School Libraries: Reviving the Heartbeat of Literacy & Learning in Philly

We are honored to welcome Jennifer Leith from The West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC), Jean Darnell from Awaken Librarian, Gina Pambianchi from Penn Libraries, and author Amy Feldman into the store on Thursday, February 13th at 6pm for a bookfair supporting WePAC and a paneled discussion on the importance of accessible school libraries throughout the city of Philadelphia. Stop by at 4:30 to meet local author and the evenings moderator, Amy Feldman, and pick up a copy of her middle grade novel, Ezra Exposed.

Purchases made throughout the day at Barnes and Noble can be contributed to WePAC's efforts. You may present a voucher provided by WePAC or simply tell the cashier at the register you would like your purchase to contribute to the WePAC bookfair.

School libraries are the heartbeat of literacy, learning, and love of reading for the children of Philadelphia's public school system, yet over 95% of our city's schools lack a functioning library. This panel will touch on the urgent need for school libraries and the important work done by WePAC, PLCE and the School District of Philadelphia to increase the amount of school libraries throughout the city. Our speakers will share encouraging developments on reviving school libraries and librarians nationally and locally, as well as information on how you can get involved in supporting the movement to bring school libraries back to all district schools and provide Philly's kids with easy access to the joy of reading.

The School District of Philadelphia has been without school libraries since the 1990’s. The West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC) has been working since the early 2000’s to try to rectify that loss. While currently managing 11 active School District of Philadelphia (SDP) school libraries and hoping to establish more, WePAC has expanded their community partnership with new SDP library director- Jean Darnell, Penn Libraries, and Barnes & Noble.

WePAC is a local 501c3 whose mission is to promote childhood literacy by engaging volunteers in Philadelphia public schools through re-opening and operating librariesIn WePAC’s vision, every Philadelphia student will be empowered with the literacy skills vital to their success and the prosperity of our community.
www.wepac.org

The Penn Libraries Community Engagement (PLCE) team is made up of educators, librarians, and Penn students who collaborate with community partners around literacy and library access. Through resource sharing, school library collection development, and storytelling initiatives, PLCE seeks to address issues of injustice and resource inequity using a strength-based, learner-centered approach where library experiences serve as a key place in literacy development. In working with K-12 school libraries, PLCE's goal is to create a collaborative model for facilitating library spaces that allows volunteers and community members to navigate a complex system in the absence of librarians, while also developing a sustainable model that a certified librarian can easily take over in the future Community Engagement | Penn Libraries

Jennifer Leith, a born and raised Philadelphian, is Executive Director of the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC) and has been in this role, proudly, since early 2023. Having found joy and a safe space in her school library growing up, and as the mom to two formerly struggling readers, she is a staunch advocate for school libraries and their role as a place of literary exploration and autonomy for students as well as a place for foundational literacy to blossom in children. She loves any and all non-fiction, particularly biographies and autobiographies with a penchant for political memoirs.

Jean Darnell is a Texas librarian who advocates for students via her blog, AwakenLibrarian.com. With over 360K views, she shares lessons, anecdotal stories, professional development & curriculum aimed at improving the role of librarians and the communities they serve. She has an in-depth knowledge of technology that began in 2001 and continues to date with Artificial Generative Intelligence (AGI), which she’s Google certified to teach and has over 3,500 hrs in training. Additionally, she's a 2024 Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellow in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Jean is also the past-chair of the Texas Library Association (TLA) Intellectual Freedom Committee and has served on a variety of national and local committees. You may find her as a keynote speaker, panelist or subject matter expert on everything tied to education, librarianship and technology. Jean's a graduate of Baylor University (undergrad) & the University of Houston-Clear Lake (grad school). She’s worked in conjunction with the Library Journal, Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA), the Texas Library Association (TLA), the American Library Association (ALA), the National Council of African-American Librarians (NCAAL), the Joint Council of Librarians of Color (JCLC), the National Association of Media Literacy for Educators (NAMLE) and most recently an appearance on the Dr. Phil show titled “AI and the Future of Education.” In her leisure time, she enjoys cooking, gardening, inspirational stories, traveling, anything related to Interview With a Vampire (book & show) and spending time with her sons.

Amy E. Feldman is a nationally-syndicated legal correspondent and the General Counsel of the Judge Group, Inc., a $750 million international placement firm, where she specializes in employment and consumer-related issues. She has a simple take on the law: what you don’t know could get you sued. Amy is the author of the new middle grade book, Ezra Exposed, published by Blackstone Press, and has extensive media experience as a professional speaker and a legal explainer on television and radio. Her radio segments are broadcast daily in thirty-four markets in eighteen states, including on KYW 1060 in the Philadelphia area. In addition to her frequent in-person speaking appearances, she has been a guest on Fox Sports, CNN, The Today Show Weekend, and is a regular contributor to WTXF Fox Philadelphia’s news programming. Her most challenging and joyful job is being the mother to three amazing children. With both a law degree and a master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania, Feldman’s strength lies in her ability to explain complex legal issues in a way people can understand. Rather than focusing on high-profile trials or Supreme Court decisions like every other TV lawyer, she explains what you need to know about the law on the topics that truly matter in your life.

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