“If you don’t have access to the truth and the real world in real time, you cannot make rational democratic decisions in our society.” - Rachel Maddow #ALAAC26

Maddow: If you lose access to knowledge. You cannot make informed decisions as a citizen. #ALAAC26

🌟 One Final Review 🌟 Closing out the review series with one more generous endorsement. ⬇️ Read the review below. #BlackLibrariansGathering #LibrariansLookLikeMeToo #BlackLibrariansLead

On Juneteenth, we celebrate the power of Black stories. 🧵 💙❤️🤍 Happy Juneteenth ❤️🖤💚 #Juneteenth #Librarians #schoollibrarian #RepresentationMatters #blacklibrariansgathering

Another Voice. Another Powerful Endorsement. 🖤 “Why Are All the Black Librarians Gathering in the School Library?: Stories and Lessons is a powerful tribute to Black school librarians. Through firsthand narratives, it highlights their role in fostering curiosity, preserving culture, and…

❤️ R E V I E W ❤️ T W O ❤️ @becalzada.bsky.social “This book offers a powerful look into the personal and professional lives of Black librarians, highlighting how they center student voice and create inclusive spaces where learners feel valued…

✨The reviews are in and I’m honored by the response.✨ #BlackLibrariansGathering

“. . . without the practice of naming what happened and how it felt, these moments can gaslight us into questioning our own perceptions.”—S. Michele Echols #BlackLibrariansGathering #LibrariansLookLikeMeToo #BlackLibrariansLead

Our final contributor is Michele Echols 🤎 S. Michele Echols is a high school librarian and associate professor whose expertise lies in interdisciplinary collaboration. #BlackLibrariansGathering #LibrariansLookLikeMeToo #BlackLibrariansLead

“When I arrived at KIPP Baltimore in 2014, there was no existing school library, and the absence of a dedicated school librarian was a gap I was determined to fill.” -Theresa Bruce In “Designing and Opening a School Library Program,” Theresa shares her dedication to bringing libraries to her school.

We’re close to the finish line. 🏁 Meet Theresa Bruce. Her story is a rare one and she’s still on the first leg of this marathon. #BlackLibrariansGathering #LibrariansLookLikeMeToo #BlackLibrariansLead

“I can identify with being at conferences and not seeing other people that look like me for miles around, and it is disparaging.” —Cicely Lewis #BlackLibrariansGathering #LibrariansLookLikeMeToo #BlackLibrariansLead

Chapter 12 comes to you from 👑🐝 of libraries, Cicely Lewis Cicely Lewis, school librarian and author, was named the 2020 SLJ School Librarian of the Year, a 2019 Library Journal Mover and Shaker, and received the 2019 National Teacher Award for Lifelong Readers by NCTE and Penguin Random House.

“As Black women are prone to do, they have charged me with not only advancing myself, but finding new Black librarians to mentor and to lead in librarianship wherever I can.” —Kat Baxter #BlackLibrariansGathering #LibrariansLookLikeMeToo #BlackLibrariansLead

Here comes bestie!! Meet Alabama’s Kat Baxter, contributor #1️⃣1️⃣. Forgive her for rolling tide. 🐘 Kat Baxter is an elementary school librarian in Alabama. She is a Fulbright Educator and was selected to participate in the PBS Digital Innovator All-Star Program. #BlackLibrariansGathering

Meet the School Librarian Movers & Shakers www.slj.com/story/Meet-S...

“In retrospect, I either had a principal or coordinator who wanted me to do everything, or those who attempted to place barriers against anything that I tried outside of the basic expectations.” —Stacey Nunn

Introducing 🎉2026 SLJ School Librarian of the Year Finalist 🎉Stacey Nunn, contributor #10 @bloggerbookie.bsky.social Stacey Nunn is a school librarian in Maryland. She received her MLIS from Syracuse University and has spent over fifteen years in education.

“We can choose paths that are less traveled, and in doing so, we can create spaces where we and others like us can thrive.” —Sean Brandon Jr. #BlackLibrariansGathering #LibrariansLookLikeMeToo #BlackLibrariansGathering

I feel like this is flying by, but let’s stay committed to the daily post because there’s more to come. Taking up the chapter 9️⃣ spot is Sean Brandon Jr. aka Coach Brandon @coachbrandonjr

“Being a Black librarian, with experience from Chicago to California, showcases how libraries have grown and how the librarian is a catalyst of that growth.” —Dionne Howell-Taylor

“Not only is sisterhood vital within school librarianship, but having mentors and allies provides beneficial support.” —Dr. Cynthia Richardson Johnson

“The opportunity to be surrounded by not just Black women but Black history was a reset I never knew I needed. I was now a part of a majority in a field that generally does not reflect the same.” —Aleea Daley-Price

Meet the Contributor: Chapter 6️⃣ Aleea Davey-Price is an elementary school librarian and artist. When she’s not performing her typical librarian duties, she’s decorating her library in new and fun ways.

4️⃣th up: Chiquita Toure is an educator-librarian with thirty years of experience and currently serves as a certi!ed school librarian. She blogged for Knowledge Quest, authored multiple peer-reviewed journal articles.

“I have never met another Black male elem school librarian. My students will likely never have another Black male (or female) librarian in their academic careers. That adds additional pressure to my already tense shoulders because of my inherent responsibility to get it right.” —Abdul-Brahin Tabb

“Growing up in the Bronx in the ‘80s and ‘90s, I had diverse teachers and role models, but I never connected with the idea that I could be a librarian... I didn’t know this field needed or wanted people who looked like me.” —Donna Gray @dngray18.bsky.social

Somebody said it’s #NationalBlackAuthorsDay so I’m just gonna sit this right here. 👨🏽‍🏫👩🏽‍🏫 Shout out to the 14 Black contributors to WHY ARE ALL THE BLACK LIBRARIANS GATHERING IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY?: STORIES AND LESSONS ✊🏽

🎉Happy #TeacherAppreciationWeek! 📚To celebrate, we're offering 25% off titles in our Teacher Appreciation Week Collection ft. 15 bestselling titles beloved by educators across the country! 🌼Just use code TEACHER25 at checkout (offer valid through 5/8/26): www.leeandlow.com/coupon-code/...

Next up: Chapter 🥈@dngray18.bsky.social, Bronx Library Coordinator for the New York City School System, has over twenty years of experience in K–12 education, libraries, and higher education. She has served as a Senior Young Adult Librarian at the NYPL and worked at Teachers College.

“I’ve resigned that this is the moment to sift through our collective experience, name names, and unravel how we got… here.” -Sharon Wiggins In “Legacy Work,” Sharon reveals the struggle to overcome the legacy of Jim Crow and the singular nature of being the only Black faculty member in the school.

WHY ARE ALL THE BLACK LIBRARIANS GATEHRING IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY?: Meet the Contributor Sharon Wiggins is a middle school librarian in New York State and the library chairperson in her district. She’s presented at the @aaslala.bsky.social National Conference and conducted an online workshop for SLJ.

Storytelling has the power to drive meaningful change. That's why we created Know Your Rights University, our new series that provides critical civil liberties lessons that are fun for the whole family.

If you’re reading this, thank a school librarian. #schoollibrarianday School librarians are technology integration leaders, creatives, equity champions, literacy leaders, collaborators, IT support and webmasters, substitute teachers, social media influencers, club/organization sponsors, and more.

We are proud to partner with @splc.org for #StudentPressFreedom Day. Join PEN America today in celebrating student journalists’ resilience in action and standing up for their First Amendment rights: studentpressfreedom.org

I’m So Happy You’re Here, @mychal3ts.bsky.social 💚 and so happy readers get to know how happy you are for them to live library joy 🤩 We all belong at the library ❤️ Be sure to listen 🎧 to the audiobook to experience Mychal’s joy! I’ve listened twice. #bookstagram #picturebook #librarian #kidlit

Happy Black History Month ✊🏽 That enamel pin was just the beginning. Or maybe this was. But my journey in Black librarianship began over 10 years ago. I believe what that struck me a little over 2 years ago is about to be a whole tangible thing in folks’ reading spaces. This is heart 🤎 work.

Apple has partnered with Common Sense Media to create the Teachers’ Essential Guide to AI Fundamentals. With CS Education Week approaching, it’s a great time to dive deeper with these free resources. www.commonsense.org/education/ar... #CSEweek #AppleEDU #AppleLearningCoach #AppleTeacher #tlchat

Forget mugs and candles—get them something that speaks volumes. A enamel pin is a small gift that makes a big statement. ✨ Show your favorite librarian how much they’re seen and appreciated this holiday season. 🩷 🔗 in bio #librariansofinstagram #blacklibrarians #schoollibrarian #librarian

"... this time, the picture book format chose me. Picture books break down BIG feelings and ideas in quick, easy ways. The format helped me break down my big feelings." A talk with @torreymaldonado.bsky.social! #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2025/10/16/a...

It’s here: Future Ready Librarians® Framework 3.0. Expanded literacies (media, digital, AI, financial) + clearer edges to lead teaching, innovation, and equity. Get it now: FutureReadyLibrarians.org #FutureReadyLibs #FutureReady #SchoolLibraries #AIinEducation

And don’t forget to stop by the WNDB table (Booth T10) to chat with us and take home some fun swag items like stickers, art cards, resource cards, bookmarks, and even free copies of ON THE BLOCK*! *Only available after general session on Friday, October 17th Let us know if we’ll see you there!

Are you attending #AASL25 this weekend in Saint Louis? We Need Diverse Books will be hosting a general session on Friday, October 17th, starting at 8 AM! Start your Friday at the AASL conference with a conversation that brings stories to life for learners. 📚 📅 Friday, Oct. 17 ⏰ 8 AM

Sending strength to SCASL, Jamie Gregory, and the families involved in the suit. “This is an opportunity to be the voice for the protection of students’ intellectual freedom rights, which is part of the job of being a school librarian.”

knowledgequest.aasl.org/the-more-you... #AASL25

I had the honor of attending the #KirkusPrize this week under the sunset at 🗽Tribeca Rooftop. Thx to KIRKUS for the invitation to be a juror for this year’s Kirkus Prize for Young People’s Literature. 😊

Swag posts are rolling in! 🥰 Has your This Is What A Librarian Looks Like pin arrived? Tag me to share how you’re rockin’ it.

Oooooweeeee looks like that drop was as 🔥 as I thought it would be. Shout out to everyone who purchased pins in the last ✌🏽 days. Shipments are going out tomorrow. That said, I have 6️⃣ pins left. If you want one, grab it ASAP so it’ll go out with the others. 🔗 nyml.myshopify.com 📸 @rebelliouspins

Mama, I made it . . . this pin that is. 🤣 What started out on #Canva about 4 years ago is now tangible thanks to @rebelliouspins.  Who's snagging theirs first? 🤔 All librarians aren't the same, but enough of y'all love pinning totes and denim jackets so come sell out this stock and maybe I'll re-up.