°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±ÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ Connect Live Series
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±ÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥
In times of uncertainty, connection and conversation are more important than ever. This is what inspired the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±ÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ Executive Board to launch a series of conversations with you, our membership community. Initially a focus of President Julius C. Jefferson, Jr. to connect with members, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±ÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ Connect Live is an opportunity to bring the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±ÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ family and library community together to discuss our issues and challenges.
These town hall-inspired conversations allow for an open dialogue with the Executive Board and with your fellow library professionals.
Check back for information on the next °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±ÏÖ³¡Ö±²¥ Connect Live soon.
in advance on these or any topics of interest to you.
Questions? Contact us at membervalue@ala.org.
Keith Curry Lance is the principal investigator for the IMLS-funded national study, The School Librarian Investigation—Decline or Evolution? He consults independently and with the RSL Research Group. From 1997-2007, he was the founding director of the Library Research Service at the Colorado State Library. Between 1992 and 2014, he was also principal investigator for 16 state level school library impact studies. In 2002, he was a featured speaker at the White House Conference on School Libraries, an event hosted by First Lady Laura Bush in the East Room of the White House. In 2019, he received the IL Association of School Library Educators’ Crystal Honor Award; in 2013, AASL’s Distinguished Service Award; in 2007, the CO Association of Libraries’ Career Achievement Award; and in 2006, ASCLA’s Leadership Achievement Award.
Liz Phipps Soeiro (she/her) holds a BSEd from Lesley University, an MLS from Simmons University and an EdM from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is currently the Director of Library Services for Boston Public Schools, Liz is also the founder of the Cambridge Book Bike, named a 2017 Library Journal "Mover & Shaker", 2017 School Library Journal School Librarian of the Year: Hero of Family Outreach. Her work focuses on developing criticality in children and educators, justice based and antiracist educational practices in libraries and schools, and empowering children to take action in the world around them through grassroots and civic initiatives.
Raegan Miller is the Director of Development and Finance for the Florida Freedom to Read Project. She is the mother of two public school children in Pinellas County, Florida. She has been active in education advocacy since her oldest started kindergarten. She has served in many roles in local, county and state PTA. She firmly believes that a high quality education should be available to all students in the public school system.
Cameron Samuels (they/them/theirs) graduated in 2022 from the Katy Independent School District in Texas where they organized the FReadom Week initiative to distribute a total of 700+ challenged or banned books across Texas. Once the only student to speak at school board meetings, receiving no applause while other speakers called for book banning, Samuels built a student-led movement within months by packing school board meetings. Decisions were made to keep certain books on shelves, and while now a student at Brandeis University, Samuels’ efforts to combat censorship across the state of Texas and the nation are ongoing.
