Recipient of The Freedom to Read Foundation's 2023 Roll of Honor Award, Pat R. Scales is a longtime First Amendment advocate. She is a former chair of ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee and serves on the Board of Advisors of the National Coalition against Censorship.
a guest post by Liz Deskins
Whether they’re creating a safe space for us to nerd out away from bullies, providing resources to finish term papers and guide us through the most challenging issues of our adolescence, or ensuring that our children have access to books critical to their own social and emotional development, school librarians have proven heroes to many of us.
In his Foreword to Belinha S. De Abreu's new book, Yohuru Williams writes, "Young people are literally bombarded with images and information, raw and unfiltered. The contours of when and how they receive information have changed dramatically from just a few years ago, resulting, on the positive side, in a democratization of information, and on the negative side, in the monumental task of discriminating fact from fiction while discerning credible sources ...
Children's librarians are taking seriously our profession’s calls for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). They already know that popular storytimes can be an effective way to increase 
community representation and belonging at the library.
"As usual," said Deborah Rinio during our interview, "librarians continue to inquire, include, collaborate, curate, explore and engage no matter what the circumstances." She was referring to the unprecedented circumstances in which librarians, educators, and students are in—with schools closed amidst widespread lockdowns, distance learning has quickly transitioned from educational supplement to daily reality.
For the new fourth edition of Enhancing Teaching and Learning, original author Jean Donham is joined by new co-author Chelsea Sims, a junior high school librarian and 2018 AASL Social Media Superstar for Student Voice. Together they cover every aspect of the school system, paying special attention to what it takes to become a school library leader.
The K-12 Library Services Specialist for Chesterfield County Public Schools in Virginia as well as an active author, Lori E. Donovan was the perfect person to explore the nitty gritty of effective implementation of the Shared Foundation Inquire from the National School Library Standards.
ALA Editions/ALA Neal-Schuman is pleased to present a selection of free programs at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition exploring the profession’s issues and trends. The programs scheduled to take place at the ALA Store, located near the main entrance to the Exhibit Hall on the lower level of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, are:
Saturday, June 22
