Since 1998, the American Library Association’s (ALA) Workbook for Selection Policy Writing has provided guidance to school librarians. After two decades, the document needed a makeover! Kristin Pekoll, assistant director at the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), had a… Read More ›
As a new year begins, I’m reflecting on three positive matters involving intellectual freedom and school librarians from 2017 that will continue in 2018. Intellectual Freedom & the AASL Standards: In November 2017, AASL introduced its new National School Library… Read More ›
School librarians encourage reading and protect their students’ right to read; but what if one of the students is blind, partially sighted, is physically unable to turn the pages of books, or has a reading disability that prevents reading print normally?… Read More ›
The Idea Lab held on Thursday, November 9, from 1:00-3:00 pm, was a true mall of ideas where AASL National Conference attendees shopped for innovative ideas and best practices. This shopping venue has history. Beginning as the Exploratorium in 2005, the… Read More ›
Google, Facebook, and Twitter have spent recent days sitting with Congress, explaining how Russians infiltrated our social media to purport false news stories, and an entire segment of our population has begun to utilize the term “fake news” at any… Read More ›
Kate Davis is the 2017 recipient of the Gordon M. Conable Conference Scholarship. The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) annually awards the scholarship to a library school graduate student or new library professional, and the scholarship financially supports the recipient’s American Library… Read More ›
I recently attended an Ally Training for faculty serving LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning) students. The facilitator looked around the (nearly) full room of teachers and librarians and said, simply, “my gay fifteen-year-old self thanks you.” As a… Read More ›
Yesterday my office (Library Services) partnered with the Wellness Program to present A Health Wellness Training for LGBTQ Youth. The speaker, Charles Wibbelsman MD, is an expert on LGBTQ youth and a long-time family friend. He recently retired as chairman of the… Read More ›
The 2017 AASL National Conference will be held in Phoenix, Arizona, from November 9-11, 2017. The conference theme is “Beyond the Horizon,” and the biggest buzz is around the introduction of AASL’s new learning standards and program guidelines. Attending an… Read More ›
Have you planned activities for Banned Books Week (BBW)? In 2017, BBW occurs from September 24-30 with the theme “Words Have Power.” To learn what the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) is planning for this year… Read More ›