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Do you have a colleague who is a well-organized and knowledgeable manager, a skilled and articulate book evaluator, or an intelligent and creative leader in the field of youth services? Do you recognize one or more of these qualities in yourself? We are looking for ALSC members committed to our core values — Collaboration, Excellence, Inclusiveness, Innovation, Integrity and Respect, Leadership, and Responsiveness — to serve our association. The 2015 ALSC poll will open soon for voting, and it’s time to start thinking about next year’s slate of candidates.

The members of the 2016 ALSC Nominating Committee encourage you to make recommendations for the following positions for the spring 2016 ballot:

• ALSC Vice-President/President-Elect
• ALSC Board Director
• New to ALSC Board Director
• ALSC Fiscal Officer
• ALSC 2018 Caldecott Award Committee Member
• ALSC 2018 Newbery Award Committee Member
• ALSC 2018 Sibert Award Committee Member
• ALSC 2018 Wilder Award Committee Member

The deadline for member nominations for the 2016 slate is Tuesday, March 31, 2015. Simply fill out the online suggestion form at:

Suggestion Form for 2016 ALSC Ballot 

We appreciate your assistance, and look forward to hearing from you.

The post Nominate a Colleague for the 2016 ALSC Ballot appeared first on ALSC Blog.

The advocacy button, available from the Everyday Advocacy site (image courtesy of ALSC)

The buttons, emblazoned with the slogan “Creating a Better Future for Children through Libraries,” will be available at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco and various state/local conferences.

Attached to each button is a tip sheet, created by the ALSC Advocacy and Legislation Committee, that includes talking points to help articulate the value of youth library service. A virtual button will be available soon.

ALSC is also inviting prospective advocates to claim their own button. By submitting a question, an elevator speech, or a news item for the Everyday Advocacy Matters e-newsletter, participants can get a button mailed to them. This is only available for individual buttons. ALSC does not currently have the capacity to mail bulk orders of buttons and tip sheets.

The post How to Claim Your Advocacy Button appeared first on ALSC Blog.

On Friday, January 30, 2015 the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), in collaboration with the Children’s Book Council hosted the invitation-only Day of Diversity: Dialogue and Action in Children’s Literature and Library Programming. Recognizing the conversations at the event was of interest to a much larger audience than we were able to accommodate at the Day of Diversity, ALSC and the CBC Diversity Committee sponsored a follow up program at ALA Midwinter. ALSC will continue to share information and outcomes from this event widely.

On Monday, February 2nd during their Session II meeting, the ALSC Board of Directors reflected on the Day of Diversity and put together a list of commitments by the Association for the next three months and the next six months.

This isn’t the start of the diversity or inclusion conversation for ALSC, nor by any means is it the end. This list reflects the measurable next steps that ALSC’s leadership has committed the Association to taking in the short term. These steps include educational opportunities for our members and opportunities for all ALSC members to add their voice and ideas to this conversation. We look forward to your participation and feedback throughout.

Completed

• At the ALSC Board of Directors Session II on Monday, February 2, 2015 – the Board voted to move the start time of ALSC’s All-Committee meeting, during Annual Conference only, to 10:30AM – 12:00PM to allow for more participation by ALSC members at the CSK Breakfast. The Board recognizes that this may limit the amount of time committees have to work, but encourages chairs to work throughout the year virtually between meetings to disperse the workload.

3 Months

• ALSC President Ellen Riordan will host an open online Day of Diversity Forum in February 2015. Stay tuned for the finalized date and time.

• ALSC will host a free Building STEAM with Día webinar.

• ALSC will craft, and make available, a value based elevator speech about Día in order to assist youth services librarians in advocating for resources to plan Día and other multicultural programming.

• ALSC will convene a taskforce that will review multiple areas within the Association including materials, services and profession; and propose high level changes to move the diversity needle forward within children’s librarianship.

6 Months

• ALSC will complete a Building STEAM with Día Toolkit.

• Together, ALSC and the Children’s Book Council, will compile Day of Diversity survey results, resources, and participant’s personal ‘next steps’ and make information available online.

• An “action” tab will be placed on the Día website which will contain resources shared at the Day of Diversity with additional content added. Additionally, ALSC will link to these resources from the professional tools portion of the ALSC website.

• ALSC award and evaluation committee chair trainings will include a discussion about inclusion and diversity.

The post ALSC’s Next Steps after Day of Diversity appeared first on ALSC Blog.

About three years ago, I did what would probably be considered the craziest thing for a first semester (heck, first month) MLS/MIS student could do, I filled out a volunteer form for ALSC, and I never looked back.

Since joining and volunteering in ALSC, I’ve made some wonderful connections and started to develop a better understanding of what my professional interests are. One of the very first people I met was Starr Latronica, who was then President of ALSC (hi Starr!). It was nice to meet someone was genuinely interested in what my passions were and could provide insight into the library world. Since I first met Starr, she’s provided me guidance when I’ve been struggling with concerns, and when I picked up my life and moved, she helped me find someone in the area who might be able to provide some insight. I’ve also met people like Linda Perkins who I instantly bonded with over baseball, and Sam Bloom. Sam sent me a postcard welcoming me to ALSC, and then I realized that we not only shared a school (Go Hoosiers!) but a library. Sam is currently the Children’s Librarian at the Blue Ash branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton- the same branch I learned to read in! ALSC has led me to people like Dan Bostrom – if you don’t know Dan, you should introduce yourself to him at a conference. Aside from giving me insight into membership things (that is after all his job), he’s provided me with encouragement and advice for how to navigate the library world.

But like I said, ALSC has done more than just introduce me to people. It’s piqued my interest in Intellectual Freedom, Technology, and Multicultural Children’s Literature. It has provided me with ways to become involved in these fields through introduction to groups such as Little eLit, and roundtables like EMIERT and GLBTRT.

Over the past few years, I have served on the Intellectual Freedom Committee, the Stonewall Book Award Committee, and been the GLBTRT-ALSC liaison. I have also unsuccessfully tried my own hand at chairing a task force. I would not have been able to explore these opportunities- or have the courage to walk away from the ones that I have- if it were not for ALSC.

So, I encourage you. After you read this post, follow this link to read about how you can get involved in ALSC, on a level that feels right to you. I promise, you won’t regret it.

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Our guest blogger today is Alyson Feldman-Piltch.  Alyson lives in Brookline, MA. She is almost done with her MLS/MIS program and will graduate from Indiana University at Bloomington in May 2015. She is a member of the ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee and the 2015 Stonewall Book Award Committee, as well as the GLBTRT-ALSC liaison.

When she isn’t reading, doing homework, blogging, or sleeping, Alyson can usually be found at Fenway Park or a midnight movie showing at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. She can be reached at [email protected] and can be found on Twitter by following @aly_fp.

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at [email protected].

The post The Importance of Being Involved appeared first on ALSC Blog.

The economic divide in America is a growing concern to librarians, especially as we have learned time and again that children who come from households in the lower socio-economic brackets often enter Kindergarten less prepared than their more affluent peers. I don’t need to use this space to reiterate all of the research that shows how language-rich environments help children, and how libraries can help caregivers and children. I know that children’s librarians from across the country are already thinking creatively about how to best reach underserved populations with engaging outreach and programming. But did you know that there is a well established national nonprofit that already has connections with some of the hardest to reach families in your community? This nonprofit is eager to work with libraries because their mission very clearly overlaps with ours.

The Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP), an evidence-based early literacy, parenting, and school readiness model, is committed to closing the achievement gap by providing low-income families the skills and materials they need to prepare their children for school and life success. – www.parent-child.org

PCHP was founded in 1965, and has years of data showing how their model helps children succeed. Community-based early literacy specialists, the PCHP home visitors, are hired and trained locally, and work with families in their homes, building trusting relationships over time. In the home, the home visitors model reading, conversation, and play activities for caregivers.

I spoke with Sarah Walzer, CEO of PCHP, and we agreed that public libraries and PCHP make perfect partners. Already, PCHP works with libraries around the country in various ways. 2 PCHP sites on Long Island, NY are actually housed in libraries (most are housed in school districts or through social services or other community-based organizations). All PCHP site coordinators and home visitors are encouraged to set up visits to local libraries, taking families to the library to get cards, book advice, and begin to feel comfortable and welcome there. PCHP staff sometimes reach out to local libraries to ask for specific programs, like bilingual storytimes or a special storytime for PCHP families.

Ms. Walzer emphasized that PCHP staff are experts in connecting with the families we want to reach: non-native English speakers, new immigrants, and those living at the bottom of the economic ladder. We should be using these experts to help us reach families and learn more about how to best serve them.

I encourage you to use the PCHP website to find if there is a site located near you. If there is, pick up the phone and reach out to them! We can work together to help children have success in school and life. Do you already work with a local PCHP site or have ideas of how to partner with them? Please share in the comments.

Ashley Waring is a Children’s Librarian at the Reading Public Library in Reading, MA. She is a member of the ALSC Liaison with National Organizations Committee.

In order to examine how libraries incorporate different kinds of new media devices into their branches and programming; we ask for your participation in the Young Children, New Media and Libraries Survey prior to Monday, August 18, 2014.

Participation in this survey will help us better understand the scope, challenges, and next steps for libraries regarding new media use. We would like one librarian from your branch who is able to answer questions regarding your library’s use of new media to complete this survey.

Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NTN6PWT.

The survey includes 9 questions and we anticipate it will take no longer than 10-15 minutes to complete. Additional information regarding this survey can be found online: http://www.ala.org/alsc/young-children-new-media-and-libraries-survey.

This survey was created in partnership with LittleeLit.com, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of ALA, and the University of Washington. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact us at the below emails.

Cen Campbell ([email protected])
J. Elizabeth Mills ([email protected])
Joanna Ison ([email protected])

Today kicks off first day of National Library Legislative Day and your ALSC Advocacy and Legislative Committee has made it easier than ever this year for YOU to participate from home!

Explore the Everyday Advocacy website to find fantastic resources so you can tell law makers why libraries are important to your community.

Find talking points and contact information so you can tell your Congressmen and Senator what libraries are doing in their own district. Download and personalize a letter template to send to your lawmakers asking them to support library funding through LSTA, Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL), and other important bills.

The website also has ready to go tweets like the ones found below that allow you to just click and tweet!

• Tweet 1: It pays 2 support #libraries! Investment in libraries = investment in education & lifelong learning #VLLD14
• Tweet 2: Using <2% of tax dollars #libraries provide services to 2/3 of public! Support Libraries! #VLLD14

Advocating for libraries has never been easier! Make sure you take action this week for your library and your community!

Image courtesy of ALSC

Today children and families in Omaha, Nebraska will receive free bilingual books to take home and will make their own. In Parma Heights, Ohio children will “travel” around the world while listening to stories from a children’s book author. And in Tucson, Arizona a hand puppet show and live music will bring old-world storytelling to audiences at the Pima County Public Library.

Check out all the great programs happening through the National Program Registry.

Are you celebrating Día this year? Make sure you share your stories and pictures on the Día Facebook page. Or tweet them using the official hashtag (#dia14alsc).

And don’t worry if you don’t have anything planned for today! Día can be celebrated throughout the year with the great resources ALSC has to offer including family book club lesson plans, book lists, coloring sheets and more. Download your free resources TODAY and celebrate Diversity In Action all year @ your library!

Learn more about Día and access all of the free resources at: http://dia.ala.org

Download a copy of the new white paper today! (image courtesy of ALSC)

The white paper explores the critical role libraries play in helping children make cross-cultural connections and develop skills necessary to function in a culturally pluralistic society. It states:

By including diversity in its programs and collections, the library has the potential for helping children make cross-cultural connections and develop the skills necessary to function in a culturally pluralistic society.

As this paper calls for libraries to include diversity in programming and materials for children as an important piece in meeting the informational and recreational needs of their community, ALSC encourage you to take action in your own library and community. The paper is available online at: http://www.ala.org/alsc/importance-diversity. Hard copies can be requested by emailing Joanna Ison at [email protected].

The Importance of Diversity in Library Programs and Material Collections for Children, and its message, has the endorsement of ALSC, the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children.

Have you ever had this following conversation with yourself as you thought about your upcoming week at work? “Okay, so I have six programs this week, and I should have checked out that new book I wanted to use with that group.  It’s probably already checked out by now. I have those three reports due by tomorrow and that mandatory meeting that will last all day. I have the article due next week, but I won’t have time to work on that next week, so I have to somehow find that time this week. There were those four emails I read right as we were closing, but I need to learn more about that project before I can respond  . . .”

It’s easy for our thoughts about our work to be more focused on our deadlines instead of the difference that we can make. Of course, deadlines are a necessary part of our work and are a good measure of how much we can accomplish and contribute to our profession. The trap that is easy to fall into, however, is measuring the success of a week based on checking off those deadlines from a to-do list instead of focusing on the real reason behind the work we do at our libraries.     

Image provided by Thinkstockphotos.com

 Clearly, we’ve dedicated our professional lives to working with and for children and their families for the positive difference this can make. How can we remember to get out of the deadline-driven slump and focus both on those tangible and intangible reasons behind why we do what we do? At our recent North Carolina Library Association Conference I attended last month, I brainstormed some ways to make sure I focus first on the difference and then on the deadline.

1.       Participate in the Profession

It’s hard to think that when we have a bunch of projects due or programs to plan that this is the time to participate even more in our profession. The truth is that it is all too easy to be constantly focused on the next monthly report or spending the budget before the end of the fiscal year.  It is easy to forget the big picture of why that report and that budget matter. Volunteering to serve on an internal committee or stepping up as the youth services representative can help us to focus on the impact of our work and is also a small step in us controlling the direction of our work instead of letting our deadlines always drive us.

2.       Continuing Education Continues to Matter

It is easy to fall into the daily grind of work.  Participation in continuing education opportunities, whether it is through a conference or planning training for other branch staff, encourages us to become more invigorated about our work. Hearing about another library system’s best practices can motivate all of us to focus on the positive impact of one of our programs or library services. Reading blogs and professional journals can inspire us to think of that next great idea. It’s easy to want to let these professional experiences fall by the wayside if we are overwhelmed by our current workload, but the benefits of participating in these types of opportunities serves to motivate us in the long run.

Image provided by Thinkstockphotos.com

  3.       Talk It Up

I’m sure we’ve all heard that comment from an oblivious stranger, “You went to library school? They have a school for that?” All those moments when we share about the reality of our work with those that haven’t had a chance to experience all that libraries have to offer is an opportunity to share the impact of what we do. When we discuss the benefits of our latest program or service, whether it’s with a library customer we have just met or a longtime family member or friend, we affirm the real reason behind our work.

Deadlines have a definite purpose in our careers, but they should not define it. What tips have you learned to remember to focus on the bigger picture and not to get bogged down by those deadlines? Please share in the comments below!

Do we recognize this patron from our libraries? How may we best provide support to this customer? Image provided by Thinkstockphotos.com

At our library system, we do not have age restrictions for our regular story times and do not require registration for these types of programs. While we communicate that story times are geared for a specific age range, we welcome everyone, thus allowing those parents with children of multiple ages to attend.  With no registration required for our story times, this encourages our parents to drop by when it is most convenient for them.

We have also introduced laptops that customers may use within the library. The adults frequently use these computers while in the children’s department. This allows them to get the work they need to do accomplished as well as the chance to spend that time with their child. Thirdly, we have also trained staff on the rights of those who choose to nurse in public. By ensuring staff are trained on how to respect these customers’ choice, we minimize the chance patrons will feel uncomfortable caring for their child in the library.

How can we best assist parents who struggle to juggle it all?  Image provided by Thinkstockphotos.com

Becoming a support to parents does not need to be at the expense of your other customers, your time, or your staff. Simple ways in which we approach caregivers can have a tremendous impact.  The suggestions above may not be the best choice for your community, but you may have developed another procedure or policy to support those parents you serve.

As a parent to a young child, I know I will continue to gravitate toward activities and places that are the most welcoming for my daughter and me to share together. Our library system is at the top of those destinations on my list. How do you provide an encouraging place for caregivers in your community? What have you most enjoyed about experiencing the library from the patron’s perspective, as a parent, a caregiver, or a grandparent? Please share in the comments below!

This past month, I finished my first full term as Wisconsin’s Chapter Councilor on the ALA Council.  It has been a great adventure and I can hardly wait for the next two years of services as I continue my term. I have spent decades as an ALSC leader – serving on committees and as committee chair on process committees and even a time or two on an award committee. I have also spent decades as a leader in my own state association.  Combining these two streams of process junkie-hood and leadership makes for a perfect preparation for Council.

When I first talked to my library colleagues both in state and nationally about my new Council service, the biggest surprise I had was how many sympathized for me and thanked me for serving in such a difficult assignment.  What?!?! Were they nuts? I was looking forward to a new level of service and leadership. Was I missing something?

Happily, no. The Council of the past and the monster nightmare of people’s imaginations is not the ALA Council I serve on.  There is certainly debate but the rancor is missing. People have been welcoming, have provided support and insight for me and I can say that after one year I am feeling like I am home. I am getting to know some smart, savvy caring people from all types of libraries and all library positions. I am making contacts across divisions as well and talking about the issues I care about and becoming more knowledgable about issues that matter to others.  I am becoming stronger and smarter (I think!).

Just one little teeny tiny thing is missing for me.  Youth colleagues and leaders from ALSC are very few and far between. I have plenty of youth peeps from YALSA and AASL but ALSC is sadly underrepresented.  Where are you, my friends?

I know in the past we have had many more folks representing ALSC as at-large members.  Would you like to consider joining our small but merry (and meaningful) band?  It’s easy. You can submit your name to the nominations committee. You can petition for a spot on the ballot with a mere 25 signatures of ALA members which you can garner online.

It is amazing feeling to effect change on a divisional level and to work on behalf of youth librarianship and kids on that stage.  It is an extraordinary feeling to do the same thing on the ALA Council level. Won’t you consider joining me there?  I promise you, the water is fine….and fun!

Our guest blogger today is Marge Loch-Wouters, the Youth Services Coordinator at La Crosse (WI) Public Library. Marge is active in ALSC and blogs regularly about youth library services issues at Tiny Tips for Library Fun

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at [email protected].

“Oh, how sweet,” said the person I had just met. “You have a background in children’s services.  It must be nice to play around with puppets all day.”  This off-hand comment really struck a chord with me. Yes, programming is fun (at least it should be.)  It’s also an essential role of the job of a youth services librarian, working with purpose behind the practice. 

The high-energy antics (as well as those incredible voices) of a puppet show may be viewed by colleagues from other departments and those customers outside of our profession as simple play.  In youth services, however, the reasons behind why we do what we do (how interactive library programs for children develop essential literacy skills and promote a positive association with books and libraries, to name a few) is, as we know, a life-changer. How can we best get our message across to those who think our work is merely “child’s play?”  We can start by simply sharing our ABCs. 

A stands for Advocacy.  As librarians working with children, we can promote the benefits of our work with passion, but we have to learn the language of those around us.  If a customer expresses concern about preparing her daughter for school, we can discuss how our programs develop school-readiness skills. If our supervisors value statistics, we can frame the conversation around our high picture book circulation or our programming figures from the last quarter.   Advocating for children’s services doesn’t only have a role in formal presentations; the opportunity presents itself at the most unusual times, often during a brief exchange with a customer or a quiet moment before a meeting begins.

B stands for Books.  Books are at the heart of our profession.  Parents, and library staffers in other departments, may be so inundated with the influence of standardized testing that they fail to realize the role readers’ advisory can play in assessing children’s reading interests and abilities.  When we promote books, we promote our departments.  We can connect books to every aspect of our programming and puppet shows. Working in customer service, whether staffing a desk or engaging in proactive reference, allows us to answer questions and connect the right book to each reader. As youth services librarians, we can also offer training to our colleagues from other departments on readers’ advisory for children and teens.  Providing these trainings and workshops to staff outside of youth services ensures all our staffers have some understanding of the theory and hands-on training required when working with youth.

C stands for Collaboration.  When we partner with other library departments, we offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the work required in youth services.  This collaboration can take many forms; invite other departmental staffers to shadow a youth services staffer for a day and speak up at library meetings to ensure children’s initiatives have a voice.  In our Hope Mills Branch of the Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center, we include departmental staff from all areas to assist with aspects of programming, under youth services staffers’ direction.  We also cross-train employees to staff both service desks at our community facility, providing information services staff an opportunity to work the Children’s Desk, and youth services staff frequen

No doubt you ensure that kids have access to books on every topic under the sun. You must celebrate Banned Books Week with a nice display of And Tango Makes Three, In the Night Kitchen and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Of course your library has a nice policy on book challenges and you have the forms ready to hand out to customers. But what happens after you get an official book challenge and your library follows all of the action steps and the issue has been resolved? Do you report the challenge to the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom or do you file the challenge away?

According to the OIF’s estimations, only 20 to 25 percent of challenges are reported. This is crazy! Can you imagine NOT HAVING ACCESS to 75 percent of your programming statistics? How would you determine where to focus your budget, time and attention? The answer: you could guess.

Please take the time to report challenges. It is easy. There are several ways to do it (and you can choose to remain anonymous). Here is the simple online challenge reporting form. This page has a form to print out and fax or mail in and the phone number for the OIF if you need assistance with a challenge.

And spread the word to your colleagues. Here you can find images like the cool banner above that you are free to print out or use online. Spread the word far and wide, the OIF needs you to report each and every challenge.

It’s a sad reality–children with and without disabilities are often the target of name-calling and bullying in our schools and in our communities.  That’s why the No Name-Calling Week campaign is important.  By providing tools and inspiration, this project kick-starts dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying and name-calling of all kinds in communities across the country.

No Name-Calling Week was actually inspired by a book–The Misfits by James Howe.  It’s a story about four middle school students who feel like outsiders in their own community.  They band together and decide to create their own political party with the platform of eliminating all name-calling from their school.  Motivated by this message, the No Name-Calling Week Coalition was created by GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children’s publishing.  Together, they organized an actual No Name-Calling Week in schools across the country. Since then, No Name-Calling Week is recognized each year to bring attention to this all-too-important topic.

I often think of a good book as a good friend, and I know so many of the kids that we serve feel the same way.  But if a child is being bullied, a book may be the only friend that child has.  Because of this, books about bullying and with characters that are being bullied have an important place on our shelves–they let children know that they aren’t alone.  Here’s a selection of books and websites that can help educate and provide hope to those children that need it. 

 What is YOUR library doing to call attention to No-Name Calling Week?  For a little inspiration, check out these amazing stories from the Danville Public Library and the Howard County Library System.

Non-Fiction

• We Want You To Know: Kids Talk About Bullying by Deborah Ellis
• Freaks, Geeks, and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence by Luke Jackson
• A Smart Kid’s Guide to Online Bullying by David Jakubiak
• Bullies to Buddies: How to Turn Your Enemies into Friends by Izzy Kalman
• Stop Bullying Bobby: Helping Children Cope with Teasing and Bullying by Dana Smith-Mansell
• Nobody Knew What to Do: A Story About Bullying by Becky McCain
• Bullies are a Pain in the Brain by Trevor Romain
• Bullying and Me: Schoolyard Stories by Ouisie Shapiro

Picture Books

• Lucy and the Bully by Claire Alexander
• Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Bullies by Howard Binkow
• Jehu’s Shoes by Jehu Brown
• Simon’s Hook: A Story About Teases and Put-downs by Karen Gedig Burnett
• Bully B.E.A.N.S. by Julia Cook
• Bird Child by Nan Forler
• How the Moon Regained Her Shape by Janet Ruth Heller
• Stand Ta
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Think of all the people you know who choose to make a positive impact on kids. Teachers, bus drivers, nurses, cafeteria workers, tutors, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, doctors, crossing guards, social workers, foster parents, and yes, children’s librarians, are some of the people who impact our kids and communities on an ongoing and daily basis.

Next Thursday, November 3rd, is Thank a Youth Worker Day.  This international day of celebrating and honoring youth workers is a great day to recognize all those unsung heroes and heroines who work with or on behalf of children and youth to facilitate their personal, social, and educational development.

I challenge you to think of one, or two, or five youth workers who have made a difference in a child’s life and use this Thursday as an “excuse” to say “Thank You.” And let me also take this opportunity to say thank YOU for all you do. Whether you are helping a child find a book “just like Captain Underpants,” presenting a storytime or program, helping with a homework assignment, explaining safe searching techniques,  talking with kids in an afterschool program, or any of the hundreds of other ways you impact kids in your library, your work is important. And valued. Thank you!

I had the absolute pleasure of presenting on a panel with three other sensational youth services librarians this week at the Illinois Library Association Annual Conference.  Representing small, medium, and large libraries, we talked about the development of programs and outreach services to children and young adults with special needs.  One librarian presented on using American Sign Language (ASL) in her storytime.  Another discussed how she led book discussions and reader’s theater programs with a group of high school students.  The third librarian talked about how she incorporates sensory-friendly crafts into her programs.  While each of our programs are vastly different from the other, I realized there was one common thread throughout: bravery.

At one point or another, all four of us were “newbies.”  We may have planned dozens of storytimes, booktalks, or book discussions, but there was a moment when we had to lead that program for the first time for an audience of patrons with special needs.  I’ll be the first one to admit that starting a new storytime terrified me.  I envisioned one of two outcomes.  Either no one would show up, or I would have a group of 12 children screaming, crying, and running around the room not listening to a word of my storytime–any librarian’s nightmare. True, I may worry more than the average person, but at the heart of it, I was nervous that all my hard work would go to waste. Let me tell you, this couldn’t be farther than the truth–it was a complete success!

But how do you measure success for programs for an audience of patrons with special needs?  And how do you know there will be an audience for your new program?  From a practical standpoint, librarians need to validate time and money spent with cold, hard statistics.  How many patrons are we serving?  Does this program have a return on investment (ROI)?  These are important questions, especially when advocating for funding in these financially trying times.  The truth is, I took a risk in developing a new program, but I knew it was a risk worth taking.  Even if I didn’t officially survey the community, I knew that many state and nationally funded programs lost funding this year.  I also saw there had been an increased number of patrons with special needs using our facilities.

If you would like to develop a new program for an audience of patrons with special needs, it’s important to assess the need first.  Observe who is coming into your space and what services they are using.  Have casual conversations with them or their caregivers to find out how else a library can meet their needs.  Connect with the special education teachers in your district and ask if the Library can support their classroom.  Maybe it means creating an offical survey about special needs services at your library and evaluating feedback fro your community.  This can tell you a lot about what new services or programs you may want to provide.  Time and time again, I have been told by parents, teachers, and even special education administrators that the real achievement is just doing something.

A library has not always been a place where patrons with special needs are welcome, but that’s changing.  I see it in the excited faces of those that attended my ILA program, ready to bring a fresh perspective and new ideas back to their library. I see it in the increased number of parents registering their child with special needs for library programs.  I see it in the attitude shift of library staff after participating in a disability awareness training.  I see it in the increased number of webinars and other online learning opportunities for professi

As we begin fall, the real work of ALSC begins. Committees start buckling down and working on their charges. Online courses begin the serious readings and discussions. Webinars start popping up for learners on-the-go. And members turn their attention to two very important events on the horizon: 1) the Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, TX, and 2) ALSC National Institute in Indianapolis, IN. It’s an exhilarating time to be a member, so why not join us?

Joining ALSC is a commitment to children, reading, and libraries. Here at ALSC, we are dedicated to raising a nation of readers and that starts by being advocates for libraries, children’s librarians, and the books and programs that help kids learn to read. Being a member is more than just being an advocate, it means professional and personal development in new areas of expertise. Here are some of the benefits of membership with ALSC:

Access to resources that strengthen libraries

• Apply for $82k annually in awards, scholarships and grants available only to ALSC members
• Discounts on professional products and services such as books and online courses
• Automatic subscriptions to ALSC’s academic journal and newsletter

Professional development opportunities that transform careers

• Quarterly online courses that develop new skills and areas of expertise for librarians and children’s literature enthusiasts
• Webinars that present new interesting ideas in a convenient and affordable manner
• Pre-conferences, conferences, and ALSC’s National Institute are all great places to advance your knowledge base and build leadership skills

Networking with individuals all across the country to create ideas and solve problems

• Access to ALSC’s social media platforms, electronic discussion list to learn about new programs and services
• Discussion sessions on ALSC’s online forum where connections are made and key issues are reviewed

To join ALSC and take advantage of our friendly rates, please check out the ALSC Membership page.

ALSC is looking for feedback about the recently approved 2012-2017 ALSC Strategic Focus Plan. More specifically, ALSC wants suggestions on where to focus the association’s energy in the next few years.

The discussion is taking place right now on ALA Connect. This forum is supplemental to the conversation that took place in-person at the 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans.

To help facilitate the conversation, ALSC President Mary Fellows has outlined three questions for members to address:

1. When you think about the work of ALSC, how would you define it outside of the description of any particular age group?

2. Looking at ages 12, 13, and 14, what do we believe we bring to the children in those age ranges? How does ALSC support the work in those age ranges?

3. Looking at the 2012-2017 ALSC Strategic Plan goal areas, Advocacy, Education, and Access to Library Services, what might be some actions ALSC member leaders, committees, and staff could take in the coming year to further the goals and related objectives?

Please take a look at the conversation on ALA Connect and submit your thoughts and ideas! To participate, log on to ALA Connect and visit http://connect.ala.org/node/151258. Thanks again for playing your part in ALSC’s future!

As the Membership Specialist for ALSC, I get this question a lot:

“I loved Annual Conference, but I’d like to be more involved in ALSC. How do I do that?”

Great question, thanks for asking!

The first step is to find the right committee for you. If you’re a member of ALSC, you may want to check out the ALSC website, which has a list of committees by priority group. Pick a committee that matches your interests.

Like putting together book lists? Join the Quicklists Consulting Committee.

Interested in helping identify talented new librarians? Join the ALSC Scholarship Committee.

But maybe you’re not a “read off of websites” kind of person. No problem. There’s also this full-color, PDF version called ALSC Committees: A Guide to Participation available for download (458 KB).

Once you’ve looked through the potential committees, it’s time to fill out your Committee Volunteer Form (Word document). Fill this out and email it to [email protected].

And finito! Well…not quite. After a few weeks, you can expect an email from your chair notifying you to which committee you’ve been assigned. Remember that some of the committees are harder to get on than others. You might not always get the committee you want, which is one reason you are encouraged to check the “wherever I’m needed” box.

Regardless of what committee you get, you can expect a few things: 1) you’ll learn a lot, 2) you’ll meet a lot of energetic fellow members, and 3) you’ll have a great time. So get going and join a committee soon!

I was sad to hear that the annual competition for the Book Cart Drill Team World Championship had been canceled this year, but I just heard about something which might be even more fun and will certainly be more powerful. It’s also something that anyone going to the Annual Conference can participate in; no special skills required! It’s a Freeze Mob to advocate for libraries and librarians, and it’s taking place on Sunday, June 26 in New Orleans during the conference.

As detailed in PC Sweeney’s Blog:

“This is the ALA Advocacy Freeze. Where we get out of the echo chamber of the conference and show that Libraries and Communities can and should continue to support each other. The plan is to have a large convergence of librarians at Jackson Square at 5:45 on Sunday. All participants should wear some kind of library related t-shirt, pose in some position, or bring something that identifies them as a librarian. All participants will converge on the park grounds at 5:45 for the mob and freeze from 5:50-5:53 to show our large presence at ALA and show that we care about the community of NOLA and that communities should care about Libraries. Afterwards we’re encouraging everyone to get out into the restaurants and bars and make a ruckus in NOLA!”

Wouldn’t it be great to have a bunch of children’s librarians participating, all of them wearing kids’ themed, library-related, red t-shirts?  I’m hoping to participate and am looking for a good saying to DIY on my shirt; I’d love to hear your suggestions!

ALSC’s official journal, Children and Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children (CAL), is now soliciting manuscripts for its 2011 volume year and beyond.

CAL, which publishes three times per year (spring, summer/fall, and winter), is a refereed publication with a target audience of more than 3,700 children’s librarians (public and school).

Any topics of interest and import to children’s librarians are welcome. It’s a great way to get published in the profession and to share your research and program successes, as well as lessons learned, with thousands of colleagues in the field.

All academic manuscripts are reviewed by at least two peer referees in consideration for publication. Accepted articles will carry the author’s byline and a brief bio; articles are unpaid.

For more information on how to submit articles for consideration, please contact Editor Sharon Korbeck Verbeten at [email protected].

The ALSC Quicklists Consulting Committee has created a booklist, Books on Islam for Children and Teens, to assist members who may be receiving requests for book titles on Islam, Muslims and the Qur’an in response to a planned public burning of the Qur’an by Rev. Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida. The suggested reading list is now available on the ALSC website. The list is a mixture of fiction and nonfiction; and is divided by preschoolers, elementary school students and teenagers. The Committee expects to refine the list in the weeks to come, so please check back for updates.

Also, in Chicago, librarians and library advocates will speak out and support the freedom to read by assembling on the step of ALA headquarters on Saturday, September 11th at 1pm and will make a statement against book burning and will read from the Qur’an. For more information regarding the protest against book burning, see Inside Scoop: News and Views from Inside American Libraries .

If you are attending the 2010 ALA Conference in Washington D.C. and you like to write, please contact me at [email protected] to learn more about how to share your conference experience with the readers of the ALSC Blog.

Thanks!
Teresa Walls
Manager, ALSC Blog

by Tricia Bohanon Twarogowski

Last week in Part Three, I shared program plans from past Rhythm and Rhyme storytimes for children with special needs and their families. As a result of the partnership between the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC) and the Autism Society of North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County Chapter, training videos have been produced by PLCMC and are posted on the Library’s “Online Learning” webpage. This week I encourage you to view a video segment which contains in its entirety a Rhythm and Rhyme program held April 11, 2009 at Matthews Branch Library.

While watching the program, please note some things previously mentioned as aspects of this type of programming:

• The program begins with a welcome, announcements and a review of the daily schedule. Not only do I mention in the announcements that the program is not exclusionary, but I extend an invitation to all for an upcoming concert. As I review the schedule, I first introduce the presenters. I use as few words as possible when reviewing the schedule.
• We move around the room quite a bit to interact with the children, careful not to be “in their space.” It is also important to not touch the children, even reassuringly, as this may be upsetting to some participants.
• The parents are very involved. They support not only their child’s efforts but also those of the other participants. You will hear them share affirmative statements such as “good job,” “yay!” or “great!” during the class. By the middle of The Deep Blue Sea my reading turns into a group reading!
• We, as presenters, are relaxed and exhibit a sense of humor throughout the program. We smile a lot during the class—partially because we both truly enjoy the experience but also to be welcoming and reassuring.
• We may paraphrase a book as Joanne does during What Makes a Rainbow?
• When we pass out props (butterflies, bean bags, scarves) the parents sometimes enjoy receiving one as well. The parents gauge when the child returns the item—for some parents this may be something they are working on with the child outside of class so it is their lesson to teach rather than ours. If the parents do not wish to upset or insist that the child return the item, we just keep on collecting from the ones who do. We don’t push the participants to do motions in these prop songs but instead welcome their participation.
• The children may not be sitting down and they may not participate in ways in which we are accustomed with our other classes. We remain flexible, committed to our program plan and pleasant throughout. At times the noise level may be heightened, but this is okay. We do not ask the children to sit down because we don’t have expectations that they do so and we do not pass judgment regarding behaviors exhibited in class.
• If a participant in the program touches the book or flannel, we are flexible and let the parents decide when they will address the behavior with their child.
• When utilizing double visuals, one must be in tune with their partner as I am with Joanne during the reading of The Deep Blue Sea. This flannel contained many intricate flannel pieces and pacing the book accordingly was necessary.

The second video featured on this PLCMC “Online Learning” webpage shows the Rhythm and Rhyme program in action: http://www.plcmc.org/programs/special_needs/default.asp

After this taping, we changed how we set up materials for the class. For just $15 at IKEA, I purchased a canvas toy box to hold the items. This was in line with a focus group comment suggesting if the items are hidden rather than displayed, it is less distracting. Now our counter is devoid of anything other than the iPod player and I simply arrange the items in order within the box for ease of program flow.

Next week I will wrap up this blog series by sharing potential collaborations and future possibilities for this programming.