Professional Development

Forthcoming Events

Library Journal/School Library Journal

($) September 27, 2023, 2:00-4:30 pm ET

Censorship and Banned Books: A Crash Course to Defend Intellectual FreedomLearn tangible ways to handle censorship, find allies, and ensure your library policies are up to date.

Get Ready Stay Ready

A Community Action Toolkit for Parents and Caregivers

Crisis Communications

Mondays in May 2023; free but registration is necessary

Archived Events

ABC-CLIO

Avoiding Self-Censorship: How to Be a Brave LibrarianMona Kerby, PhD, is a professor at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD, where she coordinates the School Librarianship program. She earned her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and Spanish at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, two masters' degrees, and her PhD in Library Science from Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas. She served as the librarian at Little Elementary School in Arlington, Texas. Her most recently published book, An Introduction to Collection Development for School Librarians, 2nd ed., is published by ALA/AASL. She holds McDaniel's Bowlsbey Endowed Chair and has received awards such as the Texas Library Association's Siddie Joe Johnson Award for Outstanding Library Service to Children in the State of Texas, McDaniel's Outstanding Teacher Award, and AASL's Distinguished Service Award. In addition to writing for school librarians, she also writes for children. See monakerby.com.

ALA eLearning

Facing the Challenge: Intellectual Freedom in LibrariesAs libraries continue confronting unprecedented attacks on the freedom to read, the Public Library Association (PLA) invited library colleagues to participate in a virtual town hall on March 4, 2022. As those who have faced book banning attempts and related legislative efforts know, the experience is often isolating and stressful. During this event, speakers participated in facilitated conversations that explored effective responses to the coordinated attempts at censorship currently sweeping the nation.

ALA eLearning (Members Only)

Addressing Challenges in America’s School LibrariesA two-part webinar series offered by the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).

ALA eLearning (Members Only)

Censorship and Mental Health: Dealing with the Emotional Fallout of Book Challenges

Pennsylvania School Librarians Association

2023 PSLA Annual Conference

March 30 - April 1, 2023, Hilton Harrisburg

PSLA Pre-Conference Workshop

March 31, 2023

Beyond Banned Books: Intellectual Freedom in School Libraries

Join us for a pre-conference workshop with Joyce McIntosh from ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom and go beyond banned books. This three-hour workshop will help you understand what first amendment rights look like in school libraries, how to work with your school administrators, and give you a chance to work with other school librarians on real issues happening in Pennsylvania. School librarians and library advocates alike will be able to leverage support and gain confidence to do the important work of fighting for intellectual freedom in libraries. Every attendee will receive a one-year membership to the Freedom to Read Foundation. Read more about FTRF and its benefits here-https://www.ftrf.org/page/About.

ALA eLearning

April 11, 2023, 2:00 pm CDT

Under Scrutiny: Helping Staff Feel Safe and Empowered in the Face of Book ChallengesLearn about common strategies used by political groups in their efforts to censor youth materials, how to identify and name these behaviors, and how doing so can empower library staff to develop proactive strategies for responding in ways that protect their safety and integrity.

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