Jean Darnell: Awaken Librarian!

                 After much effort from yours truly, the book-fair is finally here! You can shop online here . Here's the preview video and sign-up list for you to enjoy!                                                            via GIPHY

I have some of the best and most inquisitive students! One young man loves to garden with his father and once my heart stopped fluttering, I directed him to our plants section. I listened to his feedback about needing more garden books and then we talked about my garden. I shared that I am growing jalapenos for my homemade chilli. He boasted about LOVING spicy food. Next thing I know, he demanded a "hot pepper challenge" and brought some friends. I have a weakness for gardens and readers and this kiddo is in a tug-of-war for becoming one of my beloved library kiddos! Check out the fun in the newsletter below and happy fall everyone!

Well, guess who's back in the library? Nothing like the absence of a paycheck to revert you back to your talents and skills! Or maybe, just maybe, I've finally found the leadership and student body that embraces all of me! I think it's the latter, but regardless, if you know me, I've hit the ground running! Check out my newsletter and welcome DIAMONDBACKS to my blog!

Recently, I was asked to curate a lesson for community involvement. Please see this work document with the lesson details and additional curated resources on the Padlet. Enjoy1

An exciting announcement...thanks to an wonderful opportunity, I am now a published academic author. Take a look at this month's issue of Knowledge Quest & the American Association of School Librarians (AASL): Unpacking Black School Librarianship .

Welcome to my final blog post!!! A lot of colleagues, friends and associates have asked my thoughts on the state of society and education right now. You can't even understand my exhaustion...especially after being let-go for "budgetary" reasons, though it is a predominantly white institution that hasn't ever had a BIPOC in a position of leadership, excluding assistant principals for discipline. Initially, my anger blocked my rational writing, but since Covid-19 shut down America, I had to reconcile ending my career in education. Simply put, I loathe the ceilings, the overwhelming racism in education and librarianship. I have nothing left to give a career intentionally excluding me. They couldn't attack my work, but they did attack my person, psyche and peace. For the longest, I didn't answer folks when they asked me about racism. I felt like this article: " I'm your Black friend, but I won't educate you about racism. That's on you. ...

After reading the article, Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls' Childhood by Rebecca Epstein, Jamilia J. Blake and Thalia González (consent given from Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality), I had to take action. Just look at these alarming graphics: As you will read in the article, the biased suspension rate of young Black girls are an extension of a prejudice mindset. As educators and librarians, we must constantly re-examine policies that affect our youth. For those unfamiliar, so many times Black students are penalized for culturally ingrained behaviors unfamiliar to authorities in charge (i.e. white leaders). Within the aforementioned article such biased behavior is defined as "adultification." I hope you read and then share this survey I created with your Black female high and middle school students. I truly want to know how they feel in an American school system that was not designed with their future in mind. One more time,...