The Massachusetts Library System is pleased to announce that we have contracted with PCI Webinars to provide our members with access to their live webinars.  These webinars are free to MLS members who register through our calendar. Please do not register directly with PCI. Members who register directly with PCI are responsible for paying their registration fee. 

Please help us keep MLS sponsored training free for all members. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, please cancel your registration. A cancellation link can be found in your confirmation email, or you may contact Sarah Donnelly at sdonnelly@masslibsystem.org to cancel. 

Because we are working with an outside vendor, it is important that you cancel your registration in the event that you are unable to attend the live webinar.  A recording of the webinar will be available on the PCI Webinars Niche Academy website about a week after the live webinar.  If you have any issues registering or signing into the PCI Webinars Niche Academy website, please let us know.  Please do not contact PCI Webinars or Niche Academy directly about their live webinars or webinar recordings.

Description

In this workshop, librarians Mahasin Aleem and Ariana Hussain will evaluate Muslim representation in youth literature through a critical lens, utilizing their Hijabi Librarians Toolkit for Evaluating Muslims in KidLit alongside Ed Trust's Tool for Representational Balance in Books.

Participants will explore key themes, challenges, and best practices in assessing how Muslim characters and narratives are portrayed in literature for young readers.

As a result of this program, attendees will gain:

• An understanding of the significance of authentic Muslim representation
• Critical Evaluation Skills 
• Actionable Strategies for Collection Development

Presenters:

Mahasin Abuwi Aleem

Mahasin Abuwi Aleem is a library services manager for Contra Costa County Library. Before working for Contra Costa County Library, she was employed by Oakland Public Library (OPL) and served as OPL's Collection Management Librarian for Children's Services. She is co-founder of Hijabilibrarians.com, a collective of Muslim librarians who evaluate books that feature Muslim protagonists and Islamic-themed content.

Ariana Sani Hussain

Ariana Sani Hussain is a teacher librarian at the Blake School in Hopkins, Minnesota. Ariana reviews for Kirkus, Horn Book, and School Library Journal, has served on multiple book evaluation committees, and is currently chairing the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) Literature Awards: Young Adult Book Committee, contributing to the 2024 We Are Kid Lit Collective Summer Reading List, and is a co-founder of Hijabi Librarians.

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