Illustration and SLJ March Cover by James Steinberg

Librarians met the herculean challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic with compassion and innovation. They were particularly suited to respond to the unprecedented event of the global pandemic. With their communities in crisis, school and public librarians joined the network of first responders and essential workers, providing needed information and services.

When the pandemic closed schools, librarians tapped a range of applicable skills to meet the moment. With a focus on serving their students, colleagues, and community members, librarians created a lifeline using technology to stay connected with students and parents, found ways to get books in kids’ hands, and developed innovative programs, many of which continue today.

The pandemic also accelerated censorship attempts that brought book removals and restrictions to school and public libraries across the country. Communities became polarized and divided, and librarians, libraries, books, and authors became—and remain—targets of harassment. From that time, a group of fierce advocates has emerged in response—forming a growing coalition of librarians, students, creators, nonprofit organizations, and other supporters.

The pandemic sent families into chaos and uncertainty and underscored inequity and systemic issues such as poorly-resourced schools, healthcare access, and more. We dedicated much of our March print issue to marking the anniversary—looking back, assessing where we are, and highlighting what still needs to be done.

Five years on, students and educators require ongoing support for mental health, academics, and social skills, and educator burnout must be addressed. In addition to reporting on those needs, we have stories on districts successfully combatting rising absenteeism and the pandemic's impact on comics, as well as a couple of pertinent booklists. We also spotlight the pandemic's personal impact on the library world and kid lit community. Librarians and children's literature creators offer personal reflections. And Kelly Yang writes about her unique experience of the time—and the middle grade book that it inspired. Sharing these stories is vital, SLJ's editor-in-chief Kathy Ishizuka reminds us.