Learn more about the non for profit formed by Tom and his friends and colleagues Amanda Jones and Andrea Trudeau along with more about their first project for 2025 at Jane Adeny Memorial School in Kenya.
Tom Bober is a school librarian at Captain Elementary in St. Louis, MO. He is a Library Journal Mover and Shaker, former Teacher in Residence at the Library of Congress, and author of the books Building News Literacy and Elementary Educator's Guide to Primary Sources, as well as his newest co-written title, Literature and Primary Sources: The Perfect Pairing for Student Learning. He is a member of teacher advisory boards for the National Portrait Gallery and the American Archive of Public Broadcasting. Tom has written the popular Picture Books and Primary Sources posts for AASL’s Knowledge Quest blog and has hosted The Primary Source Podcast. He has shared his thinking and work across the country and the globe in keynotes, workshops, and a variety of other speaking opportunities. He has collaborated with districts, state organizations and universities to bring customized learning to pre-service and current educators. Tom works with students and educators to promote the love of nonfiction, information literacy, and historical literacy. His foundation is built on over twenty years in public education as a classroom teacher and school librarian.
Speaking
Tom loves to customize a keynote, workshop, or webinar to fit a group's specific needs. He's spoken in person and remotely to groups in 23 states and counting on topics such as:
Finding Your Professional Joy
Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources
Developing News Literacy Skills from the Library to the Classroom
Highlighting Nonfiction in Your Elementary Collection
Primary Sources in the School Library
Close Reading with Historical Newspapers
Primary Sources: Sourcing, Contextualizing, and Analyzing
Many folks said...your keynote was perfect and just what their hearts needed.
VAASL President
Jenna Spiering
We had the pleasure of hosting Tom Bober as a professional development leader for several workshops about connecting primary sources and youth literature, and he is truly an exceptional facilitator—deeply knowledgeable about history and instructional strategies, meticulously prepared, and consistently engaging for educators.
Assistant Professor, UofSC
School Librarian
I loved our visit with Tom and talking to him. He was so knowledgable and friendly and gave me great ideas!
VERDICT An excellent option for elementary librarians and teachers seeking to take student learning further.
School Library Journal
Building News Literacy
VERDICT Practical and user-friendly, with lesson ideas that are ready to implement.
School Library Journal
Literature and Primary Sources: The Perfect Pairing for Student Learning
VERDICT A resourceful tool for educators seeking to create more engaging and informative lessons that connect literature with the rich tapestry of historical and cultural contexts.
School Library Journal
Primary Sources
Find Tom's work on Primary Sources at the places below.
