During the past year, time has felt fluid. I have lost track of days and have had to write down everything just to get tasks accomplished. This year has also led me to reflect on the need for equity, diversity,… Read More ›
inclusion
Explore the Experiences of Black School Librarians in the Mar/Apr Issue
Equity, diversity, and inclusion (commonly shortened to EDI) is a term that has become common in our institutional language around race and racism. In schools, EDI most often refers to the demographics of the student and employee body, the need… Read More ›
Connecting with Others via StoryCorps
Typically the holidays are a time for connecting with others. With the current pandemic limiting our ability to gather together, StoryCorps is one way people can maintain their connections and create new connections in a new and memorable way. StoryCorps… Read More ›
Addressing Implicit Bias
I must say that I have learned more about equity, diversity, bias, and inclusivity in the past year than I have during my entire adult education. Lately, students, faculty, and staff have been doing training sessions and reflective practice where… Read More ›
Developing Inclusive Learners & Citizens: A Call to Action
One year ago, our ALA Emerging Leaders group presented our project, “Developing Inclusive Learners and Citizens Activity Guide.” We had no idea at that time that just a year later our country would be in crisis with nation-wide shutdowns due to… Read More ›
Thoughts about Navigating Our Strange New World
As president of AASL, it is an honor to have this space to share my thoughts with you. Please bear with me as I ramble through some of the thoughts and issues that are on my mind as we shelter… Read More ›
White Privilege Part 3
Recently I heard the song “White Privilege II” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (play it before you read…) and using the lyrics as inspiration I started thinking about this blog post: There’s blood in the streets, no justice, no peace… Read More ›
White Privilege Part 2
Recently I heard the song “White Privilege II” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (play it before you read…) and using the lyrics as inspiration I started thinking about this blog post. But the one thing the American dream fails to… Read More ›
Building Cultural Competence through Reading Diverse Books
A few years ago a conversation started in my library that was prompted by a student reading Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give. The student in question identified as a person of color, but in our extremely homogeneous community she… Read More ›
Welcoming Students with Special Needs to the Library
As I presented my database introduction lesson to a class of ninth-graders, I wondered if I was going too quickly for them. I looked at their focused faces and continued speaking, making a decision not to simplify my words. When… Read More ›