NCAAL

School and public libraries have historically been champions for literacy, equity, and education. Today, Black youth are in need of champions more than ever before. If you imagine literacy education as climbing a ladder, for too many Black youth, the school rung of the literacy ladder is broken. In this session, we will share information from our recent publication entitled Libraries, Library, and African American Youth, which focuses on how libraries can create more equitable and just services and programs for Black youth& services and programs that help to improve their literacy and life outcomes. Our goal is to introduce key research concepts and to offer meaningful illustrations of how school and public librarians are utilizing these concepts to effect real change in the lives of Black youth.