headshot of Dulce Sloan

Newsmaker: Dulcé Sloan

April 17, 2024

In the small town of 9,000 people, it was a place to gather with other young actors—and the only place with internet access. “‘Okay, let me check my email,’” she recalls. “’Let me check my bank balance; yep, it’s still low.’” Sloan says library staff were “very confused” about what was happening: “Why are 10 … Continue reading Newsmaker: Dulcé Sloan


Dulcé Sloan speaks on stage during the closing session for the 2024 Public Library Association Conference on April 5 in Columbus, Ohio.

Protect Yourself

April 8, 2024

“I have a copy of the Magic School Bus that I might have checked out in 1991 from the library in Sandy Springs,” Sloan said. “It’s somewhere in my mom’s house. If you want to go to Stone Mountain, maybe you can find it. I think I have the fine in my purse if you … Continue reading Protect Yourself


Author and education professor Dr. Bettina Love (left) speaks with Sophia Fifner, president and CEO of the Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Club at the Public Library Association conference on April 4.Photo: Kinser Studios

‘Going for Broke’

April 5, 2024

“And by Uncle Jimmy, I mean the James Baldwin,” Love, a bestselling author and education activist, said April 4 during her Big Ideas session at the Greater Columbus (Ohio) Convention Center. In 1963, the novelist and civil rights activist said to a group of New York City educators, “To any citizen of this country who figures … Continue reading ‘Going for Broke’


Shola Richards speaks at the opening session for the 2024 Public Library Association conference on April 3 in Columbus, Ohio.

How We Work

April 4, 2024

“It is an idea that there’s no place where I end and you begin,” explained Shola Richards, opening keynote speaker of the 2024 Public Library Association (PLA) conference in Columbus, Ohio, on April 3. Richards—author of professional development books Go Together: How the Concept of Ubuntu Will Change How We Work, Live, and Lead (Sterling … Continue reading How We Work


PLAY 2024 Conference Virtual

Tune in to the PLA 2024 Conference

March 13, 2024

Shape the future of public libraries with more than 20 virtual educational programs—thoughtfully curated by public library workers for public library workers Attendees can choose from two sessions in each time slot to tailor their learning experience to their needs. Dynamic Dads: Turning Incarcerated Men into Storytellers and Library Lovers Too Big to Flail: Community … Continue reading Tune in to the PLA 2024 Conference