The SLJ Summit was filled with important conversations, practical ideas, and moments of inspiration as experts tackled topics from trauma-informed teaching and COVID to coming-of-age graphic novels to solutions for remote and hybrid learning.  The keynote speakers, authors Tommy Orange and James McBride and cofounder of Black Lives Matter Patrisse Cullors, had a lot to say about the role of books at this time in our country.

The good news for those who missed part or all of Saturday's free event is that the sessions are available on-demand through January 24. Anyone who registered before the event can just login for access. Those who didn't can still register and access any or all of the recorded content.

The following sessions are available to view on-demand:

Reimagining School. Administrators and educators discuss the lessons of remote learning and solutions that can be taken into the future to make school more equitable. Panelists: Susan Gauthier, director, library services, East Baton Rouge Parish School District; Dr. Jacqueline Perez, assistant superintendent, equity, access & community engagement, Riverside (CA) Unified School District; Brian Schilpp, STEM supervisor, Garrett County (MD) Schools; and Marlon Styles, superintendent, Middletown City (OH) Schools.

Beyond Book Clubs: Next Steps in the Work of Antiracism with Children. The killing of George Floyd sparked an unprecedented response nationwide, with a call to address systemic racism. What does this work look like in schools and libraries? Panelists: Colleen Cruz, director of innovation, Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP); Tiana Silvas, public school teacher, New York City; Akemi Kochiyama, director of advancement, Manhattan Country School. Moderated by Sonja Cherry-Paul, director of diversity and equity at the TCRWP.

Tommy Orange. The author of There There, a 2019 Pulitzer Prize Finalist, delivers a keynote address.

School Library Leadership 2020. A look at what districts and school librarians have done to help lead the way during this difficult time. Panelists: Elizabeth Davis, president, Washington Teachers' Union; Kenneth Hamilton, superintendent, Mount Vernon (NY) City School District. Moderated by K.C. Boyd, library media specialist, Washington DC Public Schools.

Challenging the Classics. Titles such as To Kill a Mockingbird and the “Little House” books face scrutiny for their racism, bias, and depiction of BIPOC by white authors. Three DisruptTexts cofounders—Julia E Torres, Kim Parker, and Lorena Germán—discuss unpacking bias, decolonizing the canon, and developing critical consciousness while teaching classics and material by BIPOC authors.

Trauma-Informed Teaching and COVID. Based on public health research and the ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) quiz, trauma-informed teaching takes into account how factors such as poverty, neglect, and racism impact children’s health and ability to learn. Educators discuss COVID’s impact and effective teaching strategies. Panelists: Mathew Portell, principal, Fall Hamilton Elementary School, Nashville; Shawn Nealy-Oparah, trauma-informed education trainer, adjunct professor, Mills College; Lauren Davis, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, Montana State University. Moderated by Celeste Malone, associate professor and coordinator of school psychology program, Howard University.

James McBride.  A keynote from the award-winning author, musician, and screenwriter. McBride's 2013 novel, The Good Lord Bird, about American abolitionist John Brown, won the National Book Award for Fiction and is now a Showtime limited series starring Ethan Hawke.

I Guess This is Growing Up: Coming of Age Stories in Graphic Novel Format. Adolescence is a rocky time, but literature can make it easier. These graphic novel creators will discuss how they crafted stories about growing up, dealing with identity, and learning to carve out a sense of self. Panelists: Tyler Feder, Dancing at the Pity Party (Dial); Robin Ha, Almost American Girl (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray); Matt Lubchansky, Be Gay, Do Comics (IDW); and Ngozi Ukazu, Check, Please and Sticks and Scones (First Second).

Latinx Magic: Latinx Authors on Speculative Fiction. Hear from the up-and-coming authors as they chat about the marvels of genre-fiction writing, building intricate worlds, and how their Latinx identities and culture shaped and influenced their work. Panelists: Aiden Thomas, Cemetery Boys (Macmillan); Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything (S&S); Maya Motayne, Nocturna (Harper); Isabel Ibanez, Woven in Moonlight (Page Street); Claribel Ortega, Ghost Squad (Scholastic).

[Read: SLJ Summit: Black Lives Matter Cofounder Patrisse Cullors Calls Upon Educators To Lead Courageous Conversations]

Best Books 2020. Three SLJ reviews editors offer an exclusive first peek at this year’s Best Books.  Among the titles the made the list include All Because You Matter by Tami Charles, illustrated by Bryan Collier; I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illus. by Gordon C. James, Chirp by Kate Messner, King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callendar, Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo, and Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam. The full list will be revealed on November 23. 

In Conversation with Patrisse Cullors. The artist, activist, and educator co-founded Black Lives Matter in 2013. Her memoir, When They Call You a Terrorist, was a New York Times bestseller and was recently adapted for middle grade and YA readers.

Fast Learning: How to Launch an Online Book Club with Laura Gardner, teacher librarian, Dartmouth (MA) Middle School.

Empowering Educators: Having Courageous Conversations with Students About Race and Racism. First Book and Pizza Hut have introduced a series of free resources designed to support educators in helping their students engage in effective, courageous conversations about race and social justice. Created in response to research uncovering educator needs, the Empowering Educators series of resources includes a guidebook, instructional videos, and other pedagogic resources informed by leading anti-bias and antiracism experts. Presented by Julye Williams, senior advisor, First Book, and Christine Platt, interim managing director, Antiracist Research & Policy Center.

Speaking the Language of Power. Sometimes, we get frustrated when we build a case for our stakeholders, and they don't bite. Why is that? It can be a matter of framing: Our library talk doesn't appeal to what stakeholders value and care about. We'll explore ways in which we can rethink our ask so that the answer is more likely to be yes. Presented by Kristin Fontichiaro, clinical associate professor, University of Michigan School of Information.

Building Community for Connection and Learning with Facing History and Ourselves. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended schooling and sparked a massive, ongoing experiment in remote and hybrid learning. Join Facing History and Ourselves to explore how teachers and librarians can create community, sustain student-centered learning, and support students' social-emotional needs in this new normal. We'll share promising practices to engage students in inquiry, reflection, and discussion both online and off-screen, including Facing History's Guide to Remote Book Clubs and Back to School resource collection. Presented by Laura Tavares, program director for organizational learning and thought leadership, Facing History and Ourselves.

Innovating Solutions Together with and for Youth and Families. In this session, focused on insights from design sessions and interviews during summer 2020 with 139 library staff nationwide, learn about the challenges that non-dominant youth and their families face during current crises and how library staff co-created solutions to connect, learn, and innovate with their community to mitigate those challenge. Speakers highlight examples of leveraging community assets to meet critical needs of youth and families during crises. Presented by Linda W. Braun, learning consultant, LEO, and Mega Subramaniam, associate professor & co-director of the Youth Experience Lab, College of Information Studies, University of Maryland.

Video Production Tips with Buttons & Figs. Kidcasting librarian & SLJ columnist Pamela Rogers, founder of Buttons & Figs, and kid podcaster Chloe Anderson show how they pivoted from podcasting to whimsical, wordplay-filled, short educational videos for their county's 2020 Summer Reading Program. They guide you through the steps they took to quickly, easily, inexpensively, alliteratively think about the visual, verbal, and vocal ways videos work.

What If It’s Not “Reluctant Reading”? A Discussion of Dyslexia for Librarians. An overview of dyslexia for librarians and teachers working with youth. Learn how to curate and champion multiple formats for accessibility. Panelists: Karen Jensen, youth services librarian, Fort Worth (TX) Library, founder, “Teen Librarian Toolbox,” and parent of a pre-teen with dyslexia; Stacy Wells, youth services librarian, advocate, and parent of two children with dyslexia; and Nancy Disterlic, dyslexia consultant, Texas.

Vote Woke: Empower Students to Vote with Books and Community Support. Cicely Lewis, 2020 School Librarian of the Year and founder of Read Woke, describes how she used Woke Wednesdays to educate her students about voting. And learn how educators can win $150 for their classroom and start a student-led voter registration team with support from When We All Vote.