Public Libraries

From the pandemic and a presidential election, to school boards and systemic racism, SLJ's cover design and illustration helped tell the tale that was 2020.

It's been quite a year. And we have lists.

Amid the upheaval this year, there were bright spots: Audiobook sales surged, more kids tuned into podcasts, and children’s book sales continued to grow.

In an unprecedented year, managing the pandemic dominated attention. SLJ covered the gamut, from publisher policies adjusted to accommodate remote learning, to tips on running a virtual book club for middle schoolers. Despite all, fostering literacy and celebrating great books persisted as key topics of interest for our readers.

Micro mentoring connects people in order to focus short-term on specific areas of professional development. 

Innovative ways to use technology to keep students engaged and on track during the pandemic.

Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster have extended permissions for online story time and classroom read-aloud videos to March 31, 2021. Publishers can submit their policies to SLJ for inclusion in our COVID-19 Publisher Information Directory.

Serving on the front lines, engaging with the public, libraries can be a critical asset to mental health.   

Tackling a variety of topics important to school librarians and all educators, these presentations, discussions, and panels are available for viewing.