Opinion

On August 21, 1939, five Black men quietly sat down to read in the Alexandria (VA) Public Library after being refused a library card. Occurring years before more widely known efforts to desegregate lunch counters beginning in the 1950s, the Alexandria Library sit-in is the focus of a project to digitize and distribute related materials and teaching resources.

Here we go! Readers let loose on the selection available in middle grade titles as well as disinvited authors.

A college student finds connection through a love of reading while mentoring a New York City elementary school student with the Read Ahead literacy program.

A reader tries to make sense of book banning legislation and more.

When Coach Feiler signed on to work as our high school library teaching assistant, he transformed the programming and the vibe.

What would Crockett Johnson think of the new movie adaptation of Harold and the Purple Crayon? His biographer weighs in.

Can exposure in popular media make a difference? Given the sheer reach of these shows, it’s hard to imagine they haven’t raised awareness of libraries and the larger stakes currently at play. 

 On “The Cover-Up: Under Pressure, Some School Librarians Alter Illustrations to Avoid Book Challenges,” readers had a lot to say.

Communities around the country are feeling the love. Here’s a sampling of contributions to the “Reasons To Love Libraries” campaign, presented by SLJ and Library Journal and sponsored by OverDrive.