FYI,

Just sharing this information. ~Sharon

Confronting the Crisis of Reading Among Children and Teens – Webinar Recordings and Links to Handouts

Provided on behalf of ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT)

Dear Colleagues:

Below, please find links to the recordings and handouts for the IFRT webinars on Confronting the Crisis of Reading Among Children and Teens. These webinars were held on November 5 and November 12 and had over 500 registrants.

Webinar description:

According to a recent report by the University of Florida and University College London, there has been a 40% decline in reading for pleasure in the U.S. over the past 20 years. Another study indicates that the reading skills of U.S. high school seniors are the worst they have been in three decades. These changes are deeply concerning for librarians and educators.

We will bring together school and public librarians from different parts of the country to discuss the causes of the crisis, the needed solutions and the ways in which librarians and educators can collaborate to offer innovative ideas for promoting reading.

These discussions will be rooted in Maryanne Wolf’s Reader Come Home (Harper, 2018) and her concept of deep reading. Her approach returns us to the very foundation of librarianship and intellectual freedom: Promoting reading for the purpose of critical thinking and public welfare.

Speakers:
*Shauntee Burns-Simpson, Director of Youth and Family Services, D.C. Public Library
*Dorcas Hand, School Librarian & Co-Chair of Students Need Libraries, Houston, Texas
*Ariel Birdoff, Elementary School Librarian, East Harlem, New York City

Facilitator: Judi Moreillon, former school librarian, author and chair of the American Association of School Librarians’ Reading Position Statements Task Force

Links to Recordings:
Note: The webinar recordings will be available until February 27, 2026.

Children’s Webinar: https://ala-events.zoom.us/rec/share/RlX53i3FMvpXsjsWWd2AAKTAFgbNrABV32YiRpxxB3P3Tq5CPjOq2g6151cpWjaX.B_NjNImv8d36Blcl

Passcode: +4^B$w&Y

Teens’ Webinar: https://ala-events.zoom.us/rec/share/tX4aMAECgwe52MMTgst1GfoJBbmu8g3KORvjUqQBmcxuNkJWFnY85ZAv2hy-_45e.a2Nou8dJVvmlUqNt

Passcode: as&3G31*

Links to Handouts:

Children’s Webinar:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IhM9qYWHfgtm7Z_ceeFBM_EGRKOiIXnnVrlBmHi8e3A/edit?tab=t.0

Teens’ Webinar:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/12MGw6BnARBr_QF0KENrifON5JxXHZmFA6rwJX3Vd0qI/edit?tab=t.0

Disclaimer: The rights to recordings of this webinar are held by the American Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Round Table. Participants, registrants, and viewers do not have permission to capture and share video of this webinar on other platforms. To request permission to share content, please contact IFRT at ...@ala.org" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3; color: #2199e8; text-decoration: none;">I...@ala.org.

Please note that the speakers’ statements are their own and may not reflect views or positions held by the American Library Association.

We hope you will build on the rich array of experiences and ideas offered. We are also looking for a new home/sponsor for these webinars and for continuing this project, including confronting low literacy and the precipitous fall in reading among adults. Please do not hesitate to send us your suggestions at the email addresses below.

Sincerely,

Frieda Afary, IFRT Director-at-Large: ...@yahoo.com" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3; color: #2199e8; text-decoration: none;">fafa...@yahoo.com

Judi Moreillon, Literacies and Libraries Consultant: ...@storytrail.com" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3; color: #2199e8; text-decoration: none;">i...@storytrail.com

 All the best,