School Library Journal has introduced “Up for Debate,” a new online series featuring commentary by key contributors on a particular topic or item in the news. Among the hottest topics is diversity in kids’ books and the focus of our inaugural debate. In tandem with our May 2014 dedicated issue on diversity, we asked six people representing different perspectives on the issue to address a single question: “What Can Be Done to Increase Diversity in Literature for Children and Teens?” The essays are:

• Librarians Have Buying Power—Let's Use it for Change by Sandra Hughes-Hassell, a professor of library science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• We Need More Diverse Audio and Video Content by Andrew P. Jackson, Executive Director, Queens Library’s Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center
• How to Build a Bestseller with Non-White Characters by Cheryl Klein, the executive editor at Arthur A. Levine Books
• Write Outside Your Comfort Zone by Cynthia Leitich Smith, author
• Diverse Books: Don't Categorize as "Special Interest" by Ellen Oh, author and a founder of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign
• Parents: Empower Kids to Tell Their Stories Monica Olivera, blogger and co-founder of Latinas for Latino Lit (L4LL)

What’s next? In what may constitute a more traditional debate, we’ll tackle a topic that out of the gate is a contentious one. Relating to our July cover story, "Too Soon for Technology?," “Are ebooks better than print books?” is the question we've posed for consideration to not only our contributors, but to you, our readers. Our intention with “Up for Debate” is to facilitate conversation and provide an open forum for all to participate. The ebooks vs. print debate will post later this month. Stay tuned.