Chelsea Clinton Speaks at UNO

Just over 100 people gathered at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center on Thursday, May 10, to hear from Chelsea Clinton, the former First Daughter of the United States and a best-selling author of children’s books, among many other titles.

Clinton provided the keynote address for the “Stronger Together” conference hosted by Library Journal and School Library Journal, trade publications for librarians, as well as Omaha Public Schools and Omaha Public Library. She was introduced by Omaha philanthropist Susie Buffett.

In her keynote, Clinton spoke about everything from her love of libraries to her very first memory: Her mom reading “Goodnight, Moon” to her after a fall.

She also spoke about her most recent book, “She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History,” a follow up to her best-selling children’s book “She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World.”

“I reached out to friends and colleagues who lived and worked across the world asking whose stories do you think we should know,” she explained. “These 13 women from 13 different countries are unified by their persistence.”

During a Q&A session, Clinton also remarked on the “word gap” where many families do not have access to books or tools to help improve child literacy when it is needed most, during early childhood.

“One of the things you [librarians and educators] are uniquely in the position to do is to help students that don’t have the resources or support they need.”

“Stronger Together” is a three-day conference for library professionals looking to partner with schools, other education professionals, government leaders, community stakeholders and others. The conference continues through Saturday, May 12.