Recapping Julia's time at ALA's 150th annual conference!📚️ ✨️ Through panels, keynotes, and meetings, Julia had the opportunity to connect with other literacy workers, sharing experiences and ideas to strengthen library and literacy programming while fighting for intellectual freedom.

Happy 250th Birthday to the USA – from your friends at the CLC! 🇺🇸🥳🎆

🌈 We had an amazing time at #NWAPrideFest We debuted our Little Queer Book Mobile, shared LGBTQ+ books for all ages, gave away CLC swag & books, and met so many wonderful people.Thank you to our incredible volunteers and to the Brown Chair in English Literacy at the U of A for making it possible!

Today is the last day of #PrideMonth! 🌈 To celebrate, enjoy these Pride book recommendations, courtesy of the CLC. Happy reading! 📚💖 #bookrecs #LGBTQIA+

As #PrideMonth comes to a close, don't miss out on two great pride related events! Tomorrow, 6/26 - Friday Night Reads | tinyurl.com/ypdt6kyk This Weekend - NWA Pride Festival | nwapride.org See you there! #Pride #LGBTQIA #ReadWithPride #LiteracyForAll #NWAPride

This #PrideMonth, we're celebrating the trans writers who are changing literature right now. Akwaeke Emezi. Joshua Whitehead. Cameron Awkward-Rich. Gabrielle Calvocoressi. Sonido Reyes. Milo Todd. Benedict Nguyễn. Temperance Aghamohammadi. Grace (ge) Gilbert. Read them. Trans joy is on every page. 🏳️‍⚧️

📢 New in The Sandbox In this timely op-ed, Dr. Megan McIntyre and Dr. Maggie Fernandes examine how literacy educators can help students critically engage with the hidden impacts of data centers and support communities resisting harmful development projects. 👉🔗 link-in-bio to read the full article

📚✨ NWA Book Fest KIDS appreciation post! Julia had a blast leading a Patrick Kelly-inspired craft while Dr. Pritchard shared a storytime of their book "Clothes To Make You Smile." Thank you to NWA Book Fest and everyone who stopped by. We hope to see you next year! 🤗📚💛 #nwa #nwabookfest

⭐️FREEDOM DAY⭐️ #Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free. It's a day to celebrate freedom, resilience, and equality in Black history. Pictured: Ida B. Wells, James Baldwin, Daisy Bates, Fannie Lou Hamer sources: history.com blog.milliegiving.com/

This week in The Sandbox, Kelly Franklin reflects on how football serves as a powerful literacy practice - shaping learning, identity, community, and joy for Black boys while challenging educators to recognize and celebrate the rich literacies they bring to the world.✨️ 🔗 tinyurl.com/SandboxKelly...

It's Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ To celebrate, we want to highlight some of our favorite authors in the LGBTQIA+ community. Drop your favorite LGBTQIA+ author in the comments below! 👇 #PrideMonth #ReadWithPride #QueerLit

AI is often seen as a great equalizer when it comes to writing and communication, but it often misses on one major point – the feeling and autheticity behind the words. Read Kurt David's full piece in The Sandbox: tinyurl.com/SandboxKurtD... #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #GenAI

📚✨ Join the Refusal Summer Reading Club! ✨📚 Drs. Jennifer Sano-Franchini, Megan McIntyre, and Maggie Fernandes are hosting a summer book club! 🕑 All discussions take place from 2:00–3:15 PM EDT. 🔗 Register today: tinyurl.com/refusalSRC 📱 Or scan the QR code on the flyer.

🌈 Volunteers Needed for #NWAPrideFestival🌈 The CLC will be tabling at the festival on Saturday, June 27th, and we're looking for volunteers to help us make the day a success! Interested in volunteering? Email [email protected] for more information. Learn more: nwapride.org

Happy #PrideMonth 🌈📚 To celebrate, the CLC is hosting a Pride-themed Virtual Friday Night Reads on Friday, June 26th from 6-8. Bring a book featuring LGBTQIA+ stories, written by an LGBTQIA+ author, or simply a book you love, and join us for an evening of reading. 🖥️ Scan QR code to register

📚️ ✨️ NWA Book Fest KIDS is this Sunday!✨️ 📚️ Dr. Pritchard will be leading a story time with their book "Clothes to Make You Smile" at 10:45 AM, while Julia will be facilitating a craft at 11 AM! Where: The Apollo on Emma in Springdale, AR When: June 7, 10-4 Visit www.nwabookfest.com for more info🤗

#HappyPrideMonth 🏳️‍🌈 Throughout the month of June, we'll be sharing books, resources, and creators that highlight the power of inclusive storytelling. We're also excited to be part of NWA Pride Weekend at the end of the month, so stay tuned for more details! 🌈

Save the date! 📚✨ The NWA Kids’ Book Fest is coming to Springdale, AR on June 7th from 10 AM–7 PM! The CLC will have a table at the event, Dr. Pritchard will host a story time, and Julia will lead a craft activity for attendees! visit www.nwabookfest.com for more info #nwabookfestkids

"Anti-Intellectualism as an American Fascist Literacy Practice: From Crisis Discourse to Community Learning," an OP-ED piece written by Erin M. Green, PhD, Gavin P. Johnson, PhD, and Ruby Mendoza, PhD is live in The Sandbox! Read the full piece at the link in our bio!

IMPORTANT UPDATE - FNR this Friday will now be VIRTUAL ONLY. Please scan the QR or visit our link in bio to register! We're celebrating Children's Book Week, but as always, bring whatever you'd like to read! See you there📚️ 🗓 Friday, May 29 ⏰ 6–8 PM CST 📍 Zoom #FridayNightReads #ChildrensBookWeek

We’re excited to share a new piece in The Sandbox titled “Genius in the Margins: When Miseducation is a Form of Education Through Hip Hop Literacy” by Kashema Hutchinson. ✨ 👉🔗 Visit our link-in-bio to read this piece, and all pieces, in the Sandbox. #hiphopliteracy #criticalpedagogy

Here are a few more books recs from team CLC in honor of #AAPIHERITAGEMONTH 📚 Arundhati Roy's "Mother Mary Comes To Me" and "The God of Small Things" Jhumpa Lahiri's "The Namesake" and "Interpreter of Maladies" Min Jin Lee's "Pachinko" #bookrecs #asianamerican #literacy

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander voices in literature this #AAPIHeritageMonth 📚✨ Check out these incredible books from Alexander Chee, R. O. Kwon, and Ocean Vuong! Which of them have you read, or which is next on your list? #AAPI #alexanderchee #rokwon #oceanvuong

We’re honored to join this bittersweet final pop-up event for Más Libritos Bookstore. ❤️📚 The CLC will have a table at the event, so come say hi, celebrate this amazing indie bookstore, and shop the closing sale! 🗓 May 17, 11AM - 3PM 📍 Mano’s, Downtown Springdale

Don't miss out! 💢Deadline to register is May 15💢 Join us in an 8-week virtual seminar, "The Black Girl Reliable Toolkit," facilitated by Dr. Dominique C. Hill. 🗓 Mondays, July 20 – Sept. 14 ⏰ 6:30–8:30 PM CST / 7:30–9:30 PM EST 💻 Virtual | Free | Open to the Public 🔗 Scan QR code to register

#AAPIHeritageMonth ✨️ 🏳️‍🌈 Spotlight✨️ 💛 Margaret Cho, she/her: comedian, actor, musician, artist, and queer activist 💙 Chella Man, he/him, they/them: deaf trans artist, model, writer, and disability justice activist 💜 Alok Vaid-Menon, they/them: queer and nonbinary poet, performer, and activist

📚️ #bookrecs: "I Am Royal" by Bieunkah Anwojue "Junko's Climb" by Elyssa Gavin; illustrated by Hifumayo "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine "Down Home in Arkansas" by Maria Hoskins; illustrated by Wade Hampton "Songbird in the Light" by Billy Porter, Chris Clarkson; Illustrated by Charly Palmer

📚✨ Happy #Children’sBookWeek! ✨📚 From May 4–10, we celebrate the joy of reading books and the connection they bring. There are so many ways to celebrate and tons of FREE resources to help you join in the fun! 👉 Download Resources here: everychildareader.net/cbw/celebrat...

We’re spotlighting our 2025 grantees at the El Paso Aphasia Connection Center 💙 With support from a CLC grant, adults with aphasia are creating digital superhero comics - sharing their stories, building confidence, and finding connection through creativity. #grants #grantee #literacy

Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with us by uplifting stories that matter. 📚🌺 Share your favorite books by Asian American & Pacific Islander authors or stories that highlight AAPI experiences. Drop your recommendations in the comments or send us a DM to be featured.💛 #AAPIHeritageMonth #bookrecs

The CLC had the honor of serving as a primary fiscal sponsor of the Arkansas Authors’ Children’s Book Festival in both its inaugural and second years. Dr. Pritchard and Julia also hosted a booth at the event - they had a blast getting to experience #childlit with the community!

📣 LAST CALL FOR GRANTS Grant applications for our 2026 Seed and Growth Grants 🌱 are due tonight at midnight. Make sure to send your application to our email ([email protected]) with the subject line "2026 CLC GRANT PROPOSAL SUBMISSION". Don't wait! #literacy #literacygrant

This April, we're honoring LGBTQIA+ poets who write with their whole selves – unapologetically, gorgeously, fiercely. Meet some of our favorites– as well as poets from other underrepresented groups – here: communityliteraciescollaboratory.com/PoetryMonth2... #PoetryMonth #RepresentationMatters

This #NationalPoetryMonth, we're honoring 🇵🇸 Palestinian and Palestinian-American poets whose words carry diaspora and devotion, grief that refuses to be quiet and love that refuses to disappear. Meet them: communityliteraciescollaboratory.com/PoetryMonth2... #PoetryMonth #PoetryForAll

Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day this April 25th📚 From curated shelves to community events, independent bookstores keep stories alive and accessible. Stop by your local bookstores and see what amazing events they've got going on in celebration! #independentbookstoreday

Poetry has always been a place where trans people could speak themselves into being. This month, we listen. 🏳️‍⚧️ Meet some of our favorite trans poets – as well as poets from other underrepresented groups – here: communityliteraciescollaboratory.com/PoetryMonth2... #NationalPoetryMonth #TransPoets

CLC team members Jackie and Dr. Pritchard have curated an amazing and inclusive list of poetry recommendations in honor of #NationalPoetryMonth. Check out the key at the bottom of the list highlighting poets who are Black, Palestinian, Latiné, Indigenous, queer/trans, & poets w/ connections to AR!

#NationalLibraryWeek, April 19–25, 2026, is a time to celebrate the many ways libraries bring people together, spark imagination, and support lifelong learning. The CLC encourages everyone to visit their local library📚️ NWA area -> check out Fayetteville and Springdale Libraries!

The CLC is proud to spotlight "Finding Sarah and Mary" by Jacqueline Jones Royster, out May 1 from University of Georgia Press. Blending memoir, family history, and research, Royster traces her ancestry and shows how everyday lives shape American history. Code 08FINDING 30% off: www.ugapress.org

The CLC is proud to support 2025 grantee Bieunkah Anwojue, an award-winning children’s author & illustrator.✨️ Anwojue led a detective-themed literacy workshop where students used C.L.U.E.S to strengthen their writing, explore visual storytelling, and build confidence through creativity and play.

Celebrate #NationalPoetryMonth with us! Join the CLC at The Marshall in Fayetteville on April 24th from 6–8 PM. Bring a favorite poetry collection (or any book you love) and enjoy a welcoming space for shared reading and community. Snacks will be provided. 😄 Scan QR code to register!

For #NationalPoetryMonth, we're highlighting voices from underrepresented groups. To kick off, we're highlighting Black and Brown women – who have always been the heartbeat of this art form. See more posts: tinyurl.com/wed26prv #PoetryMonth #PoetryForAll #RepresentationMatters

All great writing starts with the first word. Today is Encourage a Young Writer Day – celebrating every young writer brave enough to put their ideas into words. Support them. Read their work. Celebrate the effort. 🖊️ #EncourageAYoungWriterDay #YoungWriters #Literacy

It’s time to announce TWO Possibilities Hubs this summer ✨ Both are free, virtual, and open to the public! "Dance Literacy: What Can Movement Teach Us About Our Writing, Our History, and Ourselves?" Dr. Katie Marya "The Black Gurl Reliable Toolkit" Dr. Dominique C. Hill Scan QR code to register

The Arkansas Authors’ Children’s Book Festival is coming to Conway, and the CLC is proud to be a sponsor of this exciting event! Stop by our booth for special giveaways and meet Julia and Dr. Pritchard (pictured). April 18th 10AM - 2PM @ UCA Brewer Hegeman Conference Center RSVP UCA.EDU/OUTREACH

It's International Children's Book Day! 📚️ To celebrate, Team CLC has pulled together a list of our favorite children's books for kids of varying ages to check out. Grab your favorite kid, find a cozy spot, and dive in: tinyurl.com/ym6h33hs #InternationalChildrensBookDay #ChildrensBooks #KidLit

Without community, there is no liberation. — Audre Lorde This April, we’re celebrating National Poetry Month. Throughout the month, the CLC will be spotlighting poets and honoring the power of words to connect, inspire, and uplift. #NationalPoetryMonth #PoetryMonth #PoetryMatters #LiteracyMatters

💜 🩷 Closing out Women's History Month with a few amazing books written by women! Each title has been recommended by a CLC team member. 🤗 #womenshistorymonth #bookrecs #hélènebessette #hankang #elyssagavin #hifumayo #carmenmariamachado #literature #yalit #poetry #fiction #womenauthors

For over 15 years, actress Jennifer Garner has championed literacy in children in rural and low-income communities across the U.S. We celebrate her work to make sure literacy is available to all – regardless of where they live. #WomensHistoryMonth #WHM2026 #LiteracyMatters

📣 Calling all community literacies workers! Our journal, the Sandbox, is looking for thought provoking pieces on literacy learning and practice. Accepted pieces will be published both online and in print, with authors receiving an honorarium. 🔗 Learn more: buff.ly/rx4q8PP