We are very excited for our one-day, inspirational and tactical course, From Collection to Action: A One-Day ‘Read Woke’ Mini Course with Cicely Lewis, on November 9. Hear from leaders on how to bring diverse voices to your library collections, programming, and community building efforts by implementing Read Woke into your library.

Read Woke Books is a movement and call to action that seeks to challenge social norms, give voice to the silenced, provide information about groups that have been disenfranchised, disrupt the status quo, and share perspectives from underrepresented or oppressed groups. In this one-day event, SLJ’s School Librarian of the Year and founder of Read Woke, Cicely Lewis, and other librarians will show you how to implement Read Woke into your library successfully. Learn more about Cicely Lewis and the Read Woke program.

The live speaker sessions will run from 10:00AM - 1:30PM Eastern with on-demand recordings of each session available.

Register Today!

Our Speaker Program

Tuesday, Nov. 9, 10:00AM - 1:30PM ET
10:00 - 10:45AM ET
Session 1 | 30-minute presentation; 15-minute Q&A
How To Introduce ‘Read Woke’ To Your Library
Cicely Lewis leads this session on how to implement a successful Read Woke program at your school or public library (with a focus on K-8 readers). She’ll provide book suggestions, lesson plans, and ideas for an ‘Issues in Action’ series that pairs books with curriculum and Read Woke fiction books. She’ll advise on how to set a clear goal and mission statement for the program you want to implement. 

Speaker: Cicely Lewis, Founder of Read Woke; librarian at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, GA

10:45 - 11:30AM ET
Session 2 | series of three 10-minute presentations; 15-minute group Q&A
Lessons From Libraries That ‘Read Woke’
A Look At Librarians Who’ve Implemented The Program
In this series of short sessions, you’ll learn from school and public librarians who’ve implemented Read Woke books and advocacy in their communities. They’ll share experiences at an array of libraries in very different communities. They’ll answer your questions about how you can use to fast-track your program and bring diverse voices into your library.
Speakers:

Lorraine McCullough & Lauren Hagey, Norcross High School
Janet Parrish, Ph.D., Library Media Specialist at Butler Traditional HS
Nicole Duque, Library Media Specialists at Gwinnett County Public Schools
Sharon Amolo- School Librarian at Gwinnett County Public Schools

11:30AM - 12:00PM ET - Break

12:00 - 12:45PM ET
Session 3 | 30-minute presentation; 15-minute Q&A
How ‘Read Woke’ Supports School-Public Partnership Programs
In this session, you’ll learn ideas for initiating partnerships between school and public libraries to foster collaboration in ‘Read Woke’ programming. Lesson plans, program ideas, and methods for building partnerships will be the focus of this session.
Speaker:

Don Giacomini, Youth Service Specialist at Gwinnett County Public Library

12:45 - 1:30PM ET
Session 4 | 15-minute session; 30-minute extended Q&A
What To Do When There Is Backlash Against Change
The session will cover what to do when there is a backlash to inclusive programming. You will hear some firsthand challenging situations that have come up as well as solutions to addressing those challenges that may arise in some communities and administrations. During this session you will be provided concrete steps to getting parents and teachers involved.
Speakers:

Dr. Tommy Welch - Chief Equity and Diversity officer for Gwinnett County Public Schools
Ms. Mary Barbee, Director of Media Services for Gwinnett County Public Schools

Register Today!