Opinion

“Reasons to Love ­Libraries” is a yearlong editorial project and campaign to engage the public in reflecting on libraries to ­reveal their impact on people and communities.

They care deeply and can't be fired. Retired librarians are bringing experience and passion to the cause of intellectual freedom. With advocacy skills training and opportunities to mentor, retirees could become even more powerful assets.

Censorship is delaying the delivery of books to school library shelves. Cue the civics lesson.

If there’s one thing librarians can agree on it’s that library education could use some shaking up. Enter the Radical Librarianship Institute, which strives to “redefine the role of librarians, centering principles of inclusion and social justice.”

Whether educators broach controversial topics in a learning context or not, young people will encounter plenty of related content. Social media all too easily fills the void, fueling misinformation while suppressing critical reflection. NCSS, the National Council for the Social Studies, offers encouragement and materials to support important discussion.

School librarian Jean Darnell prompted ChatGPT to write a paper on Black history, and the result had glaring omissions. That's just one part of the problem, she says.

The editors are planning for 2024, SLJ's 70th anniversary year.

Librarians should be attuned to alternative reading options so that blind and low-vision students have the same access to books as their sighted peers.

EveryLibrary has joined the School Library Journal (SLJ) Blog Network. Covering legislation, censorship, funding, and advocacy, “Politics in Practice” will encompass the full beat of the nonprofit organization, which solicits support for libraries—K–12, public, and academic—nationwide.