Storytelling for Advocacy

For too many teachers and librarians these days, including diverse and challenging literature in the curriculum (especially books by BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors) is a risky business: from book challenges to job security. Yet these professionals know the power of diverse books to change students’ lives, encouraging them into the habit of reading, offering them “windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors” into their lives and the lives of others, and serving as touchstones for difficult and courageous discussions about the worlds in which we all live. Teachers, librarians, and community members who see the value of diverse books need to do more these days than just know the literature; we must also be prepared to advocate for this literature, to explain its power and to speak thoughtfully about curricular choices.

This workshop focuses on ways we can use storytelling to proactively advocate for the use of diverse books in schools and libraries, centering on the alliances we can create with both colleague teachers and community members. Drawing upon the work of the Everyday Advocacy movement, participants will learn how storytelling can be used to change the public narrative. Adapted from the work of Marshall Ganz, participants will learn ways to use the story of self, us, and now to shift the public narrative surrounding diverse books and their inclusion in schools and library.

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