Last fall, we attended the School Library Journal Leadership Summit in Brooklyn, N.Y. The theme of the conference was “Make Good Trouble.” During that whirlwind weekend of learning, we attended a breakout session with Cicely Lewis, the school librarian who started the movement known as Read Woke.
According to an article Ms. Lewis wrote for School Library Journal, woke books:
The Journeys of my Life / Viajes de mi Vida project was a joint initiative between Loudoun County Public Library and Loudoun County Public Schools. It was developed as part of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)/ALA grant Latino Americans: 500 Years of History, awarded to Loudoun County Public Library (the only awardee of the grant in the state of Virginia).
The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office has announced a new round of the Great Stories Club, a reading and discussion program for at-risk teens, supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
Book-based programs are a timeless way to rejuvenate collections and highlight points of view that are as diverse as your patrons. With Women's History Month just around the corner, now is a good time to begin thinking about how to incorporate female voices into your programs.
Here's a starter list of sample books and complementary program ideas to get those creative juices flowing:
