I know it’s difficult right now, but I insist that you seek and enjoy beautiful things, even if it seems frivolous or irresponsible in the face of overwhelming horror. I want you to feed yourself artistically, spiritually, and literally, because you can’t Do The Work when you’re starving.

ALASKANS: The first hearing about your state's anti-book ban bill, which carves out protections for teachers and librarians, is on Monday at 3:30 PM. This is both in person and virtual, so you can comment as public online. www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/D...

Is your library part of Illinois Libraries Present? Did you know I am in conversation with RL Stine on 2/24 and it is free for you and your patrons? We are doing our practice session later today. Info here: www.ila.org/initiatives/...

If you haven't had the chance to see The Librarians yet, catch Kim Snyder’s powerful documentary when it premieres February 9 on Independent Lens on PBS. https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/the-librarians/

Booklist Guide to Graphic Novels - call for submissions. Deadline EXTENDED! They are interested in a wide variety of topics relating to comics, manga, and graphic novels in libraries and the deadline has been extended until February 9th @ala-booklist.bsky.social airtable.com/appa8wgGSwLw...

Exciting news! 🎉 The inaugural Outstanding Comics Awards was announced today Each award has three categories: fiction, non-fiction, and series! 🧵 for press releases Browse the Awards winners and honorees on our site www.ala.org/gncrt/awards... #LibComix

Congratulations to all the Caldecott winners this morning! If you want to learn more about Honor winner SUNDUST, author/illustrator Zeke Peña takes us behind the scenes in this episode of The Yarn Podcast: theyarn.slj.com/2025/09/29/m... @slj.com @colbysharp.bsky.social #ALAyma

Happy Youth Media Awards day, everyone! Here's the link to the webcast (beginning at 11am ET) #ALAyma www.ala.unikron.com

Even more exciting news! American Indian Youth Literature Award (AIYLA), given biennially to recognize & honor very best writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America will be announced tomorrow at Youth Media Awards!! ailanet.org/activities/a...

Almost time. Join us Monday, January 26 at 10:00 a.m. CT for the 2026 ALA Youth Media Awards. Live from Chicago. Medals revealed in real time. Watch at ala.unikron.com or on the ALA Facebook page. #ALAyma 📚💙

On the eve of the life-changing day when several creators will get 'the call' that they've won a youth media award, it's worth revisiting Kate Messner's powerful poem, What Happened to Your Book Today. katemessner.com/what-happene...

The @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social Youth Media Awards will be held on Monday, January 26 at 10 a.m. CT. Join the livestream at www.ala.unikron.com.

Join Wilmette Library's visit w/ Ojibwa author Kim Sigafus on The History of the Jingle Dress on Mon, Nov 17 at 6:30-7:30pm! And make sure to add her new youth books, The Ojibwe: People, Culture, and History & Faye and the Dangerous Journey to your libraries! wilmette.libnet.info/event/14580718

Here's the live radio segment I did yesterday with WCPT 820 Chicago. Joan and I talked about book bans, about the beautiful book that is @redgoldsparks.bsky.social's GENDER QUEER, I gave three off-the-cuff book recommendations (incl. @librarianjones.com), and so much more. omny.fm/shows/joan-e...

Take at least ONE action to help defend books from censorship and speak up for those who make them available. Find resources/tools + actions you can take in just 5 mins: uniteagainstbookbans.org/let-freedom-read-day #BannedBooksWeek #UniteAgainstBookBans @la-cac.org @aaslala.bsky.social

The book banning of Indigenous stories in libraries has impacts on readers| Removal of their stories continues the erasure of histories and contributions of Native Nations and their citizens Thank you @tracisorellauthor.bsky.social for writing this Op-Ed www.cherokeephoenix.org/opinion/opin...

A4: If caregivers question comics as a reading choice, I often show them nonfiction comics - & demonstrate how powerful they are for explaining science, visual literacy, experiencing pov - all the skills we want to develop #TLSkyChat

A4: We moved all our graphic nonfiction together & it's made a huge difference in finding, hand-selling, access, etc. Science Comics, History Comics, What/Who Was, graphic memoirs are all popular #TLSKYChat

#TLSkyChat A3 💬 Back in the day I wrote this post about my own attempts to create library displays that provided more than just decor. In it,advocate for displays that reflect student voice, invite interaction, and respond to real needs. #Nonfiction are great resources or this work!

Twilight at 20: The vampire saga that transformed YA and the broader culture www.slj.com/story/twilig...

Re-upping this great "Book Résumés" initiative from @uabookbans.bsky.social. It's a powerful, free tool anyone can use to combat censorship. Lots of titles, including favorites by authors like Elana K. Arnold, Phil Bildner, Mike Curato, and many more.

Book banning isn’t new, but the scale, coordination, and targets of today’s censorship efforts are. @wgbh.org‬'s Unbound Pages podcast is telling the stories behind the headlines and why it matters now more than ever. www.wgbh.org/foundation/h...

Now that we know this book will be made, can you help us spread the word that copies can be donated to schools, libraries, and independent bookstores? We have received dozens of requests and we need your help to fund them all. www.kickstarter.com/projects/app...

This should make you angry 👇 Channel that anger into a donation to support LaVonnia’s legal fees gofund.me/794a3a9c

**Libraries & Mental Health Survey** I'm updating my research and subsequent talks related to mental health in the library. I'd love insight from library workers of all backgrounds + experiences, and I've got a handy survey. Please take & share widely. Thank you! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

We Cannot Give Up on Each Other buttondown.com/wellsourced/...

If you are headed to ALA Annual and want to see a screening of The Librarians, but cant make the 1:30-3:30 showing at the conference, head over to The Franklin Institute for a screening via EveryLibrary at 4:30 pm on Friday! Click link for info: www.everylibrary.org/librarianssc...

Post: Join us at 8 pm EDT on 6/19 for a conversation with Jason Reynolds, the award-winning author of "Soundtrack," a new full-cast audiobook. Sponsored by Penguin Random House.

#ALAAC25 is just a few weeks away! ALSC will be hosting a variety of exciting events through the conference - swipe through to see the highlights! Still need to register? Advanced pricing is still available through June 20 at 2025.alaannual.org

A1: I'm excited to dive into the Stonewall Award books that I haven't read yet before they're celebrated at ALA #TLSkyChat www.ala.org/rrt/award/st...

A4: Was in middle of reading Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing & Being Seen by James Robinson during summer reading presentations - & changed slides to promote it. Def want to read more books like it. Highly recc checking out @slj.com Day of Dialog session w/ James! #TLSkyChat www.whaleeyes.org

A5: Our library's summer reading program is rooted in choice, in leveling up their library use and learning journey. Everyone can decide what works for them #TLSkyChat www.wilmettelibrary.info/summer-readi...

A5: Summer reading passports are full of endless possibilities, readalongs, audiobooks, comics, nonfiction, magazines, subtitles and cereal boxes - endless ways to choose your own adventure; opportunities for choice and book access & community #TLSkyChat

A7: Highly recc @ncte.org article "Lose the Language of “Learning Loss' to rethink how we approach lang abt summer learning #TLSkyChat publicationsncte.org/docserver/fu...

A7: Summer reading should be about voice & choice. So often Ss have very little of those in education. Let Ss pick their format whether books, audio, comics & reflect their way including videos, art, podcasts. When they feel ownership, reading becomes meaningful. #TLSkyChat

#TLSkyChat A7. One thing we are really good at in education is helping kids associate reading with assessment and anxiety. Anything we can do during the summer, AND ALL YEAR LONG, to reconnect their hearts to reading as a joyful and relevant pursuit, will pay dividends later - in all sorts of ways.

A7: I ask kids for their reason for reading in the summer during SRC presentations to center their reasons for reading, whether it's a boredom buster, growth in summer, FUN, and building on this year's progress. (I avoid all summer slide stuff) #TLSkyChat www.wilmettelibrary.info/posts/why-re...

A8: I often think about how kids follow what we do, not what we say. Our encouragement for summer reading - to focus on choice and book joy - is connected to what we do for ourselves in reading what we want too #TLSKYChat

There is tremendous freedom in how the money can be used for programming, and you'll get to work with ME, among other incredible folks at Books Unbanned, as part of the funding. All the details --> bookriot.com/books-unbann...

From a colleague. Keep calling! It’s working!!! “We’re hearing that because enough moderate Republicans in the House are telling Speaker Johnson they’re against PEPFAR cuts, the White House is going to amend the package. The pressure is working!!“

Librarian, literacy ambassador, and social media sensation, Mychal Threets (‪@mychal3ts.bsky.social‬) makes his picture book debut with 'I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy,' illus. by Lorraine Nam, due out from Random House next Feb. Check out our cover reveal: buff.ly/YRA8VSY

Only 5 librarians for 218 Philly schools - I didn't realize!

Celebrate summer reading with Indigenous books for young readers! This list is pulled from books recommended at Indigenous Reads Rising: indigenousreadsrising.com #indigenous #summerreading #childrensbooks #kidlit #youngadultbooks #middlegradebooks #picturebooks #graphicnovels

@aaslala.bsky.social I'd love to attend #AASL25 for first time to share how #publiclibrary & #schoollibrary collab. My school librarian colleague & I submitted concurrent panel abt our partnership. Any timeline on acceptances/rejections? It's crunch time at the end of school year to make our case.

Join us @ #ALAAC25 for a @bannedtogetherdoc.bsky.social screening, followed by an organizing party! #UniteAgainstBookBans w/other advocates by sharing advocacy ideas, learning about grassroots organizing resources, & creating your own organizing materials: annual2025.eventscribe.net/index.asp?pr...

"What can we do to stop book censorship and destruction of libraries in the US? How can we push back against the dismantling of public education?" This is over four years of how-tos, guides, insights, and more. Resources are beyond plentiful.

Looking for fantastic, free summer reading lists created by human library workers (& NOT AI) who help young people continue to grow & learn over the summer? Check out @wearealsc.bsky.social's Summer Reading lists from Quicklists committee! #LooktoLibraries #SummerReading www.ala.org/alsc/summer-...

Join us next Wednesday at 8pm ET/5pm PT for guest moderator @shannonmmiller.bsky.social who will be leading us in a discussion on Igniting Creativity Through Literacy and the Library! Thanks to all who make #TLSkyChat a space to learn, share & grow. 💛 You make this community shine! tlskychat.com

One good thing post-COVID: more accessible events! 🙌 Even if I don’t always catch the replay, having the *option* matters. Not everyone can attend in person—it's an equity issue. More formats = more access = a win for all. #TLSkyChat