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Proposal deadline extended to August 10!

Announcing our Keynote Speaker!

Author Malinda Lo
Malinda Lo is the New York Times bestselling author of Last Night at the Telegraph Club, winner of the National Book Award, the Stonewall Book Award, and the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, as well as Michael L. Printz and Walter Dean Myers honors. Her debut novel Ash, a Sapphic retelling of Cinderella, was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, the Andre Norton Award for YA Science Fiction and Fantasy, and the Lambda Literary Award. Follow her onTwitter,Instagram, or visit her website at malindalo.com.


Resolution in Recognition of School Library Month in New Jersey
Read the text of the Resolution in Recognition of School Library Month by the State Board of Education
New!
January 27, 2022
The New Jersey Association of School Librarians and EveryLibrary would like to commend the seven members of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Board of Education who voted down Resolution 012522-9, which called for the removal of This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson. We also applaud the passing of the resolutions to keep the books Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, Gender Queer, All Boys Aren’t Blue, and Lawn Boy on the library’s shelves. This decision upholds North Hunterdon’s students’ First Amendment rights by protecting their access to information. It affirms the ability of students to read age-appropriate LGBTQIA+ books and not marginalize their own stories. It is the right way for the school district to follow state education standards and support the role of school libraries in learning, inquiry, and reading.
Read the full Press Release

Position Statement on Censorship in our School Libraries
The New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) strongly supports the right of children of all ages to read a wide variety of material with differing viewpoints and perspectives. Censorship denies free access to information and stifles intellectual freedom.
NJASL believes that school librarians and parents/guardians are partners in a child’s journey to becoming a lifelong reader/learner. Respect for and by all parties in pursuit of this goal should be paramount: Threatening librarians, teachers, or school board members to the point that they do not feel safe in their jobs is not acceptable, and should be roundly condemned by all concerned.
School Librarians are committed to upholding the highest standards in providing information and resources. We firmly believe that it is our responsibility to provide equitable access to diverse and inclusive material that is representative of social and racial justice, the pursuit of truth and opposes efforts to suppress world views. School library media specialists are committed to curating material that reflect multiple viewpoints.
The American Library Association Library Bill of Rights states that “Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment” and “Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas” (https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill).
Furthermore, the American Library Association Code of Ethics enjoins librarians to “uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources” ((https://www.ala.org/tools/ethics).
Acting in accordance with these principles, NJASL supports school librarians who stand up to censorship within their schools, supports the use of equitable reconsideration policies, and supports collections with diverse representation.
New Jersey School Board Candidates Express Wide Support For the Role and Work of School Librarians
A recent survey of candidates running for school board positions across New Jersey this November by the New Jersey Association of School Librarians shows significant support for the role of school librarians in education by current and future district leaders. This is true for candidates from small and rural school districts as well as from large urban or suburban ones. There was wide geographic representation with candidates from South, Central, and North Jersey responding
Read the Full Press Release (pdf file attached)
Click on Link to View Full Survey Answers From School Board Candidates: The names of all who responded to the survey are listed along with their responses.
NJASL has created a Safe Space and Community Agreements.
View them here.
NJASL has created a
School Librarian Job Description.