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When you say “yes” to an appointment to serve on an ALSC committee, you’re saying “yes” to meeting interesting people, and getting re-energized about topics and issues that are important to our profession and vital to those we serve. The ALSC Intellectual Freedom (IF) Committee serves as a liaison to other ALA Divisions and Committees, but also to a partner institution you might not know well.  At Midwinter 2016, the co-chairs of the ALSC IF committee spent a fascinating day with the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) folks and learned a lot.

Source: Freedom to Read Foundation website

FTRF is an affiliate – not a part – of ALA. Its purpose is to protect and defend the First Amendment, particularly supporting “the right of libraries to collect – and individuals to access – information.”  If you face a challenge in your library, you’ll probably call ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom for advice.  But you also want to remember our powerful advocates at FTRF, since that is where passionate attorneys speak for our patrons and for us when legal defense is needed.  They’ll go to court, if necessary. FTRF also works to fend off trouble before it gets to litigation by keeping close tabs on state and federal legislation.  And they’re on the lookout for developing issues on the free speech and privacy horizon, such as the question of labeling book and media content for youth.

So here are a couple of action items for you to consider: Join the FTRF for as little as $10 if you’re a student, or $35 if you’re not.  Get started on your application for a Conable Conference Scholarship for a free trip to an ALA Annual conference if you’re a student or new to the profession.  (Applications open in February.)

And volunteer to serve on an ALSC committee to feed – or reignite – your passion.  

-Laura Jenkins, ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee co-chair

The post Fired Up About the Freedom to Read appeared first on ALSC Blog.

This weekend I had the most incredible book discussion experience of my life. No joke. I had the joy of meeting with 9 wonderful and incredibly smart people to decide on the best LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning) books for kids and teens that were published between July 2014 and December 2015. You can find the entire list on the Rainbow List site; I am going to highlight the top books for kids through grades 6 here. The final list includes over 40 titles and of these we selected a top 10. Top ten titles are indicated with an *.

I know that book budgets are not limitless, so if you can’t buy all of these titles for your collection, a good place to start is with anything on the top 10 list: Gracefully Grayson, The Marvels (who are we kidding, you already have this book!), and Sex is a Funny Word.
While no picture books made the top ten list, that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth having. They would all make excellent additions to a library collection, but if you can only buy three start with: Red: A Crayon’s Story, Stella Brings the Family and Heather Has Two Mommies.

Picture Books

Hall, Michael. Red: A Crayon’s Story. 2015. 40p. Greenwillow, $18.89 (9780062252098). 3-7 yrs.

The label read, “Red.” However, all of Red’s strawberries and hearts come out blue. Friends and family try to fix Red until new buddy Berry helps this crayon discover his true color.

Newman, Lesléa. Heather Has Two Mommies. Written by Lesléa Newman, illus. by Laura Cornell. 2015. 32p. Candlewick, $16.99 (9780763666316). 3-7 yrs.

Heather’s favorite number is two: she has two arms, two legs, two pets, and two mommies. When Heather goes to preschool, she learns that not all families look alike, but that they all have one thing in common—love. New text and illustrations make this classic accessible to a modern audience.

Rotner, Shelly, and Sheila M. Kelly. Families. 2015. 32p. Holiday House, $17.95 (9780823430536). 3-7 yrs.

A beautiful diversity of family life is depicted through simple text and photographs.

Schiffer, Miriam B. Stella Brings the Family. Written by Miriam Schiffer; illus. by Holly Clifton-Brown. 2015. 36p. Chronicle, $16.99 (9781452111902). 3-7 yrs.

It’s Mother’s Day, and everyone is making invitations for their mothers to come to the school celebration. But Stella has two dads and no mom to invite…What should she do?

Tyner, Christy. Zak’s Safari. Written by Christy Tyner; illus. by Ciaee. 2014. 38p. CreateSpace, $15.00 (9781502325464). 3-7 yrs.

When young Zak’s outdoor “safari” gets cancelled because of the rain, he leads his readers (and his stuffed animal tourists) on an adventure through the story of his family. Zak introduces his two mothers and how they became a family of three with the help of a donor from a sperm bank.

Juvenile Fiction

Gino, Alex. George. 2015. 195p. Scholastic, $16.99 (9780545812542). Gr 3-7.

Stonewall Book Awards–Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s Award Book. When people look at George, they see a boy. But she knows she’s a girl. With the help of her best friend, George comes up with a plan, not just so she can be Charlotte in her school play but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

*Polonsky, Ami. Gracefully Grayson. 2014. 243p. Hyperion, $16.99 (9781423185277). Gr. 4-7.

Twelve-year-old Grayson, through a school play, finds the courage to reveal a deep truth: in spite of being seen as a boy, she knows for a fact that she’s a girl.  

*Selznick, Brian. The Marvels. 2015. 667p. Scholastic, $32.99 (9780545448680). Gr. 5-8.

In black-and-white pencil illustrations, Selznick depicts three generations of actors descending from the sole survivor of a legendary shipwreck. As that story closes, another unfolds in prose as young Joseph discovers his connection to the actors and his family history, and he embraces his uncle’s life story as it affects and changes his own.

Juvenile Nonfiction

Pohlen, Jerome. Gay & Lesbian History for Kids: The Century-Long Struggle for LGBT Rights, with 21 Activities. 2015. 192p. Chicago Review, $17.95 (9781613730829). Gr. 4-9.

From ancient China to the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision on marriage equality, this narrative history reference gives context to the challenges and achievements of both queer individuals and the broader quest for civil rights.

*Silverberg, Cory. Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU. Written by Cory Silverberg; illus. by Fiona Smyth. 2015. 159p. Seven Stories, $23.95 (9781609806064). Gr. 3-6.

For children with questions about bodies, gender, touch, sex, and love, this all-inclusive book guides the conversation between children and trusted adults in an accessible graphic format. Gentle, intelligent humor brings home the message of respect, trust, joy, and justice for everyone’s body. Stonewall Book Awards–Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Award Honor Book.

The Rainbow Booklist Committee had so many wonderful books to choose from this year! If you collect for teens or if you are just looking for something good to read, do check out the rest of the list here. I have already started reading for next year and let me tell you, there are some GREAT books on deck. John Corey Whaley’s Highly Illogical Behavior (May 2016) is so splendid, it is ridiculous. If you read a book for kids or teens published between July 2015 and December 2016 that you think the Rainbow Booklist Committee should consider for next year’s list, please send in a suggestion. We would love to hear from you. Happy reading!!

The post Top Rainbow Reads for Kids appeared first on ALSC Blog.

ALA Student-to-Staffers: Where are you now?

Way back in June of 2007, I had the honor of representing TWU’s School of Library and Information Science at ALA Annual in Washington, DC.  I was a member of ALA’s Student-to-Staff (S2S) Program, with assignment to the ALSC Division.  If you’ve never heard of the S2S program, you can read about it here.  There are 56 active ALA Student Chapter Groups at accredited graduate schools.  Each is entitled to submit one name for consideration for the program.  Schools have varying criteria. My school chose the student – me  based on an essay contest.  Others have different criteria, but the end result is that 40 promising students receive a free trip to ALA Annual in exchange for working with  ALA staff during the week.  I was able to choose with whom I wanted to work. An aspiring children’s librarian, naturally, I chose ALSC.

It was my first connection with the national community of librarians.  It was during my week as an ALA S2S er, that I first met ALSC’s own Aimee Strittmatter, Laura Schulte-Cooper, and Marsha Burgess, and I began my continuing association with the division. I wrote a piece about my experience for  ALSConnect, now called ALSC Matters. (I am no less bright-eyed and bushy-tailed now.)

If you know someone in grad school right now, do them a favor and let them know about the S2S program.  If you participated in the S2S program, give a shout out!  Did you work for ALSC at the conference?  When or where did you attend?  How wonderful was it?

(The Student-to-Staff Program was established in 1973. There should be a lot of us out there!)

The post Student-to-Staffers: Where are you now? appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Sunday’s Pura Belpré 19th annual award ceremony featured a vibrant mix of illuminating speeches, laughter, and entertainment that celebrated Latino Children’s Literature.

Highlights included:

• Yuyi Morales’s acceptance speech in which she vividly recounted her positive and life-changing experiences as a young mother and new immigrant visiting the San Francisco Public Library’s Western Addition branch. Ann, a librarian at the branch, put The Watsons Go to Birmingham in her hands and it was the first English language chapter book she loved, that she shared with her son.
• Duncan Tonatiuh invited civil rights leader Sylvia Mendez, the subject of his award-winning book Separate Is Never Equal, to address the audience.
• United States Poet Laurete Juan Felipe Herrera’s speech chronicled his research and writing that documented the extraordinary achievements of Hispanic-Americans.
• Heartfelt speeches by Susan Guevara, John Parra, and Marjorie Agosín.
• A fantastic performance by by Quenepas, a Bomba youth song and dance ensemble.

This fantastic event was hosted by the dream team Reforma and ALSC, and is always one of the highlights of ALA conferences. Next year will mark the 20th Anniversary of the Belpré Award and it promises to be a huge occasion. See you in Orlando!

The post Pura Belpré Celebración #alaac15 appeared first on ALSC Blog.

I spent today at the FTRF Board of Trustees meeting hearing about litigation, legislation and other issues that could potentially infringe on our freedom to read. FTRF is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending the first amendment through participation in litigation and by providing education and grant programs.

Consider joining the FTRF to support their work, to spread the word about censorship and to defend everyone’s freedom to read. Membership is only $35 and that money helps FTRF accomplish good work and support these creative Judith F. Krug Memorial Grant projects.

The FTRF Board meets the day before the official start of ALA annual and midwinter and guests are always welcome at the meetings. It is a great way to get caught up on current issues across the country.

The post Freedom To Read Foundation #alaac15 appeared first on ALSC Blog.

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].

ALSC will be at the 2012 PLA National Conference in Philadelphia between March 14 and March 17. Here are some things to keep in mind as we approach this conference:

ALA Membership Booth
Come find your division in the Exhibition Hall! ALSC will be exhibiting at the ALA booth (#2315) throughout the conference. Grab your Dia 2012 button or get information about the ALSC National Institute in September. ALSC President Mary Fellows will be at the booth between 2 – 4 PM on Thursday, March 15 and between 10:30 – 11:30 AM on Friday, March 16. Stop by and say hello!

ALSC Happy Hour
Join your fellow ALSC members for some food or drinks on Thursday, March 15 from 8 – 10 PM for an ALSC Happy Hour! We’ll be getting together at McGillin’s, just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Convention Center. This event is open to everyone, members and non-members. Food and drink must be purchased by the individual. For more information, contact Dan Rude, [email protected]. See you there!

ALSC Happy Hour
Thursday, March 15 @ 8 – 10 PM
McGillin’s Olde Ale House
1310 Drury Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Get directions to McGillin’s

Programs for Youth Librarians
Looking for programs that feature youth at PLA 2012? Check out PLA’s handy organizer of programs: http://placonference.org/programs. Set your Subject Track search to “Serving Youth” and you’ll find a list of programs that concentrate on children and tweens.

ALSC Blog @ PLA
Can’t make it to Philadelphia? Just keep coming back to the blog! Just like at Annual Conference and Midwinter, ALSC is dedicated to bringing you the highlights on the blog. We’ll be live-blogging thorough out the conference here at the ALSC Blog.

Show us what tweens/young teen + technology looks like at your library and win a $100 Amazon giftcard. We are calling for video submissions from librarians on the front line.

How are you handling the digital lives of tweens and young teens at your library? The 2012 Presidents’ Program at ALA in Anaheim will be a joint affair between ALSC and YALSA. We will be talking about tweens and young teens and exploring their use of technology. What is the life of a tween or young teen like in this digital age? What are the particular challenges and opportunities they face online? What should libraries be doing? Show us in a video!

• Deadline for submissions: Monday, April 30, 2012 at midnight.

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Our guest blogger today is Tessa Michaelson Schmidt.  Tessa is the Youth and Special Needs Library Consultant at the Wisconsin State Library and is the co-chair of the Joint Presidents’ Program at ALA at Anaheim.

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

The 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans was an exciting and highly entertaining event. I felt so fortunate to work with ALSC through the Student-to-Staff program. The weekend was fun, hectic, exhausting, and exhilarating.

Many of programs I attended and worked at were enlightening educational experiences that taught me things I could imagine any children’s librarian using daily as they strive to better their services. One such program was “Criss-Cross Applesauce: Multi-Age Story Times” by Kathy Klatt and Saroj Ghoting, where the speakers introduced the ideas of continuous story time and sequential story time in a very creative and interactive way. “Before and After Harry Potter: Fantasy for Grades 3-5 and 5-8” was a very informative session that gave children’s and young adult librarians a plethora of titles that could help guide young readers through the exciting genre of fantasy.

Some of the other events I attended were simply thrilling to attend, such as the Newbery/Caldecott/Wilder Banquet and the ALSC Awards. The Newbery Banquet was easily the highlight was my weekend. It was wonderful to be in a room with so many other people who shared my enthusiasm for children’s literature. Newbery winner Clare Vanderpool’s witty speech perfectly captured the plucky attitude of her book’s heroine, Abilene, while Caldecott winner Erin Stead’s humble and awestruck acceptance surely touched everyone in the room. Tomie diPaola, who took home the Wilder award, charmed the entire audience and, just like in his books, he managed to bring a smile to everyone’s face.

The next morning at the ALSC Awards, I was blown away to see even more fabulous authors and illustrators (Kate DiCamillo, Mo Willems, and Grace Lin, to name a few) honored for their work. The weekend seemed to fly by and before I knew it, it was time to go home. I know that I’ll look back on the lessons and experiences of ALA 2011 for years to come. I am truly grateful to ALSC and the wonderful people I worked with over the weekend for giving me such an enjoyable experience.

Our guest blogger today is Emily Brupbacher, MLIS student at the School of Library and Information Science at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La.

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

Since September of last year, I have been ALSC’s awards intern. It was a pleasure to continue my work with ALSC as their Student-to-Staff volunteer at Annual Conference. As a first-time Annual attendee and visitor to the Big Easy, I had no idea what to expect. There were many times when I was overwhelmed, such as the first time I stepped into the Exhibition Hall that housed over 900 exhibitors. But there were also many great moments.

In between greeting and distributing surveys, I had the chance to listen to seven, unique ALSC workshops. During these workshops, I had the opportunity to hear panels that included many talented individuals—including best-selling authors and illustrators, book and media award winners, and an expert in the field of autism. All aspects of the ALSC workshops I attended were enjoyable, but some of the highlights included: Pat Mora’s poetic way of speaking; Carla Killough McClafferty’s description of waking up at Mount Vernon and seeing the same sunrise that George Washington saw over two-hundred years ago; Ingrid Law’s advice that when you can’t write well, keep writing poorly and, eventually, good things will come; and discovering Cynthia Lord’s touching book about a sister who has a brother with autism.

In addition to the workshops I attended, I was also an attendee at the Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder Banquet, which was one part of Annual Conference that was exactly as I expected: fabulous. I have never heard a speech as honest as the one given by Caldecott Medal winner, Erin E. Stead. Newbery Medal winner, Clare Vanderpool’s, speech offered humorous and anecdotal stories about growing up in the Midwest, which, being from Iowa (cue: applause), is something I can relate to. Wilder Medal winner, Tomie dePaola, left me with an image of a charming, four-year-old, tap-dancing and singing Tomie.

Altogether, Annual Conference was a positive experience that I would not have been able to be a part of without the support of the American Library Association and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Thank you to ALA, UWM, and ALSC!

Our guest blogger today is Allison Payne, MLIS student at the School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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

ALA has a new promotion that you need to know about: Connect With Your Kids @ your library. I spoke with Megan Humphrey, Manager of Campaign for America’s Libraries about it this afternoon. She provided me with gorgeous bookmarks and pamphlets to hand out to parents in my community. All of the information that you need to promote this campaign is downloadable from the website. The idea behind the promotion: let parents know that the library is the perfect place to bring their kids. How awesome is that? Check out the website and provide a link to it from your library’s page. The content is going to continue to grow, so check back often.

ALA Editions announces Liven Up Baby and Toddler Storytimes with Sign Language with Kathy MacMillan, a new workshop that will take place on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 1pm EST.

Learn how to incorporate American Sign Language into your children’s storytime. This online, interactive workshops teaches participants to create programs that will be beneficial for children and parents alike.

Kathy MacMillan is a freelance writer, American Sign Language interpreter, librarian, and storyteller. She has contributed articles to Public Libraries, American Libraries, School Library Journal, Voice of Youth Advocates, and LibrarySparks, and is the author of Try Your Hand at This!: Easy Ways to Incorporate Sign Language into Your Programs (Scarecrow Press, 2006), A Box Full of Tales: Easy Ways to Share Library Resources through Story Boxes (ALA Editions, 2008), and Storytime Magic (with Christine Kirker, ALA Editions, 2009).

Registration for this workshop is available at the ALA Store. The workshop will last 90 minutes and takes place at 1pm EST on Wednesday, March 23.

Libraries seeking to share their stories and raise public awareness are encouraged to apply for the 2011 Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant. The library that develops the best public awareness campaign using the National Library Week theme will be awarded $3,000 to promote its library and library services.

All proposals must use the 2011 National Library Week theme, Create your own story @ your library, which incorporates The Campaign for America’s Libraries’ @ your library brand, on any and all promotional and publicity material supporting National Library Week activities. Guidelines for using the brand are available on the campaign website.

This year’s application deadline is Oct. 1, 2010. National Library Week is April 10-16, 2011. A grant application form and guidelines are available on the Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant website. Information is also available from the ALA Public Information Office. Telephone: (800) 545-2433, ext. 2148. E-mail: [email protected].

The complete news release is available via ALAnews at American Libraries.

Saturday, November 13th is National Gaming Day 2010. National Gaming Day @ Your Library is an initiative of the American Library Association to connect communities around the educational, recreational, and social value of all types of games. The first 1,000 U.S. libraries that register will receive a free copy of Wits & Wagers Family, created and donated by North Star Games. To register and for more information, visit the National Gaming Day @ Your Library web site, http://ngd.ala.org/.

The American Library Association (ALA) is now accepting applications for the 2011 class of Emerging Leaders. Applications can be found at http://www.ala.org/cfapps/emergingleaders/index.cfm. The deadline to apply is July 30.

The program is designed to enable a group of library workers to get on the fast track to ALA and professional leadership. Participants are given the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, network with peers and get an inside look into the ALA structure and activities.

In order to be eligible for participation in the program, those selected must meet the following criteria:

• Be under 35 years of age or be a library worker of any age with fewer than five years experience working in a library, and
• Be able to attend both ALA conferences and work virtually in between each,
• Be prepared to commit to serve on either an ALA, division, chapter or round table committee, taskforce or workgroup, or in your state or local professional library organization upon completion of program and
• Be an ALA member or join upon selection if not already a member.

For questions or more information regarding the program, contact Beatrice Calvin at [email protected]. The entire news release is available on the ALA website.

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), known as Día, is a celebration EVERY DAY of children, families, and reading that culminates every year on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of advocating literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Día is an enhancement of Children’s Day, which began in 1925. Children’s Day was designated as a day to bring attention to the importance and well-being of children. In 1996, nationally acclaimed children’s book author Pat Mora proposed linking the celebration of childhood and children with literacy to found El día de los niños/El día de los libros. Visit her Book Joy blog at http://sharebookjoy.blogspot.com/ for more information and ideas.

Through a series of grants from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) continues to increase public awareness of the event in libraries throughout the country. ALSC is collaborating on this effort with the Founding Partner of Día, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA).

Each weekday in the month of April, the Official El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book) Facebook page will feature a different idea or activity. You may also visit Día at www.ala.org/dia.

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award:
Charles R. Smith Jr., for “My People” (written by Langston Hughes, published by Atheneum)

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor:
E.B. Lewis for “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” (written by Langston Hughes, published by Disney Jump at the Sun)

Coretta Scott King Author Award:
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, author of “Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal” (illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, published by Carolrhoda)

Coretta Scott King Author Honor:
Tanita D. Davis, author of “Mare’s War” (published by Knopf)

The Coretta Scott King Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement: Walter Dean Myers

Coretta Scott King Steptoe for New Talent 2010:
Kekla Magoon, author of “The Rock and the River” (published by Aladdin)

The Coretta Scott King Book Award Online Curriculum Resource Center (http://TeachingBooks.net/csk) is a free, multimedia, online database for educators and families featuring more than 250 original recordings with award-winning authors and illustrators and hundreds of lesson plans.

The resource center includes more than nine hours of originally produced audio with Coretta Scott King Book Award (CSK) authors and illustrators talking about their books in two- to three-minute clips. Searches can be executed by author, illustrator, title, grade level, and curriculum area, as well as by the year or specific Coretta Scott King Book Award citation. Select “All” to scroll through the cover images of all 231 different books that have received this great honor.

In addition to free, online primary source materials (audio recordings and book readings), the collection features hundreds of lesson plans and original movies filmed in the studios of some of the award-winning authors and illustrators.

This project began in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards. The resource center was recently selected for inclusion in the American Library Association’s Great Web Sites for Kids. If you would like more context about the creation of this resource center, please visit Nick Glass’s blog post about it at: http://forum.teachingbooks.net/?p=2476

For more information about the Coretta Scott King Book Award, visit the Coretta Scott King Book Award pages on the ALA web site.

Margarita Engle is the author of the 2006 Pura Belpré Medal Winner, The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano, and The Surrender Tree, which received the 2009 Pura Belpré Medal as well as a 2009 Newbery Honor.

Henry Holt Books for Young Readers is a division of MacMillan which provides a wonderful profile page of Ms. Engle. One of my favorite stories is how her mother and father met in Cuba. Since neither could speak the other’s language, they communicated with each other through drawing pictures.

On ALSC’s Pura Belpré page, the 2009 Belpré Committee Chair Claudette McLinn remarks, “Engle’s prose breathes life into each character, and her rich use of language catapults the reader into the jungles of Cuba. The engaging story keeps the reader racing through the pages of history.”

I was thrilled to attend the 2009 Pura Belpré Celebración. I’m pleased to share with you a portion of Ms. Engle’s beautiful acceptance speech.

excerpted portions of Engle’s Pura Belpré acceptance speech for The Surrender Tree

– posted by Teresa Walls, ALSC member and ALSC Blog manager

The program below is one of many featured on ALA’s online clearinghouse for school/public library cooperation managed by the AASL/ALSC/YALSA Interdivisional Committee on School/Public Library Cooperation. Visit the clearinghouse to learn more or share your own exemplary partnership!

Title of Program: Great Library Card Adventure/Get Carded
Type of Program: Library Card Campaigns
Age level: Elementary & secondary
Description of Program:

The Great Library Card Adventure is a library card campaign for kindergarten classrooms in Multnomah County, presented by the Multnomah County Library School Corps. Although we usually run the campaign kindergarten classrooms, every few years we extend the campaign to all K-5 students. (All K-5 students are able to apply for cards during any Great Library Card Adventure campaign, but during most years, the contest is for the kindergarten classrooms only.) We want every student, faculty and staff member in the county to have a Multnomah County Library card. We send letters to school principals and library staff inviting them to join the campaign, and we send kits with posters, applications, and instructions to those who join. After returning the applications, teachers receive a drink coupon from Starbucks. Students (both those who already had cards and those who get them through the program) receive Great Library Card Adventure stickers. Kindergarten classrooms with 100% of the students signed up for library cards are entered in a drawing to win one of three collections of age-appropriate fiction and non-fiction books for their classroom. Classes with 100% of students signed up that do not win a book collection will receive a gift certificate to a local bookstore. URL: http://www.multcolib.org/schoolcorps/glca.html

Get Carded! is a library card campaign for middle and high schools students. We have done this campaign twice since 1997. We send letters to school principals and library staff inviting them to join the campaign, and we send kits with posters, applications, and instructions to those who join. School return tally sheets to us with the numbers of students who already had cards, and the applications of those who are applying. All students and teachers who participate in the program (whether they already had cards or applied them) received a card with discount offers from local businesses.

Contact Information:
Jackie Partch
School Corps Team Leader
Multnomah County Library
205 NE Russell, Portland, OR 97212
503.988.6004
[email protected]

Today is the first day of Banned Books Week. Robert P. Doyle writes in Books Challenged and Banned in 2008-2009: Speak-Read-Know,

The challenges documented in this list are not brought by people merely expressing a point of view; rather, they represent requests to remove materials from schools or libraries, thus restricting access to them by others. Even when the eventual outcome allows the book to stay on the library shelves and even when the person is a lone protester, the censorship attempt is real. Someone has tried to restrict another person’s ability to choose. Challenges are as important to document as actual bannings, in which a book is removed from the shelves of a library or bookstore or from the curriculum at a school. Attempts to censor can lead to voluntary restriction of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy; in these cases, material may not be published at all or may not be purchased by a bookstore, library, or school district.

Visit the American Library Association’s Issues & Advocacy: Banned & Challenged Books for information and resources on ways to prepare and respond to challenges to library materials, which includes essential preparation, challenge support, and reporting a challenge.

The first 1000 libraries to register to be part of National Gaming Day @ your library (Saturday, November 14, 2009) may request free donations of games. Registration is open until mid-October.

Sponsored by Scholastic Library Publishing and administered by the ALA Public Awareness Committee, this $3000 grant supports a single library’s public outreach efforts during National Library Week. National Library Week 2010 will be celebrated April 11-17. The 2010 theme is Communities thrive @ your library.

The application deadline is October 16, 2009. Proposals must use the theme; include “@ your library®” in accordance with the official trademark policy; involve at least one other type of library and/or community organization; take place as part of National Library Week; be submitted electronically; include clear objectives, a realistic budget and a timeline; specify a coordinator; and describe a method of evaluation.

For more information and the complete guidelines, visit the 2010 National Library Week Grant page of the ALA Web Site, under ALA Public Information Office. Questions may be directed to Megan McFarlane ([email protected]), 800/545-2433, ext. 2148.

The winner will be notified and announced during the 2010 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Boston.

During the 2009 Annual Conference, the American Library Association’s Council adopted the Minors and Internet Interactivity statement as part of ALA’s Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights. As stated in the introduction to the Interpretations,

Although the Articles of the Library Bill of Rights are unambiguous statements of basic principles that should govern the service of all libraries, questions do arise concerning application of these principles to specific library practices. […] These documents are policies of the American Library Association, having been adopted by the ALA Council.

Please read Minors and Internet Interactivity, which is available on the ALA Web Page (Mission & History–> Key Action Areas–> Intellectual Freedom –> Policies, Statements, Guidelines.) To provide for ease in commenting, it is also included here in its entirety:

Minors and Internet Interactivity: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

The digital environment offers opportunities for accessing, creating, and sharing information. The rights of minors to retrieve, interact with, and create information posted on the Internet in schools and libraries are extensions of their First Amendment rights. (See also other interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights, including “Access to Digital Information, Services, and Networks,” “Free Access to Libraries for Minors,” and “Access for Children and Young Adults to Nonprint Materials.”)

Academic pursuits of minors can be strengthened with the use of interactive Web tools, allowing young people to create documents and share them online; upload pictures, videos, and graphic material; revise public documents; and add tags to online content to classify and organize information. Instances of inappropriate use of such academic tools should be addressed as individual behavior issues, not as justification for restricting or banning access to interactive technology. Schools and libraries should ensure that institutional environments offer opportunities for students to use interactive Web tools constructively in their academic pursuits, as the benefits of shared learning are well documented.

Personal interactions of minors can be enhanced by social tools available through the Internet. Social networking Web sites allow the creation of online communities that feature an open exchange of information in various forms, such as images, videos, blog posts, and discussions about common interests. Interactive Web tools help children and young adults learn about and organize social, civic, and extra-curricular activities. Many interactive sites invite users to establish online identities, share personal information, create Web content, and join social networks. Parents and guardians play a critical role in preparing their children for participation in online activity by communicating their personal family values and by monitoring their children’s use of the Internet. Parents and guardians are responsible for what their children—and only their children—access on the Internet in libraries.

The use of interactive Web tools poses two competing intellectual freedom issues—the protection of minors’ privacy and the right of free speech. Some have expressed concerns regarding what they perceive is an increased vulnerability of young people in the online environment when they use interactive sites to post personally identifiable information. In an effort to protect minors’ privacy, adults sometimes restrict access to interactive Web environments. Filters, for example, are sometimes used to restrict access by youth to interactive social networking tools, but at the same time deny minors’ rights to free expression on the Internet. Prohibiting children and young adults from using social networking sites does not teach safe behavior and leaves youth without the necessary knowledge and skills to protect their privacy or engage in responsible speech. Instead of restricting or denying access to the Internet, librarians and teachers should educate minors to participate responsibly, ethically, and safely.

The First Amendment applies to speech created by minors on interactive sites. Usage of these social networking sites in a school or library allows minors to access and create resources that fulfill their interests and needs for information, for social connection with peers, and for participation in a community of learners. Restricting expression and access to interactive Web sites because the sites provide tools for sharing information with others violates the tenets of the Library Bill of Rights. It is the responsibility of librarians and educators to monitor threats to the intellectual freedom of minors and to advocate for extending access to interactive applications on the Internet.

As defenders of intellectual freedom and the First Amendment, libraries and librarians have a responsibility to offer unrestricted access to Internet interactivity in accordance with local, state, and federal laws and to advocate for greater access where it is abridged. School and library professionals should work closely with young people to help them learn skills and attitudes that will prepare them to be responsible, effective, and productive communicators in a free society.

Adopted July 15, 2009, by the ALA Council.

At the 2009 ALA Annual Conference the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) presented the terrific program Serving Students on the Spectrum.  The program was hosted by Alison Ernst, Director – Northfield Mount Hermon School (MA) Library and Academic Resources and Ernie Cox, Media Specialist – St. Timothy’s School (NC) with the following panelists: Patty Saidenberg, Consultant – Trent Learning Corp. (NY); Georgia Winson, Director – Autism Program of Illinois; Bernadette Nowakowski, Director – Chicago Public Library Children & Young Adult Services; Lally Daley, Clinician – Autism Program of Illinois; Christopher Flint, Lead Trainer - Autism Program of Illinois; Joanne Hughes, Chicago Public Library Board Member and Parent.

Each panelist discussed their unique experiences and approaches to working with children and families dealing with Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome.  Particularly of interest to me was the discussion by Bernie Nowakowski of Chicago Public Library (CPL) and the work that this organization is doing to create awareness and knowledge among staff as well as providing ability-appropriate programs and services to the public. 

Some of the ways in which CPL has begun to serve families with Autism are: providing collections and programs that reflect the needs of the community, strong community outreach, partnerships that strengthen and enhance opportunities for all, creating a safe physical space and presence in the community, and staff training.  The CPL website also includes a list of resources and bibliographies of interest to those dealing with Autism.

Providing programs to the public is certainly a very important aspect of serving this user group, but even more effective is coupling programming with staff training.  Staff members who have received training to increase their awareness and understanding of how to most effectively communicate with individuals with Autism will fully round out the overall experience for families using the library. 

There have been several postings on this blog in the past year about creating programming for patrons with special needs.  It is very encouraging to know that there are many librarians out there who view the Autism community as an underserved population and are seeking to remedy this.  I am currently working to improve programs and services at my own Library to address these needs.

Attending this program confirmed for me that I am on the right path to creating well-trained staff and quality programs for the Autism community in my area.  Several resources were shared throughout the program including the following websites:

www.theautismprogram.org

http://thejointlibrary.org

http://www.chipublib.org/forkids/kidspages/Austism_Resources.php

Attendees were encouraged to seek out partnerships with organizations in their home areas to aid in the education of staff members and to promote the services being provided at the library.  Parents are a wonderful asset to partner with as well.  Parents know their children best and can provide insight into the types of programs and services that will be most beneficial to their children.  Panelist Joanne Hughes, a parent of a child with Autism, provided a unique perspective on how libraries can best serve children on the spectrum.

The other panelists shared ideas and tips for working with Autistic children in library programming.  Patty Saidenberg shared examples on how to utilized different approaches to teaching library skills to students, while Lally Daley and Christopher Flint shared information on providing training to professionals and information on creating tools to utilize in programs. 

There has been an increasing amount of literature being published specifically for libraries serving individuals on the Autism Spectrum which will help all of us to begin integrating support and awareness into everyday services and programs. 

I hope that the consistent sharing of resources and information regarding this service audience will begin to inspire more and more librarians each day to embrace this wonderfully unique community of library users.  After attending the AASL program I know that I have been inspired even further to provide the best programs and services for my service community, whether they are dealing with Autism or not, everyone deserves a safe, accepting, and inclusive environment to grow and learn.

Bethany Lafferty

Assistant Branch Manager/Youth Services Department Head

Green Valley Library

Henderson, NV