Children’s librarians know the value of storytime for promoting early literacy growth in young children, and recent research continues to back this up. At the same time, other research points out that children with disabilities rarely attend storytime. This session will present evidence from empirical studies and use Universal Design for Learning to frame new ways for participants to build on their inclusive storytime strategies and encourage more participation from children with disabilities and their families.

The FBI reports that 58% of all religious hate crimes target Jewish people despite the fact that only 2% of America’s population identifies as Jewish. This hate can be fought with education and the building of empathy through literature. Jewish books are about far more than the Holocaust and the holidays. They provide windows and mirrors into many other cultures (not all Jews are white or European). Learn more about this often-misunderstood category of literature and how you can make it a part of your diverse collection.