American Libraries reviews SITL!

Another great review of Sex in the Library, this time from ALA's publication "American Libraries" 
(September 3, 2013)

Here's the text of the review:

According to the National Council of State Legislatures website, most states mandate some sex education in public schools. Sex in the Library: A Guide to Sexual Content in Teen Literature will go a long way in helping school librarians provide age-appropriate, informative, and accurate materials to support the curriculum. Its origins are the book talks the authors, Mary Jo Heller, a school librarian, and Aarene Storms, a public librarian, offered in their town. They provide tips for book talks that support the curriculum, particularly Common Core, for avoiding the “giggles,” and for gaining administrative and parental approval. There are topical lists of suggested titles, references to reviews, and annotations, with age and content indicators to guide selection.

INDEXED. VOYA PRESS, AN IMPRINT OF E L KURDYLA PUBLISHING, LLC, 2013. 190 P. $40. PBK. 978-1-61751-028-1.

The review can also be seen at the American Libraries Magazine review website, HERE.  
(scroll down, the review is mid-page)

School Library Journal gives SITL a star!

HELLER, Mary Jo & Aarene Storms. Sex in the Library: A Guide to Sexual Content in Teen Literature. 120p. appendix. bibliog. index. VOYA. 2013. pap. $40.00. ISBN 978-1-61751-028-1.

The authors (a school and a public librarian) have been offering a workshop called Sex in the Library (SITL) for years. They conduct collaborative booktalks on titles with sexual content, while educating audiences on the role of librarians. They focus on the major differences between school and public library missions, budgets, selection criteria, and collection development policies. Sex in the Library is more than a humorous glimpse into their attempt to “lure” teens back into a love of reading. It’s also a guide for replication. Readers will learn how to plan and implement their own SITL, and the title includes advice on selling the idea to administrators, compiling booktalks and booklists, pitching books to boys, reviewing books, and dealing with snickers and occasional hecklers. The authors also cover the differences in conducting SITL for students, teachers, parents, and librarians. The book also contains resource lists at the end of many chapters, sample excerpts and book blurbs, an ample list of book reviews arranged by topic, resources for booktalking and a bibliography. The magic Heller and Storms have created might be difficult to put into practice in every community; however, they provide rationale and strategies that are hard to ignore. Even if SITL is not for your audience, the authors have devised a great collaborative booktalking format for multiple audiences that is worth the investment, and their plans could be adapted to other topics that would engage and educate audiences.–Adrienne L. Strock, Chicago Public Library

Read the starred review from the April 2014 issue of SLJ HERE.