School Library Connection Archive

Sustaining Joyful Reading in a Time of Book Challenges

Webinar
Sustaining Joyful Reading in a Time of Book Challenges

School librarians across the United States are feeling the physical and emotional effects of an increase in book challenges, including new legislation, affecting materials in school and classroom libraries. Sustaining the joy of reading can feel difficult in the best of circumstances, and can feel almost impossible when faced with a threat of censorship that goes against a student's freedom to read, as outlined in the ALA Library Bill of Rights. As in many times of strife, taking time to focus on joy can beat back the darkness and bring light—to our students and to ourselves. Join Melissa Thom, Amanda Jones, and Courtney Pentland as they discuss ways to continue celebrating the joy of reading with students of all ages.

Join us to:

  • Learn about what school librarians are facing across the country
  • Find community in shared experiences & resources for support
  • Leave with student-centered strategies to implement in your library today to sustain the joy of reading

About the Presenters

Melissa Thom

Melissa Thom, MA, (she/her) is a teacher librarian at Bristow Middle School in West Hartford, CT. She spent 12 years teaching grades four to six as a classroom teacher, and eight years ago she earned her library media specialist certification. She is the president of the Connecticut Association of School Librarians, a 2019 AASL Social Media Superstar Reader Leader finalist, and a 2022 Library Journal Mover and Shaker.

Courtney Pentland

Courtney Pentland, MEd, is the school librarian for North Star High School in Lincoln, NE, adjunct faculty for the University of Nebraska-Omaha Library Sciences program, and a past-president for the Nebraska School Librarians Association. She is the current president-elect for the American Association of School Librarians. She earned her master's in secondary education and master's endorsement in K-12 library science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. You can follow her library adventures on Twitter @livluvlibrary.

Amanda Jones

Amanda Jones is the 2021 School Library Journal Co-Librarian of the Year, a 2021 Library Journal Mover and Shaker, and is the 2020 Louisiana School Librarian of the Year. She is President of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians, a 2019 AASL Social Media Superstar, the 2022-2023 AASL Chapter Assembly Secretary, and the 2023 AASL National Conference Committee Co-Chair. She earned her master's in education administration, along with her reading specialist endorsement from Southeastern Louisiana University. Find out more about her at librarianjones.com.

MLA Citation

Jones, Amanda, Courtney Pentland, and Melissa Thom. "Sustaining Joyful Reading in a Time of Book Challenges." School Library Connection, October 2022, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Webinar/?learningModuleId=2294020&topicCenterId=2247903.

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https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Webinar/?learningModuleId=2294020&topicCenterId=2247903

Entry ID: 2294020