Ad Astra Per Aspera
For the 2025 ALA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, I drew inspiration from Star Trek as original cast member and author, George Takei, was a featured speaker. From the beginning, Star Trek has imagined a future shaped by equality and diversity. At a time when libraries, librarians, and the communities we serve are facing increasing challenges to those values, Star Trek felt like a meaningful lens.
Background (TV Series)
This Star Trek sticker features the Latin phrase ad astra per aspera, which translates to 'to the stars through hardship or difficulty.’ Interestingly, this phrase also appears in literature—it’s the motto on a fictional ad in To Kill a Mockingbird, where the character Mrs. Merriweather mistranslates it as “from the mud to the stars.” That connection adds another layer of meaning, tying together themes of struggle and hope.