Kendi opened his speech by recalling the African American tradition of freedom fighters. He uplifted the room, applauding library professionals, library workers, and advocates. “There can be no greater compliment than to call a human being a freedom fighter,” he said, “and if you’re fighting book bans, if you’re fighting against censorship, then you are a freedom fighter.”

Furthermore, Kendi reminded us that “history is here in our freedom fight.” The Alabama Slave Code of 1833 stated that any person who attempted to teach enslaved people to read would be fined $250, which is equivalent to about $7,600 today. Jim Crow-era segregationists separated out Black people and Black stories, banning anti-racist books from their libraries and schools. Kendi emphasized that the ideological descendants of enslavers and segregationists are today still legislating for ignorance, via book bans.

A panel of freedom fighters from across the country shared their personal experiences from recent years. Leila Green Little, a rural mom, MLIS student, and lead plaintiff of Little vs. Llano County (Tex.), recounted the moment when her children’s favorite book, In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak was banned at her local library. “Politics is personal,” she said, “and it doesn’t get more personal than a family favorite library book.”

Throughout the rally, speakers pointed to history to inform today’s struggle for intellectual freedom. Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, who was recognized at the event for her leadership and decades of work on these issues , drew attention to ALA’s Freedom to Read Statement, which was originally signed on June 25 1953. On this 70^th anniversary of the statement, she called attendees to action to reaffirm their values by signing and amplifying the statement.

The evening’s rally concluded on an energizing note. ALA President Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada introduced three recent graduates of Beaufort County (S.C.) high schools who are leading the fight to reinstate 97 books that were banned from their school libraries. The three students invigorated and inspired the crowd, stating that they have raised their voices at every school board meeting since the 97 books were first banned in November 2022. They will also star in a forthcoming feature documentary film, “97”, chronicling their fight against book bans.

Join and encourage others to join the fight against book bans at uniteagainstbookbans.org and follow updates @UABookBans.

The post Ibram X. Kendi headlines Rally for the Right to Read before 2023 ALA Annual Conference first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Cathy Crosthwaite, Deputy Director, Sacramento Public Library

Cathy Crosthwaite is the Deputy Director for the Sacramento Public Library, a 28-Branch system. During her ten years in public libraries, she has focused on volunteer coordination, partnership building, project planning, and the expansion and training of outreach efforts for all public service staff. She initiated the effort to bring all-electric vehicles to Sacramento’s Mobile Services team and is always looking for more ways to bring library services to more Sacramento area communities.

“In our program, ‘Understanding Community by the Numbers,’ my colleague Kelly Clark and I will share our methods of using GIS mapping and demographic data to plan targeted outreach efforts. The program will start with SPL’s outreach evolution and then show how we utilize community statistics to help each branch best reach and serve its past, current, and future patrons. I came to libraries after years of working in the private industry and like many of our patrons, rediscovered the public library. I am passionate about helping people better understand the value of this incredible community asset that so many of us take for granted.”

Melody Dworak, Librarian, Iowa City Public Library

Melody Dworak is a librarian at the Iowa City Public Library. In her role as digital selector, Melody is eager to chat with other Annual attendees about e-book and audiobook licensing, as well as maximizing return on investment for these expensive collections. She’s also interested in talking to librarians about using data analysis for collection management.

Melody’s “Accessible Digital Libraries: Navigating Audiobook Apps with Low-Vision Patrons” talk, co-presented with web developer Alyssa Hanson, asks who libraries will leave behind if they sunset compact disc collections. They argue that librarians need to look for assistive technology solutions in their back pocket, providing for a more equitable audiobook experience for low-vision patrons.

Laci Sheldon, Youth Services Director, McIntosh Memorial Library, Wisconsin

Laci Sheldon is the Youth Services Director at McIntosh Memorial Library in Viroqua, Wisconsin. McIntosh has been named “Library of the Year 2022” by the Wisconsin Library Association.

The post PLA Member Spotlights: ALA Annual Conference 2023 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.