[aisle] TONIGHT: AASL President holds office hours to discuss EDI in school libraries

[Pres Elect AISLE]

CHICAGO – American Association of School Librarians (AASL) President Mary
Keeling will hold online offices hours at 6:00 p.m. Central on Thursday,
February 6, to field questions regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion
(EDI) in school libraries. The EDI office hours are a part of Keeling’s
presidential initiative to expand efforts in AASL to provide a safe,
respectful, and inclusive space for diverse voices and perspectives. For
more information including the link for the meeting room, visit
www.ala.org/aasl/about/officehours.

“I've chosen to work on issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion with my
presidential task force because I believe AASL needs to equip school
librarians to address these issues in their schools and professional life,”
explains Keeling. “Nationwide, eighty percent of teachers are white, and
more than half of our students are people of color. My task force has
decided to provide many opportunities for school librarians to learn about
these issues, because talking about race and social justice is difficult
for many of us. We are using office hours to provide an informal, safe
space to ask questions and gather information on this important topic.”

The February 6 session will start with a discussion on #OwnVoices before
the floor will open to discuss other topics such as what EDI looks like in
a school library and what EDI means to school librarians. Possible areas of
discussion include how to engage all learners by growing a diverse
collection and offering library programming that meets the needs of all
students.

Another office hours session examining microaggressions will be held
Thursday, May 14, at 6:00 p.m. Central. All are invited to attend.

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of
the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform
teaching and learning.


Contact:

Jennifer Habley

Manager, Web Communications

American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

312-280-4383

jhabley at ala.org





-- 
Christy Semande
AISLE President-Elect (2019-20)
(309)221-5609
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