Critical Data Storytelling for Librarians

How can your library use data stories not just to survive, but to thrive? In this interactive session, Dr. Kate McDowell introduces key ideas from her forthcoming book Critical Data Storytelling for Libraries (ALA Editions, 2025), designed to help all library workers - whether data experts or story experts - craft ethical, evidence-based narratives for advocacy and impact. Participants will learn how to:

-  Reach diverse audiences with stories that inform persuasively
-  Leverage classic and emerging narrative structures for true stories that connect emotionally
-  Increase the resilience of libraries through mindful approaches to conflict 

Based on McDowell’s 30 years of library work and national consulting, this session shares insights from the IMLS-funded Data Storytelling Toolkit for Libraries. In an era of rising censorship and shrinking budgets, critical data storytelling offers a powerful response—one that supports library workers from the smallest rural branches to the largest academic institutions. This session is for anyone who wants to use data to tell the story of why libraries matter—truthfully, powerfully, and strategically.