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CHICAGO – American Association of School Librarians (AASL) President Mary Keeling will hold online offices hours at 6:00 p.m. Central on Thursday, February 6, to field questions regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in school libraries. The EDI office hours are a part of Keeling’s presidential initiative to expand efforts in AASL to provide a safe, respectful, and inclusive space for diverse voices and perspectives. For more information including the link for the meeting room, visit .

“I've chosen to work on issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion with my presidential task force because I believe AASL needs to equip school librarians to address these issues in their schools and professional life,” explains Keeling. “Nationwide, eighty percent of teachers are white, and more than half of our students are people of color. My task force has decided to provide many opportunities for school librarians to learn about these issues, because talking about race and social justice is difficult for many of us. We are using office hours to provide an informal, safe space to ask questions and gather information on this important topic.”

The February 6 session will start with a discussion on #OwnVoices before the floor will open to discuss other topics such as what EDI looks like in a school library and what EDI means to school librarians. Possible areas of discussion include how to engage all learners by growing a diverse collection and offering library programming that meets the needs of all students.

Another office hours session examining microaggressions will be held Thursday, May 14, at 6:00 p.m. Central. All are invited to attend.

The American Association of School Librarians, , a division of the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.

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