Centering Teens in the Fight against Censorship

**NOTE**: Access information for this learning event will be sent to all registrants by American Library Association before the start of the event. In order to take this course/attend this webinar you will need to create (or use an existing) ALA account to proceed. It is free to create an account and you do not need to be an ALA member. If you do not wish to create an ALA account please cancel your registration.

Attempts to ban books from classrooms and libraries disproportionately target stories for and about young adults, especially those reflecting historically marginalized communities. Public libraries have a role to play in empowering and educating teens and young adults to fight for their right to read freely. Join representatives from Brooklyn Public Library, Seattle Public Library, and Austin Public Library as they share strategies for helping teens to engage in intellectual freedom advocacy and make their voices heard.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Verbalize the goals of the Books Unbanned campaign, and how they may be replicated in other libraries; 
• Understand how libraries can proactively protect the needs and rights of youth regarding reading access; 
• Recognize areas where teens need support and guidance in developing as community advocates and peer leaders; and 
• Develop intellectual freedom resources and programming for young adults.

Who Should Attend

This webinar is intended for public library directors and administrators, circulation/collections managers, teen services coordinators, and front-line staff eager to educate and empower teen readers.

Presenters

Amy Mikel (she/her) is the director of customer experience at Brooklyn Public Library, responsible for implementing exceptional library services in the areas of reference, circulation, and collections across sixty-one branch locations. She oversees the library’s circulating print, media, eBooks, and database collections, as well as the processes and policies which govern patron account management and materials circulation. Amy is part of the team recently named Library Journal’s 2023 “Librarians of the Year” for their efforts on the Books Unbanned anti-censorship campaign.

Karen Keys (she/her) is coordinator of young adult services at Brooklyn Public Library, where she oversees programs and services for teens at sixty-one locations. She advocates a for-teens-by-teens service model and provides training, mentoring, and coaching to young adult services staff throughout Brooklyn. Karen is part of the team named Library Journal’s 2023 “Librarians of the Year” for their efforts on the Books Unbanned anti-censorship campaign. 

Bo Kinney (he/him) is the circulation services manager at the Seattle Public Library, where he is responsible for implementing and improving lending procedures. Bo has worked for the Seattle Public Library for seventeen years in several roles, including mobile services, digital collections, reference, and circulation. In all of his positions, he has focused on innovative ways of increasing access to library resources. Bo helped the Seattle Public Library launch its Books Unbanned program in April, 2023, and is proud to stand with Brooklyn and other libraries in protecting the right to read for teens and young adults.

Kathleen Houlihan (she/they) is a teen librarian at the Central Library at Austin Public Library (APL). She's worked for APL for fifteen years and loves advocating for youth leadership and decision making in library teen spaces, services, and programs. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Information, Kathleen has spent most of her career working with teens, including those in juvenile justice and shelter settings, where she’s seen the positive outcomes of teen decision making at their most powerful.

CALL Training Partner for this Event: American Library Association