SLRI Update
February 2024
President's Message
Dear Members,
I hope everyone took some time to rest and rejuvenate over the February break. Spring is around the corner and as a reminder, April is School Library Month. Please think about ways you can highlight what you do and how students benefit from your library program to members of your community. April 7-13 is also National Library week, with Thursday, April 11 being Rhode Island Library Legislative Day at the State Souse. SLRI is looking for a few volunteers to staff a table from 2:30-4:30 and talk with legislators about how we impact student learning. It is a rewarding experience to be in such an historic building and raising the awareness of elected officials on what we do and how they can support us. If interested, please contact me at slri@rilibraries.org.
Thanks to Esther Wolk, SLRI Vice President, for curating a list of school library selection policies by district. They are now available on the Projects page of our website. Feel free to use these as models if you are in the process of revising or creating a policy. If your district has a policy we should include here, please email me so we can update it.
We have welcomed nine new and 15 renewed members since our membership drive in November. Thank you for your membership and please contact me if you’d like to be more involved. We are your professional library association and want to support our membership. We welcome your help in any capacity you’d like. Thank you.
Best,
SLRI President
Our Conversation with Ted Nesi Has a New Date
Register here for our next Conversation Series meeting on March 19, when Ted Nesi will be facilitating our discussion on book challenges.
ALA Advocacy Academy: Continuing Education to Strengthen Libraries
In December, the ALA Advocacy Academy provided the opportunity for chapter leaders from across the country to participate in a weekend Chapter Advocacy Workshop in Chicago. RILA President Beatrice Pulliam, representing our state library organization and SLRI Vice President Esther Wolk, representing our state school library organization, attended, along with both ALA and AASL leadership and staff.
ALA describes the academy as "foundation advocacy training" designed for advocates of all types of libraries. According to Wolk, this was the first time the academy included a Chapter Advocacy Workshop. Participants spent a weekend together in person and continue to meet virtually about every other month to follow up.
"I was excited to attend, because I have always thought that advocacy is a very important part of our job," said Wolk. "It is unfortunate that it is necessary, but we need to advocate for the importance of libraries and librarians."
Workshop sessions covered topics including how to communicate with government leaders and how to talk to the press. ALA/AASL staff members and members led the sessions and discussed their personal experiences, both struggles and successes. Attendees also had the opportunity to pair up with other participants and practice mock interviews.
"My favorite part of the trip was listening to other people's stories and realizing that I am not alone. Being the only librarian in a school or more than one school is isolating," said Wolk. "It is great to know that there are others out there facing the same struggles and willing to share their great ideas. Book challenges were the biggest topic of conversation. After listening to librarians from Texas and Florida talk about their experiences, I am happy to live and work in Rhode Island," she said.
We Are ALL Readers Book Festival Connects Authors with Librarians, Students
The We Are ALL Readers festival, slated for April 6 at North Kingstown High School, enters its third year with renewed efforts to connect students with books and authors.
Wendy Gustavel, Librarian and Instructional Facilitator at Rocky Hill Country Day School, is a co-founder of the festival. Three years ago, local children's book author and illustrator Jeanette Bradley reached out to Gustavel and other local librarians, book creators and community organizers. "She was concerned about the increase in book challenges and book bannings in Rhode Island and wanted to find a positive way to respond that would elevate and celebrate the creators whose work was being banned," Gustavel said. "I chose to get involved because I am passionate about connecting kids with books that reflect their lived experiences and books that open their eyes and hearts to experiences outside of their own. I think our world desperately needs empathetic people and I believe that books are a vital tool for developing empathy," she said.
Since its inception, the festival has grown, doubling its attendance in its second year, and organizers expect an even larger turnout this year. In addition to picture book authors and readers, this year's event will introduce a session focused on graphic novel creators, which organizers anticipate will be a hit. The festival would like to eventually reach more teen readers. "To begin to grow our YA audience, we have partnered with Write Rhode Island this year to co-sponsor the We Belong on the Page art exhibit," said Gustavel. The exhibit, which will debut at the festival, will showcase redesigned covers of banned or challenged books created by Rhode Island teens. "Write Rhode Island and We Are ALL Readers are hoping that teens will come to see their work displayed and will spread the word that our festival is something for readers of all ages," she said. "We know that art teachers and school librarians across Rhode Island are using We Belong on the Page as a class project and are excited to see what they create."
Gustavel shared the impact of her experience with the festival. "I have learned that books really can bring people together, that many more people want to celebrate books and authors than ban them, and that the authors and illustrators who we've featured at our festivals are superheroes to their readers."
In addition to the festival, We Are ALL Readers invites all Rhode Island middle and high school teachers to a virtual author talk on March 7. Authors Alison Green Myers and Alexandra Villasante will be featured at this event hosted by the Warwick Public Library. Registration information can be found here.
Freedom to Read Act Introduced in Assembly
Ed Garcia, Chair of the RILA Legislative Action Committee, worked successfully to get the Freedom to Read Act introduced to the Rhode Island General Assembly on January 31, 2024. The bill declares that "it is the responsibility of government at all levels to protect the freedom to read and to support the right of free people to read freely." It also covers the acquisition and deselection of materials, and prohibits the "practice of banning, removing, censoring or otherwise restricting access to specific books or resources due to partisan or doctrinal disapproval." The full text of the bill can be found here.
RILA Conference Celebrates Building Communities
"Connecting Communities" is the theme of this year's RILA Conference, to be held May 22-23 at the Providence Public Library. Among other topics, many sessions will explore how all libraries build communities. Registration information will be available in the weeks to come.
RICBA, RIMSBA, RITBA Voting Windows are Open
Annual voting for the Rhode Island Children's Book Award, the Rhode Island Middle School Book Award and the Rhode Island Teen Book Award is underway. Please see the calendar below for specific voting windows.
Do You Like to Shop?
Check out our new SLRI merchandise, including clothing, stationery and accessories here. SLRI benefits financially from every sale.
On the Calendar
SLRI Conversation Series, March 19, 2024, via Zoom, 4:00 PM.
RITBA Voting Window, January 25-February 29, 2024.
RIMSBA Voting Window, March 1-March 31, 2024.
RICBA Voting Window, March 1-April 30, 2024.
We Are ALL Readers Book Festival, April 6, 2024, North Kingstown High School.
RILA Annual Conference, May 22-23, 2024, Providence Public Library.
Keep Us in the Loop
Where Are You?
Got Questions? We've Got Answers!
About Us
Email: slri@rilibraries.org
Website: rilibraries.org/slri
Location: Rhode Island
Twitter: @SchLibRI