Video Replays
Feel free to use for professional development as well.
Brooklyn Public Library Books Unbanned
Amy Mikel talks about the Brooklyn Public Libraries’ Books Unbanned website to share banned books across the country. Speaker Amy Mikel Amy Mikel is the Director of Customer Experience at Brooklyn Public Library, responsible for implementing exceptional library services in the areas of reference, circulation and collections across 61 branch locations. She oversees the Library’s…
Building Stakeholders for School Libraries
Securing the future of school libraries is going to involve more than just librarians. Learn how parents, students, and others are coming together to create strong stakeholder groups that speak up and support libraries. Speakers Stephana Ferrell Stephana Ferrell is a public school parent of two students currently enrolled at the elementary school level. In…
Diversity in Libraries
Mychal Threets talks about the need for diversity in libraries as well as challenges to meeting this goal. Speaker Mychal Threets Mychal Threets is a Supervising Librarian for Solano County Library. He is proud to work for the library where he got his very first library card. He is passionate about representation in books and…
Growing a Support Network
What can school librarians do to cultivate a network of support within their professional spheres? Speakers Mark Ray As a former teacher librarian, district administrator, and 2012 Washington State Teacher of the Year, Mark Ray continues leading, teaching, and supporting school librarians at the national and regional level. He has helped lead the Future Ready…
Librarian Pep Talk: Ellen Hopkins
Author Ellen Hopkins sends a message of support to school librarians. Speaker Ellen Hopkins Ellen Hopkins is a poet, freelance writer, and the award-winning author of twenty nonfiction titles, three novels for adults, and thirteen NY Times Bestselling novels-in-verse. She has published hundreds of articles on subjects ranging from aviation to child abuse to winegrowing….
Librarian Pep Talk: Jarrett Lerner
Author Jarrett Lerner sends a message of support to librarians. Speaker Jarrett Lerner Author-illustrator Jarrett Lerner is the award-winning creator of the EngiNerds series of Middle Grade novels, the Geeger the Robot series of early chapter books, the activity books Give This Book a Title and Give This Book a Cover, The Hunger Heroes series of graphic novel chapter books, and the Nat the Cat series of…
Librarian Pep Talk: Josh Funk
Author Josh Funk sends a message of support to librarians. Speaker Josh Funk Josh Funk is a software engineer and the author of books like the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, the It’s Not a Fairy Tale series, the How to Code with Pearl and Pascal series, the A Story of Patience & Fortitude series, Dear Dragon, My Pet Feet, and…
Librarian Pep Talk: Mindy McGinnis
Author Mindy McGinnis sends a message of support to school librarians. Speaker Mindy McGinnis Mindy McGinnis is an Edgar Award-winning novelist who writes across multiple genres, including post-apocalyptic, historical, thriller, contemporary, mystery, and fantasy.
Librarian Pep Talk: Neal Shusterman
Author Neal Shushterman sends a message of support to school librarians. Speaker Neal Shusterman Neal Shusterman is the New York Times best-selling author of over thirty novels for children, teens, and adults. He won the 2015 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature for Challenger Deep, and his novel, Scythe, was a 2017 Michael L. Printz Honor…
Libraries: Being Rainbows in Everyone’s Clouds
Author Torrey Maldonado sends a message of support to school librarians. Speaker Torrey Maldonado Torrey Maldonado was born and raised in Brooklyn’s Red Hook projects. He has taught in New York City public schools for over 25 years and his fast-paced, compelling stories are inspired by his and his students’ experiences. His popular young readers novels include What Lane?, which won many starred…
Next Steps in School Libraries
Visionary David Lankes talks about where school libraries can head in the future. Speaker David Lankes R. David Lankes is the Virginia & Charles Bowden Professor of Librarianship at the iSchool at University of Texas at Austin. Lankes has always been interested in combining theory and practice to create active research projects that make a…
Politics and Children’s Books: Evidence from Public School Libraries
A discussion of research on the long term impact of book banning. Speaker Kirsten Slungaard Mumma Kirsten Slungaard Mumma is a postdoctoral fellow at the Wheelock Educational Policy Center at Boston University. Her research is in the economics of education. She holds an M.Ed. in Education Policy and Management and a PhD in Education Policy…
Representation on Both Sides of the Book
The #DiverseBooks movement is enjoying more success, but what next steps can we look towards to extend diverse reading into more diverse school librarianship and diverse authorship? Speakers Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada is the 2022-23 President of the American Library Association and Adult Services Assistant Manager at the Palos Verdes Library District in…
Second Forum Welcome
A welcome message from project lead, Christopher Harris. Speaker Dr. Christopher Harris Dr. Christopher Harris is the Director of the School Library System for the Genesee Valley BOCES, an educational services agency supporting the libraries of 22 small, rural districts in Western NY. He was a participant in the first American Library Association Emerging Leaders…
Shore up your Boundaries
Pernille Ripp talks about setting boundaries and limits as a form of self-care for school librarians. Speaker Pernille Schmidt Ripp Since Pernille Ripp was a child growing up in Denmark, she knew she wanted to work with kids. She has loved being a 4th, 5th, and then 7th-grade teacher in the American public school system,…
Speaking with a Collective Voice
School librarians should not (and cannot!) be the only voice speaking up for libraries in their communities. This session will explore how librarians, students, parents, and others can work together to speak with a collective voice. Speakers Jason Allen Jason B. Allen is the National Organizing Director for the National Parents Union. He is a…
Telling Your Story
How can we make use of “The Day the Librarians Disappeared” as a way to tell the story of school librarianship across the country? This session will explore how some libraries have already used the resource and suggest new ways you can bring the story to your community. Speakers John Chrastka EveryLibrary’s founder is John…
The Challenge of being seen, heard, and respected when your’e one in a building
Research on speaking out as a lone school librarian in a building. Speaker Joette Stefi-Mabry Joette Stefl-Mabry, PhD is a Professor of Information Sciences and Technology in theCollege of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at theUniversity at Albany. Dr. Stefl-Mabry created the Information Science School Library(ISSL) program at the University at Albany, one of…
The Trauma of Book Bans and Censorship
Kelly Jenson talks about the real trauma of books bans and censorship and how to build resiliency as a school librarian. Speaker Kelly Jensen A former librarian, Kelly has found passion for writing to teen audiences, as well as those who work with them. She works as an editor for Book Riot (bookriot.com), where she…
Where are we Going Next?
School librarians with a vision for the future share innovative programs and aspirational concepts for what is coming next. Speakers Courtney Pentland Courtney Pentland is a high school librarian in Nebraska, was an elementary librarian for a hot minute, and has worked in a district level library services department. She is adjunct faculty for the…
Why Libraries?
Julia Torres, ELA teacher turned librarian and creator of the #DisruptTexts movement, will talk about why she made the move into the library as a new chapter in her educational work. Speaker Julia Torres JULIA E. TORRES is a nationally recognized veteran language arts teacher, librarian, and teen programs administrator in Denver, Colorado. She is…
ALWAYS #BetterTogether
Amy Hermon shares stories from the field and her experiences as a school library podcaster during the pandemic. Speaker Amy Hermon Graduate of University of Michigan and Wayne State University School of Information Sciences (2007), Amy has been an educator for a million years. In her 15th year as a school librarian in Metro Detroit, Amy…
Digital Distress
In 2019 Roberto Gallardo and Benjamin St. Germain introduced a new metric related to digital inclusion called digital distress. Since then, we know of several organizations and communities that have used this metric for awareness and planning purposes. Today, the need for such a metric will only increase given the upcoming digital equity planning component…
District/Regional: Moving Forward
A panel of district and regional/system school librarians will talk about moving forward in a (hopefully increasingly) post-COVID school library landscape. What is the new normal for library programs, spaces, and resources? What changes do we want to keep, and what policy recommendations do we want to make moving forward? We look forward to hearing…
Ebooks and Digital Content During Covid
OverDrive CEO Steve Potash talks about some of the changes seen in ebook and digital audiobook usage during the pandemic. Speaker Steve Potash Steve Potash is President and Chief Executive Officer of OverDrive, a company that he founded in 1986. He also serves on its Board of Directors. As CEO, Steve leads an Executive Strategic…
Elementary: Moving Forward
A panel of elementary librarians will talk about moving forward in a (hopefully increasingly) post-COVID school library landscape. What is the new normal for library programs, spaces, and resources? What changes do we want to keep, and what policy recommendations do we want to make moving forward? We look forward to hearing your thoughts for…
Fighting Censorship by Finding Common Ground
Julie will share her recent experiences with censorship as a school librarian in Florida, as well as some thoughts and ideas for proactively bridging the gap with concerned parents to stave off future book banning attempts. Speaker Julie Miller Julie Miller is a Library Media Specialist at a Florida high school. She has been a…
First Forum Welcome
A welcome message for the first forum from project leader, Christopher Harris Speaker Dr. Christopher Harris Dr. Christopher Harris is the Director of the School Library System for the Genesee Valley BOCES, an educational services agency supporting the libraries of 22 small, rural districts in Western NY. He was a participant in the first American…
News Literacy
Between accidental spreading of misinformation and the malicious creation of disinformation on social media, it is more important than ever for our students to be news literate. An expert panel will discuss the challenges we are facing and suggest ways for libraries to better prepare students. Speakers Laura Saunders Laura Saunders is a Professor and…
PENAmerica Banned Books Report
Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education at PEN America, talks with Christopher Harris about the latest PEN banned books report and implications for school librarians. Speaker Jonathan Friedman Jonathan Friedman is the director of free expression and education at PEN America, where he oversees advocacy, analysis, and outreach concerning educational communities and academic…
Proactive Approaches to Book Challenges
Libraries across the country are facing coordinated efforts to challenge books. How can we best respond to those challenges? What are some proactive measures we can take as opposed to waiting and reacting to a challenge? Speakers Amanda Jones Amanda Jones is the 2021 School Library Journal Co-Librarian of the Year, a 2021 Library Journal…
Reading Before and After Covid
Dr. Stephen Krashen makes the case for student-selected reading as the best path forward for helping students make progress in school. Speaker Dr. Stephen Krashen Dr Stephen Krashen is an Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Southern California. He has written numerous articles and books about second-language acquisition, bilingual education, and reading. He…
Secondary: Moving Forward
A panel of secondary librarians will talk about moving forward in a (hopefully increasingly) post-COVID school library landscape. What is the new normal for library programs, spaces, and resources? What changes do we want to keep, and what policy recommendations do we want to make moving forward? We look forward to hearing your thoughts for…
Self Censorship
When the threat of book challenges loom, librarians are faced with the seemingly easy solution of self-censoring a collection to remove potentially contentious materials. This is something we need to talk about… Speakers Ashley Hawkins Ashley Hawkins is the campus librarian at the Samuel J Tilden Educational Complex in Brooklyn, NY. Ashley has a BS…
Situational Awareness on State/Federal Legislation
John Chrastka provides updates on state and Federal legislative issues of importance to school libraries. Speaker John Chrastka EveryLibrary’s founder is John Chrastka, a long-time library trustee, supporter, and advocate. Mr. Chrastka is a former partner in AssociaDirect, a Chicago-based consultancy focused on supporting associations in membership recruitment, conference, and governance activities. He is a former president…
Space and Place Changes
Libraries as spaces and places within the school were heavily impacted by COVID. In many cases the physical library location became a classroom, lunchroom, teacher room, or served another purpose. What can we learn from our shared experiences around changes to space and place and how can we work to reclaim libraries by showcasing their…
Staffing Changes
COVID brought many staffing changes to schools and school libraries. Librarians moved to classroom teaching positions, reassigned to tech support, and faced other staffing upsets. While these may have been necessary under the pandemic circumstances, what can we learn from the shifts that happened and how can we work to return librarians to the library?…
The Moral Quagmire of Censorship
Roger Rosen talks about the history of censorship and book burning to help explain the context of what we are seeing in a surge of censorship today. Speaker Roger Rosen Roger Rosen is currently Chairman of the Board of the Rosen Publishing Group after having served as President and CEO for 42 years. Rosen Publishing…
Trends About Book Challenges
Kelly Jensen, an Editor at Book Riot, talks about trends she has been following in book challenges and explores what is at the root of the crisis in school libraries. Speaker Kelly Jensen A former librarian, Kelly has found passion for writing to teen audiences, as well as those who work with them. She works…
WTP?!? What’s the Puck?
“I skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.” This well-worn quote from hockey great Wayne Gretzky has become an aspirational metaphor for skating toward the future. As a teacher librarian and educational leader, I have often used this adage as I seek to locate the puck in pursuit of an…
Telling the Story of School Librarianship
GapingVoid.com, a culture design company, worked with librarians to gather information to develop a reframing of how school librarians add value to communities. This is the listening session that led to the creation of The Day the Librarians Disappeared. Speaker Dr. Christopher Harris Dr. Christopher Harris is the Director of the School Library System for…
The Day the Librarians Disappeared
Libraries.Today is proud to share the release of “The Day the Librarians Disappeared.” This ebook, developed in collaboration with GapingVoid, tells the story of the value that school librarians bring to their communities. The graphics from the book are available for use under a Creative Commons Attribution/Non-Commercial/No Derivatives license for wide use in your school libraries and beyond….