Kim Reichenbach Krutka is Assistant Professor of Library and Information Studies at Old Dominion University. Previously, she was a high school social studies teacher for 7 years and an elementary and high school librarian for 10 years. Research interests include critical examination of libraries, exploration of STEAM experiences for students, consideration of technology’s role in librarian practices, and understanding of the significance of libraries within communities. 

Presentation Title: Looking into Mirrors and Windows: School Librarians’ Perspectives on Diverse Representation in Book Collections 

Librarian professional standards include the development of book collections with diverse representation, and the study of multicultural literature is often part of library science programs and professional development. However, there is a lack of academic scholarship examining what multicultural literature signifies for librarians and its role in libraries. In addition, the current landscape surrounding books, libraries, and librarians jeopardizes students’ access to literature. This context includes district and state book bans, legislation aimed at prosecuting librarians, and restrictive content guidelines for collection development. This has created a narrative that attempts to exclude specific identities and experiences from libraries and portrays librarians as irresponsible and harmful. This study aimed to build a foundation of understanding and critical insights into this problem through a survey distributed to a sample of Texas school librarians. Survey data was analyzed through descriptive statistics and content analysis to understand school librarian perspectives, assess school librarian practices, and gain insight to support the presence of multicultural literature. Rudine Sims Bishop’s metaphor of books as “mirrors and windows” was a foundation for this study. A theoretical lens informed by Critical Race Theory and Critical Information Literacy and an interpretivist approach were used to guide the methods and analysis.  Findings, conclusions, and recommendations will be shared at the table talk. 

Connie Williams, MLS, NBCT, is the Petaluma History Room Librarian with the Sonoma Co. Library. She was a Teacher Librarian with Petaluma City Schools for 28 years and Adjunct Librarian at Santa Rosa Junior College. She presents and writes on the topics of using government information and primary sources, inquiry, library advocacy, literacy, and question-building. She is the current Chair of the Government Information for Children Committee (GODORT/ALA) and is the Chair of the California State Library Services Board. 

She is the author of the book: Understanding Government Information: a Teaching Strategies Toolkit for Grades 7-12;  and is co-author with Blanche Woolls of Teaching Life Skills in the Library: Career, Finance and Civic Engagement in a Changing World . She most recently authored a chapter on the National Park Service in the book: What Can U.S. Government Information Do for Me?    She hosts the Primary Source Starter Kit for Teachers (because every subject has a history) at chwms.libguides.com. 

Presentation Title: Let’s Talk Gov Info 

Let’s talk government information. What is it, why is is useful, and what the heck are these changes being made? What’s a teacher librarian to do and how do we keep track of it all?  This will be a discussion-rich conversation with everyone pitching in to talk about the government websites that have been useful to them, what changes (if any) they may have noticed, some sites one can go to for archived gov info, and I will bring the most up-to-date information I have from government docs librarians. Things are changing daily and by October… will have changed even more no doubt from today. I am not an expert, but have been working to figure stuff out… let’s pool our collective resources and see what’s out there and how we can help our classroom colleagues and students. 

Keith Curry Lance is a Ph.D. sociologist who has spent much of his career studying school libraries and how they benefit students. His most recent affiliations were being a research consultant to the SJSU iSchool during the 2024-25 academic year and the principal investigator of SLIDE: The School Librarian Investigation—Decline or Evolution?, a 2020-23 IMLS-funded project of Antioch University Seattle. He is best known in the school library community as the lead researcher for 18 studies of the impact of school libraries on students’ test scores, 17 conducted since 2000. The founding director of the Library Research Service of the Colorado State Library from 1997-2007, the highlight of his career was being a featured speaker at the 2002 White House Conference on School Libraries hosted in the East Room by then-First Lady Laura Bush.  

Dr. Lance will be co-presenting The Status of School Librarian Employment and Recent Restoration Efforts in Urban School Districts.