Public Libraries

On Take Actions for Library Day, the American Library Association announced its "Reader. Voter. Ready." campaign to increase library advocacy and civic engagement in advance of the November 5 elections.

Defending the Canon, reviews of classic lit by SLJ and NCTE—and James Patterson—grabbed readers' attention this week.

Jessie Storrs and Pia Alliende, both School Librarian of the Year finalists; "Jewish joy"; and Caldecott winner Big inspired comments.  

The U.S. ranks second in the world for the most ­Spanish speakers, after Mexico. With shortages of bilingual teachers reported nationwide, librarians and publishers consider meeting an acute need.

Characters in these books, including a few classics, are comfortable being different from others and engage with their world in nontraditional ways.

From Brooklyn, NY to the West Coast, librarians are taking the lead on climate change education.

“Reasons to Love ­Libraries” is a yearlong editorial project and campaign to engage the public in reflecting on libraries to reveal their impact on people and communities.

Got a reason to love libraries? Download your choice of “Reasons to Love ­Libraries” social assets to tell your own library story. 

Leading our most viewed posts of the week, a deeply personal appreciation by SLJ’s Kimberly Fakih of the Sydney Taylor classic.  Meanwhile, our 2023 profile of Mychal Threets made the rounds, as the much-loved ambassador of libraries departed the Fairfield (CA) Civic Center Library March 1.