Kathy Ishizuka

While we're rethinking everything, how would you better serve youth in your community? SLJ is supporting a project to devise a new, crowdsourced vision for libraries. 

Here are the most popular blog posts of the week.

With schools shuttered due to the pandemic, are kids still reading? They are, according to data from Follett. Here are the top 25 lists for ebooks and audiobooks for grades K–3, 3–6, 5–8, and young adult titles.

For educators, a lot has changed amid a global pandemic—and at the same time, much hasn’t. 
 

An upside of sheltering in place? More time for reading. Library patronage has seen a boost, with OverDrive reporting a spike of 30 percent in digital checkouts since March 13, when the coronavirus epidemic was declared a national emergency.

Launching today: A wizarding respite for the coronavirus-weary. Through Harry Potter at Home, readers can access HP-related activities and downloads, including free audiobook and ebook versions of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, available through April.

Temporary permission allowing educators to record themselves reading Harry Potter aloud extends to school librarians, confirms a representative of author J.K. Rowling. As for public libraries, stay tuned for a coming announcement. 

Schools and libraries closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak may open Wi-Fi networks for use by the general public without jeopardizing E-rate funding.

What are the books that call to readers homebound by coronavirus? See the results of our poll. And let us know what you're reading in the comments.