Marva Hinton

Battling threats to library funding and positions and educating the community on the value of librarians often becomes like a second job, taking up nights and weekends with conversations, events, and social media posts. 

These librarians provide books and a sense of belonging to marginalized students and those academically behind, living in poverty, or facing other difficulties.

Book clubs focused on Black authors and characters have helped readers find community during the pandemic and given writers and their work some extra attention.

More time, less social pressure, and more flexible scheduling has helped some kids flourish.

Libraries' initiatives range from loosely structured book clubs and virtual places to talk to meeting children’s fundamental needs: providing Wi-Fi and reading material.

Students have been reading To Kill a Mockingbird, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and the “Little House” series for generations, and having these “classics” available in school libraries is a given. Should that change?

Hi-lo books, graphic novels, and relevant narratives connect striving readers with books that engage them and boost literacy. 

Librarians who add a little hip-hop, spoken word, and rap to their repertoire get students reading and writing. 

While decorative banned books displays draw attention to censorship, there's a deeper opportunity for meaningful conversation about the issues.