On May 20, join members of ALA’s Policy Corps Cadre for Proactive Advocacy Opposing Book Banning to learn about new resources, data, and developments from Unite Against Book Bans that can support your work in the ongoing fight against censorship.
During this one-hour webinar, Kent Oliver, Senior Fellow for ALA's Public Policy and Advocacy Office, will facilitate discussion about what’s happening on the ground in school and public libraries, communication and organizing tactics that have led to more productive conversations about book bans, collection development policies at a time when multi-title challenges have become common, and recent legislative developments and achievements. A Q&A session will follow the panel presentation.
This free webinar is for library professionals interested in updates on Unite’s work to oppose and defeat book bans. Members of the education community may also be interested to attend and learn more about censorship and school libraries. All others interested in supporting the Unite Against Book Bans campaign are welcome to attend.
Monday, May 20, 2024 - 12:00-1:00 pm Central / 1:00 - 2:00 pm Eastern
Registrants will receive a link to access a recording of the webinar following the live event.
Moderator
Kent Oliver, Senior Policy Fellow, American Library Association
Kent Oliver is a senior policy fellow with ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office. Oliver recently retired after a decade as director of Nashville Public Library, where he launched the nationally recognized I Read Banned Books campaign. A three-time president of the Freedom to Read Foundation, Oliver is a nationally and internationally known speaker on library issues and challenges, including literacy and the freedom to read.
Speakers
Sonya Durney, Scholarly Communication and Teaching Librarian, University of New England
Sonya Durney is the Scholarly Communication Research & Teaching Librarian at the University of New England. She serves on numerous university-wide committees, including the Community Equity and Diversity Council of Chairs and the University Faculty Assembly. Durney is currently the President-Elect of the Maine Library Association and a member of the ALA Policy Corps.
Jamie Gregory, Upper School Librarian, Christ Church Episcopal School (Greenville, SC)
Jamie M. Gregory is the Upper School librarian and journalism teacher at Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, SC. Her numerous awards include the ALA Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award (2022), South Carolina School Librarian of the Year (2022), and was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker (2022). She is the 2023-2024 South Carolina Association of School Librarians’ President-Elect and a member of the ALA Policy Corps.
Mary Pellicano, Retired School Librarian
Mary Pellicano is a retired school librarian. She worked for Loudoun County Public Schools in Northern Virginia for more than 15 years, and has served on a variety of government and nonprofit boards and commissions. Pellicano is a member of the Talbot County Free Library Board of Directors and the ALA Policy Corps.
