Activating Core Values in the Library: Strategies for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Meg Boisseau Allison, MEd, is a 7–12 teacher-librarian in her fifth year at U-32 Middle and High School in East Montpelier, VT. Previously, she served a combined fourteen years as a pre-k–6 teacher-librarian at the Moretown School and youth services librarian at the Kellogg-Hubbard and Joslin Memorial Libraries, all in Central Vermont. She earned her bachelor's in sociology and anthropology from Colgate University, where she spent a semester in South Africa peace-monitoring the first presidential election of Nelson Mandela with the School of International Training, Brattleboro, VT. She earned her master's in curriculum and instruction from the University of Vermont, with a concentration in library media studies.

Allison is a former Global Teacher Fellow, traveling to France and Italy to research fairy tales. She was recognized by the University of Vermont as an Outstanding Teacher, and was recently named an AASL Social Media Superstar: Social Justice Defender finalist (@meg_allison). She lives in a home she and her husband designed and built in the Mad River Valley of Vermont. She spends her time outside of the library training for races from 5Ks to marathons, perfecting her popovers, and playing Settlers of Catan.

Erika Long, MSIS, is a certified school librarian, currently serving as a consultant and library advocate. Long is secretary/treasurer of AASL, past-president of the Tennessee Library Association, and serves in ALA governance. She has guest blogged and co-authored the "Equity" chapter in Core Values in School Librarianship: Responding with Commitment and Courage. Connect with her on Twitter @erikaslong and Instagram @notyomamaslibrarian.

Julie Stivers, MLIS (she/her/hers), is the librarian at Mount Vernon Middle, an alternative public school in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her work has been published in Knowledge Quest, School Library Journal, and YALS. As a 2018 ALA Emerging Leader, she helped develop AASL's Defending Intellectual Freedom: LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries. She is the recipient of AASL's 2017 Frances Henne Award and was named a 2019 Library Journal Mover and Shaker. She served as the chair for the YALSA Presidential Taskforce: Youth Activism through Community Engagement and is a facilitator in her district's Office of Equity Affairs Summer Writing Institute for high school students. Her research and practical interests include culturally sustaining pedagogy, building inclusive library spaces, and exploring the power of graphic novels, manga, and anime with her students. She earned her MLIS from SILS at UNC–Chapel Hill and connects on Twitter at @BespokeLib.