don't have to earn permission to take up space. Whether you're an avid reader, a lifelong library lover, or someone looking for encouragement to embrace your own voice, this conversation has something for you. Connect with Tiffany Alston 📚 Instagram: @thechieflibrarian 🎵 TikTok: @thechieflibrarian 🐦 X (Twitter): @BooksAndBusy 📘 Facebook: Tiffany Alston 💼 LinkedIn: Tiffany Alston / The Chief Librarian 🎙️ Listen to What's Next with the Chief Librarian wherever you get your podcasts.

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/urban-whispers-the-lacie-knight-chronicles-6739956/episodes/you-don-t-have-to-earn-permission-to-take-up-space-ft-tiffany-alston-the-chief-librarian/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/urban-whispers-the-lacie-knight-chronicles-6739956/you-don-t-have-to-earn-permission-to-take-up-space-ft-tiffany-alston-the-chief-librarian.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.