Librarians work to serve their communities every day, including through traumatic events such as natural disasters, police brutality, and school shootings. This year our communities have not only weathered a pandemic, but every state has seen protests both large and small against police brutality as citizens fight for civil rights. Panelists will speak to their experiences serving their communities through myriad traumatic events and discuss how both major events and everyday traumas in their communities have impacted how they serve patrons.

Developed through California State Library’s “Early Learning with Families”(ELF) initiative, “Touchpoints in Libraries” is a professional development training about how to effectively engage children and families. A result of Touchpoints in Libraries is that all library staff (from circulation clerks to children’s librarians) are prepared to interact with families in a way that provides support and scaffolding for families with young children. In this workshop, we will provide an overview of the Touchpoints in Libraries training as well as how you can bring this unique offering to your library.

A moderated conversation between LGBTQIA children’s book creators. Discussion may include how gender and sexual identity impact the stories they tell, their work with publishers, reaching readers, and finding community.

A panel of children’s book creators addresses family dynamics and how their lived experiences, cultural backgrounds, and personal histories inform their creative processes and the stories they tell for young people.

Mní Wičhóni. Water is life. Join Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade for a discussion surrounding their latest text, We Are Water Protectors. The recipient of numerous starred reviews, this #OwnVoices story is inspired by contemporary Indigenous-led activist movements.