Roundup of Links, post-ALA Edition

Well, another ALA (American Library Association) Annual Conference has come and gone. And while we are tired – like, really tired, friends – it’s worth noting that there are different levels of “tired.” Check out these amazing post-ALA reflections from women of color to find out more about this:

• Edi Campbell discusses her conference experience in characteristically perceptive language here; at one point she references...
• ...this post from April Hathcock, wherein Hathcock discusses the exhaustion that comes from being a person of color in an overwhelmingly White space; and finally,
• Sarah Park Dahlen talks about her ALA here, finishing with a call to young librarians of color: “We see you,” writes Dahlen. “We’re here for you. We do the work for you, and the young people we all serve.”
• This one isn’t from a woman of color, but it’s another excellent wrap-up from the conference. ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children, a division of ALA) blogger Alec Chunn, who refers to himself as a white man in his post, talks about his takeaways from Annual, including a thoughtful discussion of a diversity panel in which the speakers of color experienced microaggressions at the hands of the White facilitator.

Moving on from post-conference thoughts:

• Zetta Elliott has crafted an affirming and powerful essay on her work for ALSC’s journal, Children and Libraries;
• Roxanne Feldman writes about Gene Luen Yang’s Reading Without Walls challenge as seen through the eyes of a student of color’s mother; and
• Angie Thomas, author of the much-lauded debut The Hate U Give, writes about Why We Need Diverse Characters in YA Books.

Here’s to a restful and restorative weekend for all of you.