What a great day at the Annual Conference! Some of the highlights of my day included:

• Because we have a children’s librarian position open in my library, early in the day I made my way over to the Convention Center for the ALA JobLIST Placement Center’s Open House/Job Fair. It was a well attended event and I had the opportunity to talk with a dozen job seekers. What a great opportunity for job seekers and libraries needing librarians of all types to connect!
• Babies Need Words Every Day: Bridging the Word Gap as a Community offered a panel discussion about the importance & support methods which could be used to enhance the exposure of children to language; this was preceded by a presentation about Too Small to Fail. They shared information about how to motivate behavior change among adult caregivers for children, and the need to shift cultural norms about the early literacy importance of talking, reading, and singing to babies and toddlers. Several ways this can be done include having trusted members of the community, such as pediatricians and children’s librarians, speak to (and model for) parents & grandparents about the importance of talking, reading, and singing to their kids. Too Small to Fail’s open source information – which is intended to enhance existing efforts in libraries and communities around the country – is available at talkingisteaching.org. Their work will continue to evolve based on ongoing research.
• Stopping in at the Children’s Notable Book Discussions left me with a reading list of “must reads,” serendipitous meetings with old colleagues & friends was pleasant , and watching snippets of the Gay Pride parade as I walked back to my hotel brought tears to my eyes. (It was just so JOYFUL!!!)

And now it’s time to get ready for the Newbery/Caldecott/Wilder celebration which will take place later tonight. It’s been a great day in San Francisco!

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