Jessica Ralli

Jessica Ralli is the coordinator of early literacy programs at Brooklyn Public Library where she coordinates grant-funded programming for BPL’s award-winning First Five Years initiative. She received her M.A. in Early Childhood Special Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, specializing in play-based, emergent and integrated curriculum development for infants and toddlers. She has written about early literacy, children’s books, and library services to young children in School Library Journal (where she co-authors the “First Steps” column with Rachel G. Payne), Library Trends, and the BKLYN Kids Blog. Jessica has presented on early literacy and play-based learning at the American Library Association Conference, Young Child Expo, Bank Street Center for Children’s Literature, Urban Librarians Conference and at other professional forums. In 2020, Jessica received the prestigious Library Journal Movers and Shakers Award for her advocacy work in libraries. Jessica lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two young children, Jack and Cleo.