Mychal Threets helps children discover library joy

Mychal Threets is sharing library joy around the world. At the National Council of Teachers of English(NCTE) 2025 conference, Threets filled the auditorium with an abundance of joy and hope for the future. He reminded the over 8,000 educators in attendance that libraries play an essential role in creating an inclusive learning experience. “Joy of the library is everything; it represents something for everyone,” he stated. For the foodie and historians, there are books like “Gumbo Joy” that introduce the West African roots of gumbo, a New Orleans classic. For the innovator and STEM advocate, there is “Jacobi’s STEM Fair.” This book explores the many ways science impacts our daily lives. No matter what your interest, there is book on the shelf waiting to be discovered.
Threets enthusiasm for reading and learning is providing children and families with inspiration for the learning journey. As the new host of Reading Rainbow, he is sharing practical ways for families to enjoy hands-on learning from building home libraries to enjoying reading with your pet.
Threets also recognizes that equal access to the library has required leadership and advocacy. Through his personal testimonial, he shared the historical context of discriminatory practices which restricted access to the library. This is why he carries with him a special treasure. You can find his grandmother’s library card from Arkansas in his pocket wherever he goes. During her early years, she was not allowed to have a library card. Therefore, she did not know about all libraries had to offer until she was an adult and had moved to California.
This is a reminder of the historical racial injustices in the United States which serves as a leadership challenge to take a stand for justice and equity today. Across the nation, libraries were segregated spaces or restricted access for whites only. This meant attempting to visit a library, obtain a library card, and check out a book was an act of defiance and criminal under Jim Crow policies and laws.
During the early 1930-40s, the Black community challenged segregation in libraries. An individual would request a library card or enter a “whites-only” space which led to their arrest and conviction. In 1939, a library sit-in was held in Alexandra, Va. which was organized by attorney Samuel W. Tucker. A group of Black men were denied library cards. This resulted in legal action to challenge segregation in public spaces and brought national attention to this pervasive injustice. In 1961, the “Tougaloo Nine” organized a read-in at the main Jackson Municipal Library. These student activists were arrested. A year later a federal court order led to desegregating the library. In 1964, the “St. Helena Four” staged a sit-in at the St. Helena branch of the Audubon Regional Library in Greensburg, La. By the 1970s, segregated Carnegie libraries were either integrated or eventually closed.

A CALL TO ACTION
A “first educator” refers to the fundamental primary role that parents and caregivers play in a person’s early development and education. They instill essential life skills, morals, and behaviors.
By helping our children discover library joy, we are creating a sacred third space which is essential for community building. It is the space where everyone can be a library kid no matter their age or background. Threets is not only imagining this world but building it as a PBS resident librarian, the host of Reading Rainbow and acclaimed bibliophile.
Here are a few ways that you can unleash library joy in the lives of our children:
1) Explore the meaning of being a bibliophile: Challenge children to use their dictionary and learn a new word, bibliophile. The word comes from the Greek words biblio (book) and philos (friend or loving). This means a “lover of books.” Follow the format of a spelling bee by instructing the child to state the word, spell it and then say the word again. For a learning challenge, also ask the child to use the word, bibliophile, in a sentence.
2) Share about the history of library sit-ins and read-ins: You can teach children about the St. Helena Four and Greenville Eight. This is a reminder we must remain forever vigilant in protecting libraries as spaces of learning, growth, exploration, and fellowshipping. Explore this historical context and learn more about the power of leadership for social justice by reading: “Fight for the Right to Read: Samuel Wilbert Tucker and the 1939 Sit-down Strike for Library Reading Equality.”
3) Visit your local library: Libraries offer a range of programming to support family learning from story time for young children to tech centers for teens. Public libraries are your family’s investment since they are primarily funded by local tax dollars. Maximize the benefits of your library card and enjoy all of the opportunities that your library offers.
4) Participate in the Leaders are Readers program: At Planting People Growing Justice, we are committed to helping children discover joy in reading. We host our monthly Leaders are Readers program at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Centers. Children and families gather and participate in a book giveaway, author read aloud, and fun learning activities.
Through her organization, Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute, Dr. Artika Tyner offers resources to foster literacy and education.