Joe researches how activists interact with political systems, and talk to one another through the internet, apps, and other technologies, as well as informal networks, and how that influences the impact of their work on various causes. Joe also looks at how institutions interact with one another, for instance, how public institutions like libraries are impacted by political issues like censorship and book bans; then, in turn, at how librarians understand things like news coverage and its implications for libraries and culture. Joe believes that his activist work is inextricably linked to his research, and that the former drives the latter through insight and motivation to seek answers to ongoing social issues.  As such, he works closely with intellectual freedom advocates and activists in Missouri and nationally. He is past chair of the Missouri Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee, and currently serves as a regular member. Joe advocates for the rights of readers, librarians, teachers, and parents to have access to a diverse collection of materials in their local libraries, and for the rights of historically marginalized communities to see their experiences and identities reflected in institutional and local collections.