Welcome the to the 2023 PSLA Conference!
March 30-April 1 | Hilton Harrisburg

Get ready for the 2023 conference

Keynote Speaker- Cicely Lewis

Keynote Author- Alex Gino
Named the 2020 National Librarian of the Year by School Library Journal and Scholastic, a 2019 Library Journal Mover and Shaker and the 2019 National Teacher Award for Lifelong Readers by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and Penguin Random House (PRH) , Cicely Lewis is a school librarian with a passion for creating lovers of reading. In 2017, she started the Read Woke challenge in response to injustices in her community and the lack of diversity in young adult literature. Her students were required to read books that challenge the social norm and give voice to the silenced. Using this platform, she had inspired the nation to Read Woke with educators across the world joining in and sharing the movement with their students. When she is not reading, you can find Cicely writing for her bi-monthly column in the School Library Journal where she shares her book recommendations. Her writing was recently featured in the 20th Anniversary Edition of Walter Dean Myers 145th Street Short Stories. She has partnered with Lerner Publishing to bring you a new book series, Issues in Action, which helps educate young people and provides ways for them to take action in their community. Order anywhere books are sold or request them for your local library. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @cicelythegreat or explore #readwoke to join the movement!.www.readwoke.com ​
Alex has been writing stories since before they knew the alphabet, dictating stories to their parents. They have always considered themself a writer, but it wasn’t until 2014, with the sale of MELISSA that they had any idea that authoring books would be how they make their way in the world. They are grateful for the ability to spend their time and energy on something so close to their heart.
Alex has been an activist and advocate for LGBTQIAP+ communities since 1997, when they became co-chair of what was then called the LGBA at the University of Pennsylvania. (It was renamed the QSA the year after they left.) They are proud to have served on the board of NOLOSE, a fat-positive, queer, feminist organization dedicated to supporting radical fat acceptance and culture. Alex would like to thank the Black women and other amazing BIPOC folk of NOLOSE who raised their consciousness about race and how racism permeates our culture. They are currently a member of We Need Diverse Books and PEN America.

Thank You TO OUR 2022 CONFERENCE SPONSORS