Like many of you, Problem Library slows down during the wintry holiday weeks to rest, take stock, and prepare for another year of work and joy. This downtime is a special part of the cycle of every year – offering us an opportunity to be with loved ones and breathe.

2024 was a year of growth, reflection, and learning for all of us at Problem Library. As we emerge from this time of repose, we wanted to take a moment before the year fully kicks into gear to share a recap of last year along with notes about what we’ll be doing in this one.

Ahead of the holiday slowdown, Daniel and Tamara sat down together to look back on the year. The transcript of their conversation, lightly edited, is shared below and captures their reflections on what unfolded, the lessons they’ve drawn, and how Problem Library is evolving as a result. We hope it instills in you the same excitement we are feeling as the year begins to unfold.

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But first we’d like to acknowledge that this work is made possible by those who support it. Whether you joined us at an event, took part in a program, spread the word, or reached out in other ways: thank you for being part of this evolving story.

We’d especially like to thank a few special folks whose creative talents, presence, and insights brought our work to life:

Aaron Hui, Aili Osteraas-Constable, Airis Encarnacion, Amanda Moore, Caitlin Olson, Carter Flemming, Chelsie Joy Valerio, Christine Huhn, Damn Fine (Colin O’Malley), Danny Jones, Dapo Oni, Elisabeth Nicula, Elizabeth Meiklejohn, Ella Ledyard, Giovana Tavares, InnoD (Katy and Linda), Joshua Mendez Valdez, Kia Kimera, Max Nordemann, Michelle Favin, Nadine Macapagal, Nate Zack, Nicole Meldahl, Rebekah Kim, Renee Choi, Rob Brodman, Roberto Greco, Sofia Belen, Stephanie Brown, Stephanie Cheng, Steve Terry, and The Rusty Ladle (John Lindsey).

A very special thank you to Angeles and John Huang, Ian T. Long, Josh Weiss, Sharon Sheehan, and the DiLullo Family for their generous financial donations.

Finally, as an all-volunteer effort, Problem Library relies on the generosity of a small group of donors to keep this space alive and growing.

Be part of what comes next—Donate here.

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We’ll see you soon.

Problem Library
Blake Conway, Danica Taylor, Daniel Lucas,
Jeff Masamori, Jess Wilson, and Tamara Chu.

A year of expansion

Tamara Chu: Every year has some similarities in terms of what we accomplish, but this year feels different because we’re making this big shift to being a year-round educational space. I’m excited to reflect on what we did this year, especially since it’s led to us being even more clear and focused with this shift.

Daniel: Yeah there were definitely a lot of changes. For me the changes with Problem Children really stand out. This year we expanded the program by adding another day where we tried new things with our students. This extra day gave them more time and space to just be with each other—so crucial to any learning environment—and that led to an incredibly tight-knit cohort.

We also brought in Gio (who has been involved since she was in the program in 2022) as an intern. That really helped us think more deeply about creating space for the awesome young people we work with. Not just as participants in a program, but as collaborators and leaders.

And that, really, is the heart of our most recent major effort: Too Much Information (TMI), which we started in 2023 and continued this year with two versions.

Tamara: Yeah, so for those who either didn’t attend or need a recap: in the spring, we ran a smaller version of TMI with the theme of observation. The first was two days, but this one was a single day and a little more scaled back.

Then, in the fall, we did another single day with ritual as its theme, but much more ambitious. It wasn’t just longer—it started earlier in the day—it included many more types of activities. We didn’t just have conversations and presentations, which I would consider TMI staples, but a tea ceremony, movement exercises, collaborative drawing, and a group weaving project led by Elizabeth Meiklejohn. It was the most ambitious—and also the most successful—iteration so far.

Daniel: Oh it was for sure the most successful. A lot of what we do are these small experiments, where we’re trying to figure out where they’re going and what they’re doing. What do our ideas want to become? And with the latest TMI, I felt like we really started to understand how It can function as a contained space for experimentation and collaboration while being engaging, illuminating, and, just like… fun. In that way I see TMI as this sort of encapsulation and representation almost of what PL is doing on the broader scale.

Tamara: Totally. Elizabeth’s weaving project is a perfect example. She came back and expanded on it later, and now it’s an installation in our window with a ton of future possibility. It shows how the things we try at TMI can embed themselves in our space and calendar in an ongoing way.

A year of experimentation

Daniel: This year, we also experimented with other ideas for bringing people together in educational spaces and contexts. One of the first was Ways of Sensing which is a book club type concept but with a strong focus on food, getting outside, and experimenting with what counts as “a text to be read”. Similarly we tried out a new framing for events which we called Out of Office—both are still sorta unformed but I’m excited to see where they go in 2025.

And we also hosted a three-session program called Food For Thought which was designed, crafted, and facilitated by Sofia and Airis—two Problem Children alumni. It was really amazing to be able to support them in developing their idea and a privilege to have them host it at Problem Library.

Being a place where former students know they can come back to host their own things, to bring to life what they want to see in the world, is a major goal. It provides so much learning and growth not just for them, but for the whole organization. It’s such a gift. Sofia and Airis are the first to step into that possibility and I’m excited to see what emerges next.

Tamara: Me too. While Problem Library has always experimented, this year felt different in the ways our experiments have matured. We’re paying attention to how we’re coming together and the kinds of containers we’re creating and who’s creating them, rather than specific subjects or prescribed learning outcomes.

Daniel: Yeah this approach where we start with an idea, give it a shot, and then iterate has been really powerful. As we dig deeper, doing more of the same things (but better), we start to uncover what is truly within an idea and how to focus it. It’s a great way to create new spaces for learning, and to invite more people into developing this space – to invite them into being a part of refining and expanding it.

A year of collaboration and adventure

Tamara: One part of that growth is building on things we’ve done before, like Educational Television. This was originally an online-only project, but by experimenting with it as part of TMI, we realized it actually lends itself perfectly to becoming an ongoing, in-person, film screening series. So that’s one thing we’ll be trying next year.

Alongside that, we’re continuing to deepen our relationships and collaborations with people we’ve worked with before. Every time we do, it’s a new opportunity for them to try something different or for us to work together in new contexts. A good example are the Problem Children alumni you already mentioned, but also people like Elizabeth, Vicki, or Stephanie (all former TMI presenters) who we’ll be working with on bigger events and workshops. Basically it’s about developing what we already have and giving it more room to grow.

Daniel: Yeah, that is such a great point and I love that framing. I’d add a third piece that I keep coming back to which is a sense of adventure. This year, we’ve made more space for trying new things—whether they’re our own ideas or invitations for others to collaborate with us.

Working with others has highlighted the abundance of thoughtful ideas, particularly in education and practices that nurture relationships. It feels essential to keep experimenting in these spaces.

Over the years, we’ve learned so much from working with students—those who’ve come back and the new ones we welcome each summer—as well as from other creative people in our community. It’s been so rewarding to grow through these experiences, and to see how being open, curious, and collaborative creates such a joyful space to work and learn together.

To wrap up, I want to share that the idea you mentioned in your email a few months ago about being here now and staying open really resonated with me. We began to embrace that mindset in 2024, and it feels like it will be central to everything we do over the coming year.

I don’t know about you, but I’m very much excited to step into that space and begin this work.

Tamara: Hear, hear!