Young Activists and the Public Library: Facilitating Democracy

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Price: 
$45.99
ALA Member 
$41.39
Item Number: 
978-0-8389-4738-8
Published: 
2020
Publisher: 
ALA Editions
Pages: 
128
Width: 
6"
Height: 
9"
Format: 
Softcover
AP Categories: 
A, C
  • Description
  • Table of Contents
  • About the Author

Assisted by social media and other digital tools, today’s children and teens are energetic and active participants in a host of social causes, from climate change and gun control to voting rights and racial equity. Public libraries can facilitate their activism by providing trustworthy information and creating opportunities for young people to develop leadership and participation skills. A past president of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), in this book Walter demonstrates how libraries can foster greater civic literacy and civic engagement in young patrons. Using a research-based approach that incorporates case studies and interviews with young people and librarians, she

  • offers a solid rationale for why libraries should get involved, discussing the ways in which youth activism can be supported by core values of librarianship;
  • provides an overview of key areas of activism, such as environmental awareness, school safety, and immigration rights;
  • highlights teen advisory boards and community service opportunities that provide outlets for teen leadership, also suggesting ways to extend these activities to younger children;
  • includes real-world examples of programs and initiatives that can be adapted for a variety of institutions; and
  • shares an extensive list of additional resources, spotlighting informative and inspirational books to share with young patrons that are also ideal for book talks and storytimes.

This book shows how public libraries can facilitate democracy by empowering the passionate activism of today’s children and teens.

Introduction

CHAPTER 1
Young People, Civic Literacy,
and Libraries

CHAPTER 2
Information for Young Activists

CHAPTER 3
Putting Civic Literacy to Work
Engaging Children and Teens as Active Participants
in Their Communities

CHAPTER 4
Resources for Civic Literacy

Conclusion
References
Index

Virginia A. Walter

Virginia A. Walter holds an MLS degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a PhD in public administration from the University of Southern California. She is a past president of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and a former public librarian and professor of information studies at UCLA. She has written more than ten professional and academic monographs, two books for young people, and numerous articles. Her other LIS books include Young Activists and the Public Library: Facilitating Democracy (ALA Editions, 2020).

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