Previously on “Hallway Conversations as Book Challenge Repellent”… Last month, I shared some topics that school librarians might want to discuss with colleagues, supervisors, administrators, and members of the school community ahead of any book challenges that might come their… Read More ›
Our school decided to start the year with a community read where everyone has a shared reading experience using one book. This is the first time my school has ever participated in this type of program. So far it has… Read More ›
[SPONSORED CONTENT] Almost three years ago, during AASL’s national conference in Louisville, I met and talked with many of you about NLS—the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, part of the Library of Congress. It was the… Read More ›
On September 16, 2022, the American Library Association (ALA) reported that “total book challenges in 2022 set to exceed 2021 record.” (https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2022/09/ala-releases-preliminary-data-2022-book-bans) I know that school librarians around the country were not surprised by this news. Many school librarians have… Read More ›
Each year, a new group of 9th graders arrive at my high school for the first time. Not only do they need to learn where the library is in the building, but they also need to learn how the… Read More ›
Who deserves our intention more than children? When librarians heard that Stephen Colbert, host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, would interview Jason Reynolds, Library of Congress’s National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, many stayed up late to watch… Read More ›
[SPONSORED CONTENT] School media centers, despite their reputation for being places of quiet study, are now becoming centers for tinkering, coding, and even playing. Game-based learning leverages games to engage students in skill acquisition, thought processing, and creative problem-solving. Experts… Read More ›
[SPONSORED CONTENT] Black people are brilliant. Say it with me: Black people are brilliant. Just by uttering those words, we are one step toward reclaiming and centering our worthiness. Our genius is unstoppable and we are responsible for so many… Read More ›
When we no longer have the what is needed for them, when is it time to let go of programs in our school library that we have grown from a seed? When is it worth the fight with our… Read More ›
On August 24, 2022, I participated in the #BannedBooksChat on Twitter which was sponsored by the Banned Books Week Coalition. George M. Johnson, the Banned Books Week Author Honorary Chair and author of All Boys Aren’t Blue, and Cameron Samuels,… Read More ›