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When ruminating over this past year as ALSC President, the above title of a book by Anne Lamott comes to mind.

Help! Luckily, there was always plenty of it!

• The stellar staff in the ALSC offices was always available for support.  From guiding me through the appointments process, organizing Community Forums and other events with members, editing (so many) communications, cultivating collaborations to expand and enhance our work, to finding a way to make some cockamamie ideas concrete, they never lost their patience or good humor.
• My fabulous fellow Board members engaged in lofty thinking and diligent deliberation to move the work of the Association forward and always stepped forward to volunteer for each new task and accept every assignment.
• The truly remarkable membership continues to humble and astound me with their vision, passion and commitment to raising issues and producing results.

Thanks!  So, from the above, you can already see that I have an abundance for which to be indebted. But, in addition, I had the opportunity to steep myself even more than usual in this wonderful, dynamic profession for an entire year. It was my honor to be the voice of the association, to represent libraries at the White House and children’s services in national media. It was my pleasure to be the ears as well and to get to know my amazing colleagues from across the country as I listened to their concerns and their aspirations for the association and the profession at large.  I thank you all from my heart.

I was recently reminded of the multitude of hats we wear when I had the good fortune to see Pepito’s pom-pommed velvet topper at the New York Historical Society’s Bemelmans exhibit. (Not a bad hat at all!) I am grateful to have had the chance to don the hat of ALSC President this past year. I encourage you all to throw your hat in the ring (or in the air) to create a better future for children through libraries by working together in ALSC.  Please, do yourself, the association and the profession a favor–volunteer for a committee or task force, write a blog post, participate in a Community Forum, or consider running for the ALSC Board.  The possibilities are endless and the rewards are infinite.

And finally…

Wow! That’s just about all I can say. Wow!

Dear fellow ALSC members:

Please pardon my delay in joining the current conversation surrounding the clarification of confidentiality in regard to reviewing, social media and electronic communication for members of ALSC award committees. My hotel does not have wi-fi and the business center closes at 4 pm, (apparently most of “what happens in Vegas” doesn’t happen online), and combined with required meetings yesterday my reading and response to email has been significantly delayed.

Over the past several years the ALSC office and officers have fielded a growing number of inquiries from members of award committees regarding appropriate written expression which maintains the confidentiality and integrity of the awards. The guidelines that had served us well were no longer sufficient to navigate the wildfire landscape of electronic communication and the exponential dissemination of opinion that occurs.

In response, the ALSC Board appointed a task force which including past and present award chairs, reviewers and a blogger and a representative from publishing to provide a broad and textured range of perspective. This dedicated group diligently consulted with colleagues, discussed and deliberated before presenting their recommendation to the ALSC Board last January during midwinter. There was further careful consideration and conversation between the Task Force and the Board in a public meeting which ultimately resulted in adoption of their recommendations. Mahnaz Dar from School Library Journal interviewed me and reported on this issue shortly after Midwinter.

The intention of this clarification is to support, not suppress the members of the award committees. Some recent responses have labelled this action as “preemptive” in a pejorative manner. To return to the wildfire analogy, it is better to prevent a fire than try to contain one that has been set ablaze. Indeed, there have been cases when an individual has (inadvertently) crossed the line of confidentiality and has later removed a blog post.

That is becoming ever more difficult in this age of instant re-tweeting and “sharing”. Once information and opinion has been unleashed, it can no longer be retrieved. Even traditional means of disseminating information can unintentionally go awry, (e.g. the unfortunate premature release of this year’s acceptance speeches prior to the awards banquet, ironically by The Horn Book). By providing clear and, yes, cautious parameters members have a better sense of the expectations of conduct and can avoid these missteps which are potentially embarrassing for the poster.

The issue of reviewing while on an awards committee predates the current communication climate. During my tenures on award committees, I elected to review only titles that would were ineligible for that committee: books from other countries, books for young adults, etc., as did many of my fellow committee members. The editors of School Library Journal understood and, indeed, expected and respected that discretion.

The Task Force and the Board carefully considered the implications of these clarifications regarding the service of editors of review media on award committees. It was determined that there would not be an issue if those editors did not publish signed reviews of eligible books. Again, titles outside the parameters of the committee’s consideration could be individually and specifically reviewed. We recognize the expertise and experience of these professionals and value their contribution to the process.

Award committees have structures in in place that preserve the integrity of process and thus the award itself. Indeed, I have twice had the privilege of serving as a judge for The New York Times Best Illustrated Books, (both times with Roger Sutton). We were strictly prohibited form telling anyone of our role until after publication of the list to avoid undue influence over selection and revelation. (This required months of keeping a delicious secret to myself, when I love to share information!) I am currently a judge for the National Book Award which has its own set of guidelines regulating conduct and confidentiality.

It is the responsibility of the Board to protect the integrity of the process of the ALSC awards in stewardship this very valuable asset of the association. We would have been remiss not to have responded to the changing conditions that necessitated this thorough examination and careful contemplation of practice.

I am grateful to all for your passion and professionalism surrounding this issue and for the opportunity to address your concerns and questions.

We have seen a whirlwind of activity, attention, activism and acclaim for children and their books this week.

The opportunities to celebrate diversity every day in libraries culminated in the officially designated day for El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) on April 30.  Communities came together to explore and appreciate the rich texture that plurality contributes to their world.  As the Día movement has grown, so has its recognition including the publication of an op-ed in this week’s Huffington Post which highlighted the paper The Importance of Diversity in Library Programs and Materials Collections for Children authored by Jamie Campbell Naidoo, PhD and recently adopted by the ALSC Board of Directors.

That importance was expressed exponentially this week when Twitter resounded with #WeNeedDiverseBooks though thoughtful, poignant, articulate posts by parents, teachers, librarians, book creators, and most effectively, children themselves. The groundswell of images, emotion and exuberance continue to resonate.

The perfect crescendo to this momentum occurred last night with Andrea Davis Pinkney’s stellar presentation of the May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture. As the audience followed her journey into reading and writing we were regaled with the family stories recorded in her “colorful notebooks”, awed by the “thin black line” of her literary influences, moved by her connections between the past and the present, and inspired by her commitment to a “rescue squad” for global literacy.  The glory of the evening truly cannot be captured by my words. Luckily, it was recorded and the video will be available soon on the ALSC website.  I invite you to savor every moment of the presentation and continue the fine work of this wonderful profession with renewed conviction.

The ALSC Board of Directors conducts open meetings at Annual Conference and during the Midwinter Meeting, but the Board also attends to business between those occasions.

The members of the ALSC Board communicate with one another and conduct association business on the ALSC Board Electronic Discussion List, ALSCBOARD. I invite all interested individuals to stay current with ALSC issues and business proceedings by subscribing to ALSCBOAD at http://lists.ala.org/sympa/info/alscboard. Subscribers receive all posts to the list, (but cannot post messages themselves), including notices of online meetings which can be followed by members via ALA Connect.  The results of any actions taken by the Board in these online sessions are also posted the ALSCBOARD.

Archives of discussions on ALSCBOARD may be found at http://www.ala.org/alsc/compubs/alsc20/alscdisclist/edlarchives.

Please join me and my fellow board members in examining the issues that shape our organization. And be sure to check out the other ALSC electronic discussion lists at http://www.ala.org/alsc/compubs/alsc20/alscdisclist.  There are online communities dedicated to storytelling, preschool services, legislative issues, Día and more.  Remember, the more we get together, the happier we’ll be!

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, brings together the two things nearest and dearest to the hearts of youth services librarians.  This annual celebration which culminates on April 30^th each year provides recognition of the importance and joy of the work we do every day to bring the two together.

Día offers an opportunity to shine a light on what we do and the rich cultural treasures and textures in our communities and our collections.  We know the importance for children of seeing both oneself and the bigger world reflected in the books we share with them.  Access and engagement with a broad array of materials and languages provide both a mirror and a window to extend vision, awareness and understanding of diverse cultures.

Día has grown in leaps and bounds since first proposed by author and poet Pat Mora, developed in partnership with REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, and combined efforts with ALSC.  While referred to by its Spanish name, celebrations have expanded to embrace all cultures. The Día 2013 season saw a record breaking 527 libraries in 40 states hosting Día programs, representing 25 different languages. Celebrations and observances gain momentum every year, supported by ever increasing resources and opportunities available.

There is a tremendous wealth of resources available at http://dia.ala.org/, including a practical toolkit for forming a Día book club, a resource guide, booklists and success stories.  After you are inspired to stage your own event be sure to register it at http://cs.ala.org/websurvey/alsc/dia/index.cfm so we can continue to grow Día together.

‘Tis the season for making lists!

I am an inveterate list maker and reader.  As a seasoned pro, (-crastinator, that is), I rely on them as valuable tools to organize and prioritize tasks that require attention, (and those that provide distraction). I have even made lists of the lists that I need to make!

December, with its flurry of both personal and professional activity, provides expanded opportunity for their implementation and perusal. In addition to the usual daily to-do lists, there are the “best” lists of books and other media, shopping lists for holiday gifts and meals, and, of course, the ever growing list of all the loose ends to finish up by the end of the year.

One item on the latter list is to send in my contribution to Friends of ALSC.  Friends of ALSC was founded to enhance both our established programs and to support growth and innovation in the organization. Funds are used for organizational support and to provide scholarships for individuals.  If desired, donations may be designated for one or more of the following areas of ALSC’s efforts: Professional Development, Early Literacy Projects, Innovative Conference Programs and Institutes, and 21st Century Challenges.  For more details visit http://www.ala.org/alsc/donate.

Contributors to Friends of ALSC receive a special listing in, ALSConnect, and on the ALSC. Members of the Friends of ALSC President’s Circle receive an invitation to the VIP reception preceding the Newbery/Caldecott banquet. Additionally, donors are recognized in the slide presentation at the Newbery/Caldecott banquet.

But truly, supporting Friends of ALSC enriches the experience and expertise of our membership, thus ultimately effecting service to the children and families we serve as we work together creating a better future for children through libraries.  The effect is exponential and the list of possibilities is endless!

Make today the day to check out Everyday Advocacy!

Children’s librarians advocate every day, from informing parents of the importance and significance of early literacy experiences, to promoting the best books for our clientele, to engaging potential users and informing funders.  ALSC provides the Everyday Advocacy website http://www.ala.org/everyday-advocacy/  to provide inspiration, tips and support in this essential endeavor.

I find the pursuit of partnerships to be a particularly productive path to advocacy.   Cultivation of collaborations is a crucial element of my everyday advocacy efforts.  The patience and persistence of building coalitions within communities can pay off in several ways, as illustrated at our Read for the Record event earlier this week.

Working with established partners, in both the public and private sector, the library was able to host a spectacular public reading of Otis, by Loren Long for over 700 attendees.  There were antique tractors, (one that looked just like Otis!), a calf that endured 2 hours of petting by preschoolers, and a model of a cow that could be “milked”. The local PBS station photographed families and recorded memories of favorite stories.  A banjo player headed up the parade and provided accompaniment to rousing versions of “Old McDonald and Bingo, complete with large letters held aloft during the choruses to reinforce letter recognition. College-level child development students assisted with book-related crafts and activities and led children in games of Ring-Around-the-Rosie and Leapfrog.  Local orchards donated apples for each participant and, thanks to the Pearson Foundation, every child received their very own copy of Otis.

Over a dozen agencies and businesses joined forces on this event.  We never could have achieved this success without one another and the result was exponential.  The community came together to interact, strengthening civic bonds and contributing to the social and emotional development of the children that attended.  Families participated in a quality educational and cultural experience that was literacy based and raised awareness of library services.  The TV news media broadcast the festivities on the evening news which expanded that awareness.  Finally, we attracted the attention of a representative from the Pearson Foundation and the County Executive, both of whom attended and were thrilled and impressed by the creativity, organization and commitment of the library staff and their partners.

We made a lot of friends on Thursday, and friends are our strongest supporters—everyday!