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‘How I Library’ Episode 18: Marium Zahra and Aruja Misra from PBS News Student Reporting Labs

Phil Morehart on May 15, 2025

In episode 18 of the “How I Library” podcast, show host and I Love Libraries editor Phil Morehart speaks with Marium Zahra and Aruja Misra, two high school students from Texas who are participants in “On Our Minds,” an award-winning podcast series about the teenage experience from PBS News Student Reporting Labs. The new season asks teens, “Who Inspires You?” For Zahra and Misra, it was their school librarian who is beloved on campus for being a proponent of reading banned books. Zahra and Misra join the show to discuss working with PBS News, podcasting, journalism, banned books, and of course, how they library.

Kentucky School Program Grows Readers, Leaders, and Community

Bill Furbee on March 13, 2025

In Louisville, Kentucky, an elementary school’s path to become a Spanish-immersion magnet school helped create an ALA award-winning program that raised awareness of the Hispanic/Latinx community and fostered the cultural competence and unity of all students by asking: What unites us?

Get Involved: Advocate for School Libraries

Phil Morehart on August 21, 2024

As youth across the U.S. head back to school, it’s vital that we turn our attention to school libraries. Schools with a strong school library program and a certified school librarian ensure their students have the best chance to succeed. Yet, many students are returning to school without a resource essential for success: a strong school library program lead by a certified school librarian.

School Libraries Are Essential

Phil Morehart on January 11, 2024

Schools with a strong school library program—and a certified school librarian—ensure their students have the best chance to succeed. But in too many schools, school library budgets and school librarian positions are being cut. This puts our children’s education and workforce readiness at peril.

Football Playoffs Pay Off for Houston School Library

Phil Morehart on January 10, 2024

Each year, The College Football Playoff Foundation, a nonprofit committed to supporting education, teachers, and students, gives back to the community hosting the playoffs by investing in its teachers and schools. For this round, the foundation identified six Houston-area schools for a makeover, including Ponderosa Elementary which received a $50,000 grant to upgrade its library.

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