K.C. Boyd is currently a library media specialist with the Washington D.C. Public School System. She has previously worked as the Lead Librarian for the East St. Louis School District #189 in East St. Louis, IL., a Area Library Coordinator for Chicago Public Schools and a District Coordinator for the Mayor Daley Book Club for Middle School Students. She is a second generation educator and holds Master’s degrees in Library Information Science, Media Communications, and Education Leadership. Her favorite quotes, “Reading is the gateway skill that makes all learning possible,” and “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth,” drives her commitment to serving marginalized African-American children, young adults, and school communities.

During the summer of 2015, Boyd began working for the East St. Louis School District #189 in downstate Illinois. Boyd led a team of librarians in re-starting a dormant district school library program for eight schools. This was a herculean project that included weeding books out of the dated library collections and organizing all collections by the Dewey Decimal System. In addition to this work, performing a ten month retrospective conversion project that included training new librarians on the subjects of cataloging, importing/exporting books and overall functions of the school library program. Boyd also led this team of librarians in the challenging tasks of developing a library culture, love of reading and respect for the library program at theirschools. During the 2016-2017 school year marked the first time East St. Louis School Libraries used a web based circulation system and checked out books for its K-12 grade students. Over 15,000 books were checked out in school libraries by students during that school year, a first for this school district.

In 2014, Boyd was inducted into the CPS ‘Librarian Hall of Fame,’ specifically for her work at Wendell Phillips Academy High School where she was the recipient of the Department of Libraries and Information Services 2012 and 2014 VITAL Technology Grants. Through these grants, Boyd helped successfully help transform the educational landscape for at that time, the Level 1 ranked Phillips high school through integrating technology into the curriculum. As the creator/producer of the award-winning ‘Behind the Paws’ students news YouTube program, she helped change and heighten the image of Phillips Academy within the city of Chicago. This work did not go unnoticed as CPS sought her advice and used her work promoting and ‘branding,’ Phillips Academy as a model for other schools within the school district to follow. In the spring of 2015, Boyd was featured on the CPS ‘Social Media Toolkit Page,’ named a CPS ‘Social Media Trailblazer,’ and was awarded the coveted CPS ‘Ones to Watch Award.’

A staunch advocate and activist for school libraries/librarians, she is widely known and respected for her work with educating parents, teachers, and district officials on promoting leisure reading for children and teens. Her blog, The Audacious Librarian documents her work with K-12 students, discusses the effective use of technology in k-12 education, and provides helpful book reviews. Additionally, she is a sought-after and popular keynote speaker and conference presenter at the local, state, and national levels. Boyd has also been featured in a number of national publications such as The Medium, Education Weekly, School Library Journal, PBS Newshour, Library Journal about her work with reluctant/struggling readers and digital literacy. In addition, she appeared on the October 2014 cover of School Library Journal in the article, “Chicago Hope: High School Librarian K.C. Boyd.” She has also been recognized by Scholastic Books as one of ‘15 Librarians to Follow on Instagram,’ Library Journal as a ‘2015 Mover and Shaker’ and was awarded the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s, ‘2015 Leadership Award.’

Boyd is currently serving the greater library community through her leadership in a number of organizations. She is a member of the District of Columbia Public Schools Library Corps Leadership Team, an Executive Board member for the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Advocacy Director for the Washington D.C. Library Association and serves on the Board of Directors for the EveryLibrary Institute. She has reviewed books for Booklist Magazine, School Library Journal, and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.  A popular guest lecturer for library science and reading university programs, she has delivered informative, and inspirational messages to graduate students at Rutgers University, University of Illinois - Champaign, University of Maryland and University of South Alabama. She is currentlyserving on the The Center for the Future of Libraries Advisory Group and served on the American Library Association's 2020 Newbery Selection Committee.

It is Boyd’s belief that all children, despite economic circumstance, have the right to read and should have access to books that reflect themselves and encourage inquiry. Boyd can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube at: @Boss_Librarian.

Led by AISLE President-Elect Monica Caldicott, the Vernon Hills High School Library was named the 2026 National School Library of the Year by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). Established in 1963, the award recognizes school libraries as a unique and essential part of their learning community. NSLY honors school libraries exemplifying implementation of AASL's National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries.

Students, staff and administrators joined VHHS Librarian Monica Caldicott to celebrate the announcement. VHHS received a crystal obelisk and $10,000 from Follett School Solutions toward its school library. They will also be recognized at the 2027 AASL conference. 

“I am beyond proud of how our Library Media Center supports students, classes, and our whole school community,” said Monica Caldicott, who was recently elected AISLE president-elect for the 2026-2027 school year. “That Vernon Hills High School students read is shown in our high book circulation, vibrant shelves and displays, biannual author visits, and a culture of reading that is seen in most classrooms. Our students also demonstrate high competence in research and choosing reliable sources of information.”

In regards to the award application process, she noted, “We are so grateful to the National School Library of the Year award committee of school librarians, especially co-chairs Cherity Pennington and Sam Northern, for visiting our school library, for listening to our students, and for recognizing how we fulfill national school library standards.”

Advocate for libraries, librarians, students, and all humans.

Candace Fleming is the author of Giant Squid, an ALA Notable Book and Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book, and numerous other books for children. She lives in Oak Park, Illinois.

From the Author:

I have always been a storyteller. Even before I could write my name, I could tell a good tale. And I told them all the time. As a preschooler, I told my neighbors all about my three-legged cat named Spot. In kindergarten, I told my classmates about the ghost that lived in my attic. And in first grade, I told my teacher, Miss Harbart, all about my family’s trip to Paris, France.

I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn’t. I didn’t have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I’d certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story . . . and seeing my listener’s reaction.

Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year-old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn’t stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They’re precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.

In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Ms. Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mâché pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again. I tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words -- to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful and yet told a story.

As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college, where I discovered yet another passion -- history. I didn’t realize it then, but studying history was really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones -- tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.

After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that’s when I discovered the joy and music of children’s books. I simply couldn’t get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children’s books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved -- stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn’t wait to get started.

But writing children’s books is harder than it sounds. For three years, I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn’t give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children’s author had begun.

Jonathan Hunt is the Coordinator of Library Media Services at the San Diego County Office of Education. He also serves as the Teacher Librarian Program Coordinator at San Jose State University. In his spare time, he enjoys reading young adult literature.

Jonathan will present two pre-conference sessions on Thursday, November 12

"Best 2026 Books for High School": This workshop will cover about 120 of the best books for high school students published in the past year. We'll cover a variety of genres and discuss ways to connect these books to young readers and the school curriculum.

"Best 2026 Books for Middle School": This workshop will cover about 120 of the best books for middle school students published in the past year. We'll cover a variety of genres and discuss ways to connect these books to young readers and the school curriculum.

Shannon McClintock Miller is an international speaker, consultant, and author who has a passion for education, librarianship, advocacy, technology, social media, and making a difference in the world and lives of others, especially children. 

Shannon serves as the preschool to 12th grade district teacher librarian and innovation director at Van Meter Community School District in Iowa. She is also the Future Ready Librarians Leader. Shannon is an avid blogger at, The Library Voice, writing, speaking, and consulting on librarianship, education and students around the world. She has written 13 books, including Leading from the Library with Bill Bass and ISTE. Her newest children’s series, ISTE Digital Explorers, made its debut in 2025, joining Sonia’s Digital World, her first picture book. 

In 2014, Shannon was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker. In 2016, she was awarded the Making It Happen Award by ISTE.  In 2018, she was awarded the AASL Leadership Luminary Social Media Superstar.   In 2024, Shannon was honored as one of District Administration's Top 100 Influencers.

The News Literacy Project is a nonpartisan education nonprofit that works with teachers, school districts, states and community partners like libraries and after-school clubs to ensure students in all 50 states receive news literacy instruction before they graduate from high school. We believe every K-12 student should learn news literacy just as they do math or English. That is why our goal is bold and ambitious: Make news literacy part of required learning nationwide. As the leader in this work, NLP has the experience and reach to help make this a reality. Students who learn news literacy in middle and high school are better able to spot false or misleading content, identify credible sources and think carefully about the information they use. These skills help them push back against misinformation and make informed choices that shape their futures — and our society.

What we believe:

• News literacy, an essential life skill, is fundamentally nonpartisan.

• Facts matter.

• A free press is a cornerstone of democracy.

How we achieve what we believe:

• Independence and nonpartisanship.

• Innovation.

• Inclusion and diversity.

• Collaboration.

I spent my childhood nights secretly reading mangas under the covers with a flashlight, much to my mother's dismay. It did no favor to my eyes, but my love for drawing ignited.

After graduating from CalArts with a BFA, I worked for various Hollywood animation studios including Disney TV and Dreamworks Animation. Then adventurously, I moved to Beijing, China for a couple of years, and co-directed Where’s the Dragon?, an animated feature.

Now I am fully devoted to creating meaningful books for children. My debut graphic novel PARACHUTE KIDS has earned four starred reviews, including the coveted Kirkus Star, a National Book Award Longlist, and an Asian/Pacific Librarians Association (APALA) Honor Book. Its highly praised bestselling sequel, OUTSIDER KIDS, is a Kirkus Reviews 2025 Best Book. Together, the series has sold more than 250,000 copies. I am also a New York Times Bestselling Illustrator of the graphic novel  JACKY HA-HA series, written by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein and adapted by Adam Rau.

I love squirrels and hate roaches. I am also a 4th degree black belt in Aikido–a Japanese martial art–but the roaches aren't impressed.

Born in Taiwan, I arrived in America as a parachute kid.

Currenly, I live in Los Angeles, California.