The American Library Association (ALA) held its Midwinter Meeting in Seattle from January 24-29, 2019. As a member of the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee (and a retired school librarian), I’m providing information on the work of the committee as well… Read More ›
One characteristic of teachers and librarians is our fondness for structure. There aren’t many of us who like chaos in our jobs or classrooms. When I think about structure and procedures and how I run the school library, I am… Read More ›
How does everyone feel about school library fines for late and lost books? Until recently, I’ve been mostly okay with the concept, especially in middle and high schools, but now I find myself questioning the effectiveness of library fines. Our… Read More ›
IMPORTANT NOTE: I am in no way supporting the views of organizations that use hate speech or act in any way that is dangerous to others. Several things have happened recently that led me to this post: In the November/December… Read More ›
At the 2018 School Library Journal Summit in Brooklyn, I had the privilege of hearing George Takei talk about his childhood experiences in Japanese-American Internment Camps during World War II. The talk was timed for his forthcoming graphic novel for… Read More ›
Intellectual Freedom and Middle School Students I look forward to September every year, as it’s my opportunity to focus on our freedom to read. Each year I revamp my Banned Books Week presentation to stir in my students a renewed spirit… Read More ›
By now, all of us have heard the term fake news. It’s become another overused phrase, insidious in how it sticks like a bad smell. Yet its very stickiness is what makes it such a useful rhetoric device…. Read More ›
Banned Books Week will be observed September 23-29, 2018. The annual event focuses a spotlight on the never-ending attempts to censor books; however, other types of library resources are also challenged. The non-book censorship attempts may not get as much… Read More ›
By Rachel Altobelli, Albuquerque Public Schools, and Sara Cook, Jefferson Middle School, New Mexico AASL’s new resource guide, “Defending Intellectual Freedom: LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries“, is: a source for quick answers to difficult questions; a place to find advice… Read More ›
Last year a book was pulled from middle and high schools, after a parent of a 6th grader complained about the “vulgar” language within the book. The book, which is authentically relevant to the current climate of our country, a… Read More ›