How to use this Page

Audiobook fans, mark your calendars now: Monday 7/13, 3:30-5:30pm, McCormick Place West in W-470b. This is a free event, no ticket needed. Grab your seats early, as last year this was a standing-room only event -I even spotted a few Newbery-award winners sitting on the floor! The Odyssey Award recognizes excellence in the production of audiobooks for children & young adults, and is sponsored by ALSC, YALSA, and Booklist. The 2009 Odyssey Awards Presentation and Reception will include appearances by  Sherman Alexie, Mirron Willis, and Katherine Kellgren. Refreshments at the Odyssey celebration are courtesy of the Audio Publishers Association. Come recognize the work of the best and brightest in audiobook publishing - and the hard-working members of the 2009 Odyssey Award committee. Hope to see you there!

July is here - time to plan for ALA! I’ll be part of the three panels below - one each day. Stop in and say hello!

Booklist/Booklist Online: Books and Blogs, Made for Each Other? Saturday 1:30-3:00 McCormick Place West in W-192c. Librarians, readers, publishers, and authors have embraced blogs as a way to locate, learn about, and promote good books to read. Our diverse and distinguished panel of bloggers, including Mary Burkey (Audiobooker), John Green (Brotherhood 2.0), and Kaite Mediatore Stover (Book Group Buzz), and moderated by Booklist Online Senior editor Keir Graff (Likely Stories), will discuss how to use the power of the Web-for the good of books.

Evaluating Audiobooks: Selecting the Best for Children and Teens.

Sunday 10:30-12:00 McCormick Place West in W-470b. As spoken word audio becomes increasingly available in a variety of 21st century formats, interest in audiobooks is high. Presenters will discuss their process in developing expertise in evaluating the audiobook medium for young readers, as well as guidelines for reviewing, purchasing, and collection development of audio materials. The audience will also have opportunities to listen to audiobook excerpts, analyzing quality based on set criteria. Speakers: Sylvia Vardell, Professor Library Science, Texas Woman’s University; Sharon Grover, Head of Youth Services, Hedberg Public Library; Connie Rockman, Children’s Literature Consultant, Stratford, Conn.; Teri Lesesne, Professor of Library Science, Sam Houston State University; Francisca Goldsmith, Director of Branch Services, Halifax Public Libraries; Mary Burkey, Library Media Specialist, Olentangy Local Schools; Merri Lindgren, Librarian, Cooperative Children’s Book Center; Natalie Hoyle, School Media Specialist, Lemont School District.

Multiple Literacies in the Library Monday 3:30-5:30 McCormick Place West in W-179 . A panel presentation and discussion about Multiple Literacies and how the varied forms of literacy affect how librarians and media professionals work. Speakers, including library and educational specialists and children’s book creators, will focus on three types of literacy including visual, audio, and digital. The panel will discuss how these types of literacy relate to traditional literacy education, collection development, and other issues related to youth services. Co-sponsored with The Children’s Book Council, Inc. Moderated by Laura Mancuso, Tricycle Press and David C. Mowery, Brooklyn Public Library. Panelists: Mary Burkey, Teacher-Librarian, Olentangy Local Schools; Karen Potash, Lead Collection Development Specialist OverDrive, Inc.; Christopher J. Borawski, Senior Librarian, Montgomery County Public Schools; David Levithan, Executive Editorial Director, Scholastic Press Fiction; Michele Gorman, Teen Services Coordinator, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County; Jennifer Holm, Author, Random House Children’s Books; Matthew Holm, Author/Illustrator, Random House Children’s Books.

And I’ll be in the audience for the best way to kick off Annual…

Books for Youth Forum: Celebrating Lincoln Friday, July 10, 8-10 p.m. Grand Ballroom, Westin River North. Celebrate 200 years of Lincoln’s legacy at the 2009 Booklist Youth Forum with a group of award-winning authors and editors. Candace Fleming, Deborah Hopkinson, Jean Feiwel, and Russell Freedman will discuss the stories behind their Lincoln titles, as well as the challenges of creating captivating biographies for children and young adults.

June is Audiobook Month - celebrate by joining the  BBC Audiobooks America online Audiobook Club. Join the Facebook group, download the widget,  buy (or borrow from the library) your copy of Jaws by Peter Benchley&  narrarated by Eric Steele, and start listening. Then juup into the discussion waters between June 24-28 for this book group with bite! Get more information here. Great idea - I’d love to see more virtual audiobook clubs!