India, April 23 -- Among the growing number of literature festivals in India, the Bengaluru-based Neev Literature Festival stands out for honouring the vital role that school librarians play in nurturing a love of reading among children and teenagers. Hosted by a school called Neev Academy, the festival has been giving out the Neev Book Awards since 2018. The jury that picks out the winners every year has a sizeable number of librarians on it. This is remarkable because librarians usually work behind the scenes, and their contributions remain unsung.

What makes a library a safe and welcoming space, especially for children who are anxious, feel like they do not fit in, or are excluded by peers? Does this have to do with how librarians are...