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    The University of South Carolina’s First Annual Celebration of Latino Children’s Literature Conference will be held on April 26, 2008. The conference theme is “Connecting Cultures and Celebrating Cuentos.” In addition to breakout sessions related to Latino children’s literature, there will be keynote sessions with Dr. Kathy Short, Yuyi Morales , and Lucia Gonzalez. Dr. Kathy Short from the University of Arizona will discuss international children’s literature and intercultural understandings through youth literature. Lucía González will read from her forthcoming bilingual picturebook The Storyteller’s Candle/ La velita de los cuentos during the luncheon break. Author Yuyi Morales (Little Night) will close the conference with a grand finale performance followed by a book signing of conference and local authors.

Registration prior to March 31 is $55 for full-time Students (with Professor’s Verification) $55.00 and $65 for General Attendees. Fees increase after March 31.

The evening prior (April 25) will feature a free community celebration of El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) beginning at 7:00 p.m. and featuring Yuyi Morales’ storytelling.

For additional information or to register, visit www.libsci.sc.edu/latinoconf/index.htm.

As if any of us needed a reason to go to San Francisco, on April 25 Rosemary Wells, Hap Palmer, Ashley Wolff, and Virginia Walters will be speaking at the ACL 2008 Institute. The program, Baby Bounces: Books and Music for the Very Young, runs from 9:30-3:30. Visit http://bayviews.org/institute2008registrationflier.doc for a flier and fee schedule. The event takes place at the San Francisco Public Library. ACL is the Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California. 

Want to learn more about how to be an advocate for library issues?  The ALA Washington Office is offering its first “Speaking Up!” webinar on Thursday March 6th at 4:00pm eastern.  Although the training will be generalized for the various advocacy issues, we all know that we need to speak up for children and their library needs. If you want to improve your advocacy skills, this may be a great opportunity for you.

You can learn more and register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/442300631. This is a free training opportunity. Webinars don’t require that you travel any further than your computer so they are a great way to get staff development in small doses. Generally all you need is a computer that can access the Internet and a phone that can dial a toll free (or occassionally a toll) number.

Please bear with an element of self-promotion. I’m conducting a Live Online training session on storytimes for AMIGOS in April. It will cover basics of preparing a preschool storytime and will be suited for new children’s staff and paraprofessionals. It’s part of AMIGOS’ Live Online training program so people don’t have to travel. You participate live from your computer using Voice Over Internet Protocol. The course is available for Network Education Exchange with member rates offered for members of a number of other organizations. For details, visit www.amigos.org.

April 8 and April 10, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Central Time (participants attend both sessions)

Public Library Preschool Storytimes

Audience: Public library youth staff and volunteers

Description: Storytimes are an effective early literacy tool and may be one of the most visible and valued programs in any public library. Learn how to plan a program that meets the developmental needs and interests of preschool children and supports reading and school readiness skills. New librarians, para-professional staff, and volunteers will discover ways to present an exciting and enriching storytime program.

Content:
Role of storytime in library services
Audience needs
Elements of a good storytime
Dealing with issues
Resources for storytime
This course consists of two 2-hour sessions plus outside work. April 8 and April 10, 2008.

Instructor
Jeanette Larson is the former youth services manager for Austin Public Library and has trained many youth librarians and volunteers to present effective storytime programs. Ms. Larson currently teaches the Programs for Youth in Public Libraries course for Texas Woman’s University.

Sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) the Week of the Young Child (WOYC) is a time to celebrate children and raise awareness of their needs.  This year — between April 13-19, 2008 — NAEYC affiliate groups across the nation will be drawing attention to our youngest citizens with this annual event.  The NAEYC website provides a number of valuable tools for to assist in planning celebrations and alerting the public to the needs of young children. The planning handbook offers some great ideas for programs and events during this week.  (www.naeyc.org/about/woyc)

Viki Ash, a member of ALSC’s Liaison with National Organizations Serving Children and Youth Committee, reminds us that if we haven’t made contact with our local NAEYC affiliate, we should do so now. Find your affiliate contact information at www.naeyc.org/affiliates/complete.asp.  Libraries and NAEYC are natural partners in the effort to foster the  development of young children.

  One of the fundraiser’s for the Texas Library Disaster Relief Fund each year is a raffle for a piece of original art by a noted children’s book illustrator. You don’t have to live in Texas to take a chance on art.  This year Diane Stanley has donated a piece of art from the book, Charles Dickens - The Man Who Had Great Expectations. The 13 in. by 12 in. original full color gouache illustration features a Christmas holiday scene. This would look great in any library or home. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the upcoming TLA conference or by mail (must be received by the Texas Library Association office by March 31). The drawing will be held at the conference in Dallas on Thursday, April 17 and you could be the lucky winner. You don’t need to be present to win (although we do love to hear the winner scream with delight) so pass this opportunity on to your friends, neighbors, and other children’s book fans. Please take a chance on art. Go to www.txla.org/html/wells/gallery.html for additional details and a raffle ticket form that can be printed out to send with your check. The Disaster Relief Fund helps Texas libraries that have been affected by disasters.

The first-ever, biennial Young Adult Literature Symposium will be held in Nashville, Tenn. Nov. 7-9, 2008, with the theme of “How We Read Now.” The symposium is funded in part by the William C. Morris Endowment. A preconference focusing on illustrated materials for teens (comic books, graphic novels, graphic nonfiction, manga and anime). Programs at the symposium will feature a wide variety of topics, including non-fiction, audio books, LGBT literature, zines, and more. For information, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/yalitsymposium/symposium.cfm .

As a children’s librarian I support programs like Reading Is Fundamental, as a volunteer, donor, and partner. We know that children, especially in low income families, need to own books that they will treasure.

The President’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2009 eliminates the Inexpensive Book Distribution Program, which is the RIF Book Distribution Program. Unless Congress reinstates funding for this program, RIF would be unable to distribute 16 million books annually to the nation’s youngest and most at-risk children. Please consider writing a letter or email to the President and your state senators and representative asking that funding for this program be reinstated. Visit the RIF site, http://www.rif.org/get-involved/advocate/what/,  for more information and a link to contact your legislators in Washington.

This was posted to the ALSC and YALSA listservs but in case you missed it…if you are going to the PLA conference next month consider taking a side trip to the Kerlan Collection.

On Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 10-11 a.m. Kerlan Collection Curator Karen Hoyle will talk briefly about the collection and author Megan McDonald will also speak, followed by tour of book/manuscript/storage area and an autographing session.

On Thursday, March 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday, March 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. visitors may also peruse books and manuscripts that you pre select. Books and manuscripts include those by Walter Dean Myers, Christopher Paul Curtis, Francesca Lia Block, Nancy  Garden, Robert Lipsyte, Jacqueline Woodson, Gary Paulsen and many others. To view a manuscript, 1) visit http://special.lib.umn.edu/clrc [Kerlan mss holdings] and  2)email your manuscript request(s) one day in advance to [email protected]. The collection is accessible by public transportation. If you need directions, email [email protected].

The Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota is one of the world’s great children’s literature research collections. The Kerlan Collection  contains more than 100,000 children’s books as well as original manuscripts, artwork, galleys, and color proofs for more than 12,000 children’s books.

The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) is currently hosting Myth and Magic: The Art of Gerald McDermott. This exhibit will be open through March 21 and admission is free. The NCCIL is in Abilene, TX and is conveniently located in downtown with easy access from Interstate 20. If you are traveling through the area during Spring Break make plans to spend an hour or so enjoying this wonderful museum. Since 1997, the NCCIL has been sharing original children’s book illustration art, and their creators, with children, teachers, librarians, artists, and more. For more information, visit www.nccil.org.

The ASPCA has launched the ASPCA Henry Book Club, an
interactive, online book club for kids, featuring the Henry Bergh Award Winning Books.  The winners are announced each year at the ALA conference.

The website www.aspca.org/henrysbookclub will feature two books per month, one for younger readers ages 5-8 and one for older kids, age 9 and up, with author generated Q&A’s, live author chats, quizzes and instructions on starting your own neighborhood or
family book club.  The two books for February are Buddy Unchained by Daisy Bix and A Dog’s Life:  The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann Martin.

On February 14, from 4-5pm (Eastern Time), Ann Martin is scheduled for a live chat. This is a great chance for your kids to get to know a great author. Check out the website for a lot of other great resources related to book clubs and humane education.

Blog touring is a rather new form of promotion for authors and their books (at least to me) but it can offer a great way for us to learn about new books directly from their creators. This week Robie Harris (It’s Perfectly Normal) is touring for her new book Maybe a Bear Ate It! Her first interview is with School Library Journal, http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/420019642.html, with Elizabeth Bird. The topic is very interesting–Fiction and Non-Fiction: Both Need to Tell a Story. Scroll to the bottom of the blog for links to the rest of the blog tour, which continues each day this week.

 I’d be interested in hearing feedback about how people like the blog tour concept and whether it is useful for professional development.

This post involves a touch of self-promotion because I’m the instructor but if you are new to working with audiobooks, Listen Up!: Basics of Audiobooks in Libraries might be just the course you need.

Is listening the same as reading? For audiobook fans it is the preferred method for obtaining information and enjoying a good book. As audiobooks become more popular with a wider range of library patrons, library staff have questions! This four-hour online course covers the basics of audiobooks—including new technologies and formats. The focus will be on selection considerations, formats, marketing, and review sources. We will also look at research related to the use of audiobooks with students and explore resources to help library staff keep up to date with audiobooks.

The course is being offered through AMIGOS but is available for Network Education Exchange, a cooperative program with many other continuing education providers. The course will be held live online on January 29 and January 31 (two 2-hour sessions for the course) and repeated March 25 and March 27. Visit www.amigos.org for more information and registration details.  

While some kids find textbook science boring, most kids love a good mystery. They’re fascinated by searching for clues and cracking codes and cases. Young people may not realize that the work of many real scientists is to solve mysteries by gathering and weighing clues. Recently scientists have cracked cases such as: The Case of the Missing Gas; The Mystery of the Monkeys that Fell from Trees; and The Hunt for the 10th Planet.

Raab Associates will host Elizabeth Rusch, author of Will It Blow: Become a Volcano Detective at Mount St. Helens and The Planet Hunter: The Story Behind What Happened to Pluto, for an Authors as Experts webinar on Friday, February 15, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time). Rusch will show librarians how to link science and sleuthing through activities, games, events, books, magazines, videos, and websites that will draw kids to your library and intrigue them with the mysteries of science.

Webinars are web-based seminars allowing you to learn from experts without traveling. All you need is access to the Internet and a phone that can dial a toll-free number. For information and pricing visit http://www.raabassociates.com/webinars.htm or email [email protected]. Group discounts available.

Hennepin County Libary in Minnesota produces a “Birth to Six” enewsletter  that contains fingerplays and book suggestions.   Go to http://www.hclib.org/BirthtoSix/ to sign up.  Although some of the information in the enews is about their local storytimes, the new fingerplays that arrive every other month are very nice to have.

Linworth Publishing is sponsoring a series of web-based seminars. The first one may be of particular interest to ALSC members. I’ve enjoyed the webinars I have attended because they are live and interactive but you are at your computer, wherever you need to be without having to travel. This webinar is one-hour long and Linworth is offering it at a special introductory price –$49.00 instead of $119.  For information and registration details go to http://www.plcelearning.com/Gen/events/external/Click64LW.html .

Graphic Novels: Comics for Kids (12 and under)

February 12, 3pm EST with Michele Gorman

The popularity of graphic novels for younger readers is on the rise, with new books being published everyday in a comic format. From comic biographies to graphic novels about science and math - this format is about to explode with new and exciting titles for students in elementary.

Michele Gorman is Teen Services Manager of ImaginOn at the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County and is the author Getting Graphic! Comics for Kids, recently published by Linworth.

Many libraries like to include high quality films in children’s programs. But of course, we need a public performance license to do this and it can be hard to find good films that we want to use. I’ve worked with KIDS FIRST! , a non-profit organization, for a couple of years and once again they are offering a great deal (free) for public libraries. The performance license is included with the DVD so it’s all legal. At the end of the program your library can even keep most of the films for the collection (although the public performance license expires).

KIDS FIRST! is offering a FREE screening program for libraries. The program runs from November 15 -January 15, 2008.  The program includes fun selection of titles from studios, including Arthur and the Invisibles, Deck the Halls, Toddworld: Appreciating Differences, Goosebumps, Land Before Time: The Wisdom of Friends, and so many more. There are a limited number of each program, so the quantity that each library receives depends on then total number of libraries requesting titles, however you will receive at least 5 titles if you are among the first 50 libraries to submit an application.

Public performance rights for these titles are available through January 15th at no additional cost, so the library could host a Winter Film Festival or sponsor after school screenings or create a Junior Film Critics Club. If a libray would like to host a Film Festival, please call KIDS FIRST! to arrange programming.

Here is a quick overview of the program.

Is there any cost to the program? None.

How many titles will I receive? We guarantee 5 titles to the first 50 libraries applying for the program.

When will I receive the titles? Within 10 days of application.

How do I get the application. Just email or call Ann Church at KIDS FIRST! [email protected] or 505-989-8076.

Do I get to pick my titles? No, titles will be pre-selected, however, most will be from major studios.

To see a listing of screenings go to http://www.kidsfirst.org/fest/

Do I return these titles? Some titles must be returned and will be clearly marked. Titles must be returned by January 31, 2008.

Do I have public performance rights for these titles? Yes, for the period of November 15 - January 15th, 2008.

Can my library put these titles into circulation? We hope you will!

When and what paper work is required? Complete a survey for each title. The survey will be emailed to you and can be returned via email.

Can I get more information? Please call Ann Church at 505-989-8076 or email [email protected]

The Public Library Association has extended the deadline for applications for their 3M Leadership Institute. Presented by PLA and 3M, the Leadership Institute is a daylong preconference focused on developing leaders and encouraging change within the library profession. Participants will learn how to set a strategy for change, how to handle various challenges and what innovations will best implement, drive and define change. The preconference will be held on Tuesday, March 25, preceding PLA 2008, PLA’s 12th National Conference in Minneapolis.

Costs to attend the Leadership Institute are covered by 3M, including registration fees for the day, conference supplies, transportation from the Minneapolis Convention Center to 3M’s “Innovation Center,” lunch, snacks and an evening reception. PLA 2008 registration costs and travel expenses, such as airfare and hotel rooms, will not be covered by 3M and are the responsibility of the participant.

The deadline for applying is now November 16 and applicants will be notified of acceptance by the end of the month. Applications may be submitted through the link at the PLA website, http://www.pla.org/ala/pla/pla.cfm.

Although this will only be accessible to librarians in the New York metro area, I wanted to share the news about the world premiere of SIMEON’S GIFT, a new, hour-long musical created by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton. The play will be performed at the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, NY from November 23-25, 2007. Julie Andrews recorded the narration. Go to http://www.baystreet.org/0704/guests.asp for ticket details.

Simeon’s Gift is a magical tale about creativity, music and the power of giving. Adapted from the best-selling book by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton, and illustrated by Gennady Spirin (HarperCollins, 2003). This is the first production by Bay Street’s Family Theatre Initiative and it is expected to go on tour in 2009.

It’s very exciting to see children’s books being developed for theater.

Do the Math: Incorporating Math and Numbers into Library Programming

Too many children and teens may feel they hate math because it just doesn’t seem important or useful to them. But exploring this subject – which includes everything from counting, comparing, and recognizing patterns to problem-solving and organizing data –
through stories and literature can make the concepts relevant and fun.

On Friday, November 16 Wendy Lichtman, author of Do the Math: Secrets, Lies and Algebra, will discuss how fiction can be used to help kids better understand how they use math in daily life – even in their social relationships. In a Web-based seminar, Ms. Lichtman will discuss activities including understanding mathematical poetry, composing
secret math codes, and designing math-symbol tattoos that will engage young people in math-related projects that can be incorporated into library programming. 

Wendy Lichtman’s YA novel, Do the Math: Secrets, Lies and Algebra (HarperCollins), is about an eighth-grade girl who uses math metaphors to help her navigate the interpersonal storms of middle school.

Ms. Lichtman’s personal essays have appeared in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Good Housekeeping and other national publications. She often presents her ideas about math and literacy to groups of teachers as well as students and has recently spoken
at the UCLA Summer Math Institute in Los Angeles, the Toyota Math and Science Program for Girls in Oakland, and the East Side Community High School in New York.
She has a degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan.

Seminar Details At-A-Glance

Seminar: Do the Math: Incorporating Math and Numbers into Library Programming
Author Expert: Wendy Lichtman
Date: November 16, 2007
Time: 11 a.m. Eastern Time [10 a.m. CT, 9 a.m. MT, 8 a.m. PT]

Format: This is a Web-based seminar sponsored by Raab Associates. Registered participants will receive participation instructions, log-on information and a toll-free number to dial in for the audio portion of the seminar upon payment of the registration fee. Seminars run for one hour.

Cost: $50 per person
Discounts are available for group registration.
To Register: send name and contact information to:
[email protected]. You may either email or call in your credit card information at 914-241-2117.