Brandon Kepley
illiniboy73.bsky.social
Brandon Kepley
@illiniboy73.bsky.social
School librarian, dad, book nerd, musicologist, comedy nerd, film lover...not necessarily in that order.
Reposted by Brandon Kepley
Book banning is unpopular.
I'll go ahead and say it. Texas book banners got their butts kicked in tonight's school board elections. Again.
November 5, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Reposted by Brandon Kepley
If you and your children are not ready for a particular book, that is okay. It is not okay to limit the access to books, stories, and experiences for other families. Every book is not for everyone, but every book is for someone.

bookriot.com/the-day-the-books-disappeared-school-visit-cancelation/
Why Did These Authors Have Their School Visit Canceled? They Were Talking About Their Book About Book Bans.
Country Club Elementary School in California's Bay Area canceled an author visit moments before it began. Why? It covered book bans.
bookriot.com
October 29, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Reposted by Brandon Kepley
Cuts to federal digital equity funding are already having impacts. The services and resources that would have been funded are critical for communities nationwide.

ALA President Sam Helmick on the power of getting patrons online: "You could see lives change"

More: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Trump Called Digital Equity Act ‘Racist.’ Now Internet Money for Rural Americans Is Gone. - KFF Health News
President Donald Trump called the Digital Equity Act unconstitutional, racist, and illegal. Then the $2.75 billion program for rural and underserved communities to gain internet access disappeared.
kffhealthnews.org
October 15, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Reposted by Brandon Kepley
Book challenges remained high in 2024, with nearly 72% initiated not by parents but by pressure groups and decision makers who have been swayed by them. bit.ly/soal-25
#NationalLibraryWeek
April 7, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Reposted by Brandon Kepley
Costs of child care now outpace college tuition in 38 states, analysis finds
Costs of child care now outpace college tuition in 38 states, analysis finds • Indiana Capital Chronicle
The cost of child care now exceeds the price of college tuition in 38 states and the District of Columbia, a new analysis found.
buff.ly
March 7, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Brandon Kepley
This morning at Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HQ in DC as mandatory return to office began, this video played on loop for ~5 mins on screens throughout the building, per agency source.

Building staff couldn’t figure out how to turn it off so sent people to every floor to unplug TVs.
February 24, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Reposted by Brandon Kepley
This year’s AASL School Library Month is extra special—it’s the 40th anniversary of honoring the incredible impact of school libraries and librarians! 🎉 Join us in April as we reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and look ahead to the future of school libraries! www.ala.org/aasl/slm #AASLslm
February 11, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Reposted by Brandon Kepley
I loved public and school libraries as a child. Reading and writing were two of my favorite pastimes. I decided I wanted to teach high school English when I was 16 while sitting in the classroom of an amazing HS teacher. I ended up teaching (and adoring) middle schoolers ELA. After my oldest was
"My elementary school librarian provided for me a space to be me. Her name was Mrs. Runyan. She didn’t care how many times I checked out Shark Lady or played on the computer. She laughed at my bad jokes & allowed me to “help”. I felt safe & I felt needed. I needed the space & it needed me."
Librarian Origin Stories
There are varied paths to the profession. Find out how these librarians found their way to the library.
www.slj.com
February 4, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Reposted by Brandon Kepley
I cannot overstate how frustrating it is to have our tools turned to shit, and that's exactly what's happening for every writer and editor.

I do not want to write anything more quickly than I already can. I do not want to spend less time in manuscripts. I do not want my sentences finished.
Today I opened up Word and now on every freaking line there is an icon for Microsoft's Copilot AI tool, always asking me to use it to write. WTF. After googling, it appears IMPOSSIBLE to remove. I cannot use Word with an AI tool. I'm a professional fucking writer. I don't want it inserting shit.
January 16, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Reposted by Brandon Kepley
November 26, 2024 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Brandon Kepley
Remember, effective technology use is not recreating paper tasks.

Paperless is not a pedagogy.

How does the technology transform what is possible? Reach more students? Allow for adjustments in what you do next to adapt for students?

#EdTech #EduSky
a drawing of a square on a pink surface
ALT: a drawing of a square on a pink surface
media.tenor.com
November 18, 2024 at 2:51 PM