Anton Lund works as the head access services librarian at the University of New England’s Ketchum Library where students and faculty busy themselves with academics and hurried talk in brief passings to lunch or class. Anton is neat and bright-eyed with a background in English studies, women and gender studies, and LGBTQ+ studies from the University of Colorado, Boulder. They came here in the summer of 2023, and everyone who meets Anton takes a liking to them.  

“I started volunteering with Domestic Violence work when I was in undergrad at the women’s resource center on the Boulder campus. I had exposure to a ton of other folks who were doing different work all across campus in all these capacities.” They explain.  

“I took that experience into Portland where I signed up for a domestic violence hotline for seven years off and on. Engaging in that volunteer work meant that I was more equipped to show up for situations with a flexible and person-centered lens.”   They describe. Anton is soft spoken and caring with an earthy air that is only extended by a kind presence and willingness to help and cater to everyone’s needs.   

“I’ve gained a level of experience in interacting with folks who are very different from me in a kind and compassionate way. That’s become my baseline area of comfort, and it’s become easy to deepen that work in my own activism, in my curiosity, and in the skillset that equips me to then hold either professional or more activist roles.” Anton says.  

Anton embodies the brisk energy of an autumn hike- green eyes and long, auburn brushed hair.  

“Whenever I find myself on campus, when I step outside, I feel like I’m about ready to take a hike every time! I show up to my work much differently when I go outside. Always have someone who can pull you outside.” Says Anton.  

They always have a cup of homebrewed Kombucha with them, and in classic Anton-fashion, they pause to take a couple of steady sips. They’re smiling as they always do and always will. It’s a huge part of them- anyone who pictures Anton in their mind can say with confidence that they’re smiling. 

“It’s hard to recognize when you’ve outgrown something. It’s harder to take the first step in what comes after that.” Anton says.  

“Right now, I work at SIGNAL as a ‘verifier,’ meaning if I.C.E. is reported in a local neighborhood, I text folks who are local so that they know I.C.E. is out and about.”   

They’ve worked at public libraries in the past and served in a role oriented towards crisis work and referrals, but over time they ran out of room for growth, which brought them to U.N.E.’s Ketchum Library.  

“I am also a part of the board of the equality community center as a secretary- it’s a social-justice-oriented space. The work there rests on the shoulders of folks who had to do a lot of activism to get there, and now it holds a space to foster the activism of other groups. It’s a space for emerging organizations to receive mentorship if they want it.” They look to the flowery stained-glass window next to us in thought. “As a queer person, I’ve learned to attune to the needs of folks who are more marginalized than I am, and what it’s like for them to be in those spaces.” Says Anton.  

“In undergrad, I got more invested in the needs of folks in crisis- especially folks who used IV drugs. When I went to library school at Simmons later, I carried that lens and their stories with me. Stories from the people that I had seen having a hard time that has powered some of my later curiosities. I had different jobs working with crisis organizations that offered opportunities to get more involved in activism when it’s not as part of the job. If a job, like the one I do now, is not necessarily crisis work I have more energy to do crisis work on the side.”  Their energy for helping people is high at all times, even now they volunteer from 10 AM to 5 PM on Wednesdays at a Grief Therapy group in Portland.  

“Ensuring that people have access in terms of what’s going on for them in grief means they start to feel more valued in a community setting. They suddenly have a deeper capacity for taking care of themselves and the relationships they’re making.”  Says Anton.  

“Each place I’ve landed within has offered me different opportunities to learn more about the needs of a community and learn about the ways that I can bring my skillsets to support some of the gaps within them.” Once again, they’re smiling as they sip on their Kombucha. Most who know Anton are taken aback by the fierceness for which they care, advocate, and act on their intentions for people of all backgrounds. They’re always ready to express why one should care about the world in all its intricacies within different communities.    

“To become activist is to realize you have the ability to support people in a deeper way of thinking and experiencing. It is a relationship that supports others who are doing similar work in a decentralized way.”