News & Features

School librarian leaders from across the country made their way to the Austin, TX, aka the “Live Music Capital of the World,” on September 28–29 to attend SLJ’s annual Leadership Summit, where they discussed the future of libraries and how partnership is a necessary ingredient for stakeholder success. Throughout the weekend, participants—speakers, sponsors, panelists, and attendees—honed their conversations around the transformative power of collaboration.

While Gary Soto seems a bit of a fragile flower in this essay about why he’s been scared off writing for children, I have sympathy for him. If your book is sexy or foul-mouthed or anti-authority, you have no better friends than the American Library Association and its adjacent professions. They will–and they should–stick up [...]

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Impassioned, creative, dynamic, evolving and cool—these are just some of the words that the sponsors of SLJ’s annual Leadership Summit used to describe their companies’ latest developments. Joyce Valenza, SLJ blogger and teacher librarian, lead a panel discussion with the companies to examine the relationships between vendors and schools, the importance of strong content, and the ways that vendors can help educators in support of the Common Core.

Ancient civilizations are topics where school studies and kids' interests meet. Two new apps by Kids Discover explore the worlds of Egypt and Greece highlighting stories of mummies and pharaohs, gods and goddesses, and a legendary horse hiding warriors at the gates of Troy.

My students are always excited when a new Pete the Cat book comes out. I think we can all agree that the blue cat is a phenomenon. I too am full of excitement when a new Pete hits shelves – for my students, of course, but for another reason as well. I look forward to [...]

Political writer Ben Joravsky editorializes in a recent Chicago Reader column on Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plans for schools in the face of budget cuts that have gutted school libraries. “It’s not quite clear what Mayor Emanuel has against libraries,” Joravsky says, advising the mayor to “stop holding press conferences in school libraries that have no librarians because of your massive budget cuts.”

The annual Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is accepting original works in 28 categories. Terri Soutor, former vice president at Lerner Publishing Group, a sister company to Brain Hive and a key player in the formation of the company, has been named Brain Hive’s president. Storybots founders Gregg and Evan Spiridellis launch Educade, a portal of free, ready to use lesson plans paired with learning tools. The International Reading Association has announced some of the renowned authors speaking at its 59th Annual Conference in May. Krup has announced a teacher's lounge makeover contest.

Web excerpt On Randolph Caldecott, the Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Program, and the work of paleoartists

New York City’s local teachers’ union, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), is urging NY State Commissioner of Education Dr. John King to deny a recent request by the city’s Department of Education that the city’s public schools be exempted from state minimum staffing requirements for certified school library media specialists, the UFT tells School Library Journal. King has not yet issued a ruling on the matter.