The reality of LGBTQ+ Publishing Today

Photo by Raphael Renter | @raphi_rawr on Unsplash

Happy Pride month friends! Or, is it? While we celebrate Pride this month, authors of queer books are struggling. In an article for Bookriot Danika Ellis says, "it's clear that five years of unrelenting and escalating censorship has brought us to a breaking point." Publishers are rejecting more LGBTQ books because sellers can't sell them. Sales of previously published books are dropping. Authors have stopped writing about queer characters for fear of book challenges. And, this is just the tip of the iceberg of the struggles that have overrun the entire book industry.

But, while it seems bleak, there are things we can do.

1. Share the stories of queer joy.

2. Join the fight! Get involved. Attend meetings to show your support. Become an advocate.

3. Support queer book stores.

4. Put up Pride displays, and even better, include LGBTQ+ books in all of your displays. 

What is your library doing to support Pride in your community?

Behind the Scenes (and Screens ) with Scholastic

Scholastic is not only a publishing powerhouse but also its books are the source of media series like the Magic School Bus, Babysitters Club, Clifford the Big Red Dog and more. 

A recent post in Kidscreen delved into a new enhanced partnership between the publisher and their 20 year relationship with 9 Story, a production, distribution and licensing company.

Check out the article here.

Documentary—"Tell Me Another Story: Diversity in Children's Literature"

Check out this 30-minute, free access documentary called Tell Me Another Story: Diversity in Children's Literature. The film was produced by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation and made available in October 2021.

This film is for you if...

• You enjoy touching and powerful reminders of why diversity in children's literature is important.
• You know diversity in children's literature is important, but you struggle to explain why it is important.
• You are looking for an advocacy tool or discussion tool to share with your community or library stakeholders.

To extend conversations on this topic, check out the the film's corresponding discussion guide, which you can use in "your classroom, boardroom, discussion group, or meeting hall."

Finally, check out the panel discussion that covers the making of the film.

Author and illustrator Grace Lin

Photo courtesy of EJK Foundation

Activist and author Marley Dias
Photo courtesy of EJK Foundation

2020 CCBC Diversity Stats Now Available

Each year the CCBC carefully tracks data on diversity metrics for youth books. The statistics look at both book creator diversity and content diversity. These statistics are vital for our understanding not just of the overwhelming whiteness of youth book publishing but also for the incremental increases in books by and about diverse people.

Stop here to access the 2020 statistics.

Stop here to access their Diversity Statistics FAQs to understand how these stats are gathered and considered.

Many Children's Book COVID-19 Publisher Permissions Extended

Image by Comfreak from Pixabay 

Many of us are aware of publisher permissions that were relaxed at the beginning of the pandemic to allow youth library staff to share copyrighted material on virtual platforms. Many of these permissions were due to expire on June 30.  However some publishers have extended those permissions further into the summer.

The following publishers are involved in extending their permissions:

• Boyds Mills & Kane – through September 7: boydsmillsandkane.com/permissions2020/
• Candlewick Press – no stated expiration: www.candlewick.com/covid-19.asp
• Cherry Lake/Sleeping Bear – through August 31: cherrylakepublishing.com/recording_guidelines
• Cottage Door Press – no stated expiration: cottagedoorpress.com/pages/rights-and-activities
• HarperCollins – through September 9: d1xcdyhu7q1ws8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/06/09172315/Online-Reading-HCC-Policy-Update-June2020.pdf
• Holiday House – no stated expiration: holidayhouse.com/holiday-house-resources/
• Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt- through August 31: https://www.hmhbooks.com/readaloud?fbclid=IwAR29hJbH9-bqO8md3qFcQNG4R66Amj2z1I4Rk--SHXcVDPeJ96OKtIUQ2MQ
• Little Brown - through September 4; https://www.lbyr.com/little-brown-young-readers/lbyr-blog/lbyr-book-sharing-permission-statement/
• Macmillan – through August 31: us.macmillan.com/macmillan-content-use-guidelines/
• Penguin Random House – no stated expiration: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7MikpcLAVZEdo_tOD-p_9lE9fUpTG9c3_nzGL19oe9s_nBw/viewform
• Simon & Schuster – through August 31: www.simonandschuster.com/p/online-read-aloud-guidelines

A big thanks to our DPI state youth consultant Tessa Michaelson Schmidt for the heads up on this!

School Library Journal also continues to update their SLJ COVID-19 Publisher Information google doc as they hear from publishers about permissions. This invaluable resource contains each publisher's information and requirements for their limited-term permissions.

You can read more about fair use, citing publishers, authors and illustrators when using their books in virtual programs and more in the Copyright Considerations section of ALSC's new (and free) Virtual Storytime Services Guide published this month. You can also access the previous blog posts listed below for further information on these subjects and blog post guidance on doing virtual storytimes.

Permissions (Books, Authors and Music) YSS COVID-19 series:

• Many Children’s Books COVID-19 Publisher Permissions Extended  6/24/20
• Virtual Storytime – Tips on Fair Use & Kids’ Privacy 5/4/20
• Want Permission? Current Info on Publishers and Authors 3/22/20; updated 4/23/20
•  Music Permissions? Look No Further  3/27/20; updated 3/31/20

Virtual Storytimes YSS blog COVID-19 series:

• Online Storytime Creation Tools  11/18/20
• Flipgard, Fanfare and Friends: Celebrity Storytime  9/21/20
• ALSC Virtual Storytime Guide is Out!  6/11/20
• Getting Started with Virtual Storytimes  5/27/20
• “How to Do a Virtual Storytime” Webinars 4/13/20
• Tips on Doing Online Storytimes During COVID-19 Closures 3/16/20; updated 3/20/20
• Storytime Goes Digital 3/20/20
• Digital Storytimes- You Do You! 3/31/20
• Digital Storytime, Screen Time and Intentionality – Oh My 4/6/20
• Facebook Live Online Storytime Tips 3/24/20
• Fixing "My Book is Backwards in Online Storytime!" on iPhone 3/22/20

Printed Media

Is the printed newspaper dead?

NPR's On the Media did a report about newspapers and how news/media, online sources and the current economy is affecting this type of publication.

What have you noticed in your libraries? Do those online sources get used (and properly)?

Leonard Marcus at Carthage College

You are cordially invited to attend a tea in honor of Leonard Marcus who will speak informally about the writing of his book Golden Legacy : How Golden Books Won Children's Hearts, Changed Publishing Forever, and Became an American Icon Along the Way.

Leonard Marcus

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Hedberg Library, Carthage College

Room 217

4:30 – 6:00 p.m.

There is no fee to attend. However because space is limited, please contact John Stewig if you can join us. (262) 552-5480.

From Linda Pierschalla (WAPL Chair-Elect)

Hello everyone!
I am in need of contributors for the next edition of the Communique
newsletter that is sponsored by WAPL. Newcomers are welcome! If you
would like to write about a great program your library offered, or a new
way of using technology, or anything you think may be interesting to
others in the public library world we would love to hear from you.
Submissions may be sent to my e-mail address as a Word document
attachment. Deadline is Feb. 8, 2008. Now is your chance to be published!