The pandemic wiped out decades of progress in children’s reading skills. So what’s a librarian hoping to engage children and teenagers with books and reading to do? “Meet them where they are,” said Sara Day, a teen services librarian at the Woodland Public Library in Woodland, Calif. And that, she said, is on TikTok. A growing number of librarians are joining her there. On TikTok, librarians don costumes, dance to viral songs, show off new books and bond with their co-workers. And as they do so, they draw in visitors and drum up interest in reading: Margo Moore, 28, a teen services librarian, said that interest in books featured in popular TikTok videos often spikes in the days and weeks that follow. Library TikTok is related to, but distinct from, BookTok, a corner of the platform where readers post about their favorite books and which has become a force in book sales. On library TikTok, there is chatter about books, but librarians also post about resources and events, showcasing libraries as welcoming places for diverse communities. Librarians said that the TikTok videos are also a blast for the staff, who are often dealing with burnout and stress after serving their communities throughout the pandemic. As conflicts over book bans escalate across the country, some librarians have also come under attack. Several librarians also said that the platform can be helpful in dispelling stereotypes and giving people a realistic view of what libraries and librarians are like in 2022. Tap the link in our bio to read the full story. (Image: Celia Greer, left, a teen coordinator at the Kankakee Public Library, with her colleague Tamara Martinez. Being on TikTok tells young people that “we’re here, we hear you, we feel you,” Greer said. 📸 Photo credit: @lawrenceagyei for The New York Times)