Sam Ehlinger (they/she)

Libraries, Communications and Journalism

Nearly three years of experience in libraries, a decade of experience in communications and journalism and so many more years loving food, books, TV and all nerdy things! I have a Master's in Library and Information Science.

Current: I own a pop-up bookstore called Carnation Bookhouse, which is focused on queer and political literature. I am also a writer and page designer for The Lavender Newsletter. I'm forever a freelance journalist. 

Former: Booker T. Washington STEM Academy Librarian, Champaign Public Library, The Urbana Free Library, Grainger Engineering Library, Communications Manager at a NATO Agency, San Antonio Express-News, FedScoop, McClatchyDC (intern), Houston Chronicle (intern).

The Lavender Newsletter •

The Queer Librarian #3

In June, I participated in a marathon of queer book hunting. Let me tell you about it. You may not know this, but librarians have an association, called the American Library Association. It’s a way for us to share information and learn together. I was able to attend part of the ALA Annual Conference this year, which ran from June 25-29, 2026. On Sunday and Monday I trolled the exhibit floor, where publishers and organizations gather to share information with each other, including the latest re...
The Lavender Newsletter •

The Queer Librarian #1

Growing up in Houston, I used to go to this gay bar. They would let you in before you turned 21, but you had to sign an actual waiver at the door. My friends and I would stand hovering at a side table in the entrance, each signing our names and getting Xes drawn on our hands in sharpie. In the bathroom, I’d take a nip from the leopard-print flask stuffed down my knee-high boots, wash off my Xes in the sink, and join my people. I didn’t know they were my people, but they did. They protected me...
Chambana Eats •

Weekend Eats: Stewed pork, coffee, wings, omakase and more

I’m writing this for you on a Thursday evening, so naturally I’m dreaming up plans to avoid having to cook all weekend. This very well may just be a way to avoid making a grocery list rather than a real plan, but maybe it’ll inspire you to make some weekend food plans. Without further ado, I’m kicking off Weekend Eats — a new series where different members of the Chambana Eats staff will tell you what their ideal weekend (without concern for schedule or budget!) of eating and drinking in C-U could...
The Lavender Newsletter •

Gay's Guide to the Library: Part Four - Stop Paying for e-books!

Okay so part four of this column was always going to be about how to get access to more e-books, but the timing of it has gotten more urgent than ever. Before I get into accessing e-books through the library I want to talk about some important changes coming for Kindle users, because I know that’s how many people access e-books. Get ready queers: we are on a deadline! Many of you probably use Kindle for e-books and a big change is coming so it’s time to take actio...
The Lavender Newsletter •

Rep. Nikki Budzinski fails to challenge anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in townhall

By Sam Ehlinger (they/she) United States Rep. Nikki Budzinski declined to acknowledge the existence of genders other than men and women in a telephone townhall Tuesday. Budzinski represents Illinois’ 13th district, which covers the majority of Champaign County. A caller identified as George from Springfield, Illinois, said: “I saw a clip of you earlier this morning and you must have been channeling Senator Duckworth and Senator Hirono because you had these four people and you said ‘yes or no?...
CyberScoop •

Domino's recipe for good enterprise cybersecurity

A good team and a proactive mindset are key for companies that want to respond in the event of a cybersecurity incident, says John Gift, director of information security at Domino’s Pizza. Gift would know. Tasked with helping Target Corp. respond in the wake of its well-known data breach in 2013, Gift has used the lessons he’s learned from that high-profile incident to shape the way Domino’s deals with its security challenges.
FedScoop •

The little bots that could

Autonomous weapons and self-driving cars might get all the press, but behind the scenes a quiet pivot to using simple software bots to automate is also taking root in government agencies. Experts say process robotics — a type of system and software automation, very different from traditional mechanical robotics — could revolutionize government agency work by freeing up federal staff to work on mission-based work instead of rote tasks.