This article marks the launch of Academic Library Workers in Conversation, a new bimonthly C&RL News series focused on elevating the everyday conversations of library professionals. The wisdom of the watercooler has long been heralded, but this series hopes to go further by minimizing barriers to traditional publishing with an accessible format. Each of the topics in the series were proposed by the authors and they were given space to explore. We encourage you to follow and share these conversations about transforming libraries with ideas from the frontlines. This issue’s conversation with Jamia Williams focuses on professionalism and how libraries refuse to get out of their own way.—Dustin Fife, series editor