How to use this Page

The award acceptance videos from the 2015 Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder Banquet are now available. These speeches took place at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco. Below are the three videos from each of the winners. You can also watch the video of the full banquet (running time 1 hour 45 minutes 54 seconds). Enjoy!

Kwame Alexander – Newbery Speech

Dan Santat – Caldecott Speech

Donald Crews – Wilder Speech

The post Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder Banquet Videos appeared first on ALSC Blog.

I attended the session “Early Learning in the Library: Tools, Partnerships, and Promising Practices” and was enthralled with the information presented by the guest speakers, who were grantees in the IMLS program. Since 2013, IMLS has funded $8.5 million in early learning projects in communities nationwide.

One of the most interesting? A partnership that is brewing with the national organization Reach Out and Read. Pediatricians in the Reach Out and Read network routinely distribute books to babies during well visits – but the IMLS partnership looks to have pediatricians “prescribe” a visit to the library as well, so young families are encouraged to continue to read and share books with their young ones. Click here for more information, and to view the contents of the “Prescription for Success” toolkit.

The post #alaac15 Prescription for Reading Success appeared first on ALSC Blog.

There is so much going on at #alasf2015, that a couple of times I’ve had to take a break from all the noise and confusion of the conference. There just is so much happening all at once that at times it is a bit too stimulating.

The first time I took a break I sat in the lovely Yerba Buena Gardens and watched the world go by. The breeze felt great.

The second time was when I got something to eat at Whole Foods. I was checking out and made a comment about visiting from Maine and guess what? My cashier was also from Maine! Not only was she from Maine, but she grew up in the town right next to mine! When I told her where I worked she said her family uses that library all the time. How cool is that?

We chatted a bit about books and reading versus watching movies, gaming and electronic devices. It was really nice and made my experience here at #alasf2015 all the more enjoyable.

It really is a small world.

And, then I met political cartoonist and author, Derf Backderf (My Friend Dahmer) As he drew his autograph in my ARC of his newest book Trapped, we chatted about how drawing can help some people make sense of the world.

Sweet!

The post #alasf2015 A funny thing happened at the store appeared first on ALSC Blog.

A big thank you to all of my colleagues who have already had the opportunity to post about the conference so far. There’s been so many good posts! This is my first and I just wanted to acknowledge how hard these people work. Live blogging is a great way to spread the lessons of the conference far and wide.

This was the first year that our blog manager, Mary Voors has convened a live blog meet up at today’s Leadership & ALSC program. The picture above shows a good portion of those individuals. What a great crew! I look forward to reading all of their great posts throughout the rest of the conference!

Photo courtesy of ALSC

The post Recognizing Our Amazing Live Bloggers #alaac15 appeared first on ALSC Blog.

2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco (image courtesy of ALA)

ALSC and the ALSC Awards Preconference Pilot Program Task Force want to remind Annual attendees that registration slots for the 2015 ALSC preconference program are still avaialable. This program takes place 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday, June 26, 2015, at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco.

The program, entitled Distinguished and Diverse: Celebrate the 2015 ALSC Honor Books, will spotlight 2015 Honor Book recipients for the Newbery, Caldecott, Batchelder, Pura Belpré, Sibert and Geisel awards. The keynote speaker for the program is K.T. Horning, and there will be a panel facilitated by Judy Freeman.

The event will feature authors, illustrators and editors such as:

• Cece Bell
• Jacqueline Woodson
• Lauren Castillo
• Mary GrandPré
• Candace Fleming
• Yuyi Morales
• Jillian Tamaki
• Katherine Roy
• John Parra
• Patricia Hruby Powell
• Mark Siegel
• Christian Robinson,
• Jon Klassen
• Melissa Sweet

This is the first year that such a preconference will be held. The charge of the Awards Preconference Pilot Program Task Force is “to develop content and the program for a half-day preconference that will feature 2015 ALSC-only award honorees.” Based on the success of this year’s preconference, ALSC may or may not choose to hold similar events in connection with upcoming Annual Conferences. ALSC members receive a special discount (use code: ALSC2015) on registration.

The post Distinguished and Diverse: Celebrate the 2015 ALSC Honor Books appeared first on ALSC Blog.

2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco (image courtesy of ALA)

ALSC and the ALSC Awards Preconference Pilot Program Task Force announced the theme and speakers for the 2015 ALSC preconference program. This program takes place 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday, June 26, 2015, at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco.

The program, entitled “Distinguished and Diverse: Celebrate the 2015 ALSC Honor Books,” will spotlight 2015 Honor Book recipients for the Newbery, Caldecott, Batchelder, Pura Belpré, Sibert and Geisel awards. The keynote speaker for the program is K.T. Horning, and there will be a panel facilitated by Judy Freeman.

The event will feature authors, illustrators and editors such as Cece Bell, Jacqueline Woodson, Lauren Castillo, Mary GrandPré, Candace Fleming, Yuyi Morales, Jillian Tamaki, Katherine Roy, John Parra, Patricia Hruby Powell, Mark Siegel, Christian Robinson, Jon Klassen and Melissa Sweet. More speakers will be announced soon.

This is the first year that such a preconference will be held. The charge of the Awards Preconference Pilot Program Task Force is “to develop content and the program for a half-day preconference that will feature 2015 ALSC-only award honorees.” Based on the success of this year’s preconference, ALSC may or may not choose to hold similar events in connection with upcoming Annual Conferences. ALSC members receive a special discount (use code: ALSC2015) on registration.

The post Distinguished and Diverse at #alaac15 appeared first on ALSC Blog.

What to eat and what to do in San Francisco (photo courtesy of Flickr user runner310)

“Where should we go to eat?” In San Francisco, that question can have a myriad of answers. Never fear, whatever you decide will be delicious. Considered to be mecca for foodies everywhere, be prepared for your taste buds to dance in gastronomical delight!

Here are my top three reasons San Francisco offers the best culinary experience.

First, we have a diverse menu to choose from for your palette. From Japanese to Vegan to Brazilian and Pakistani, there isn’t much that’s missing. In addition to the diversity in food, we also like to offer yummy cuisine Off the Grid style or in a food court like the Hall SF.

Second, food is just a hop, skip, or even a jump away in many of our neighborhoods. The Mission District is the first that comes to mind when it comes to door to door food options. When people think of the Mission District the Mission Burrito usually comes to mind, and yes it’s good, but there’s also so much more!

Third, and my final point although I could go on and on, you will always find traditional and long standing establishments such as the House of Prime Rib, The Cliff House, and Farallon  among the new and innovative restaurants that pop up around the city.

The only downside to being in such a great place to find delicious food is deciding where to go. For your viewing and tasting pleasure, we’ve provided you with some of our favorite restaurants that are easily accessible by BART, MUNI, or within walking distance of the San Francisco Main Library, the Moscone Center, and the ALA hotels. Click here for some delicious dining options courtesy of the ALSC Local Arrangements team.

After a great meal, I love to walk around the city to do some shopping. Near the Powell Street BART station, you’ll encounter numerous shoppers walking up and down Powell Street as well as around Union Square. You can also spend a fair amount of time shopping in the Westfield San Francisco Centre which is also conveniently located at the Powell Street BART station.  Fairly close and within walking distance is Chinatown. Take a picture on Bush Street at the entrance and then have fun visiting all of the shops and eateries. Another tourist must see for shopping is Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39. You can find plenty of San Francisco themed gifts in both locations including one shop dedicated to Alcatraz. Don’t forget to take a picture with the famous sun bathing sea lions also known as the “Sea Lebrities while you walk around.

Welcome to San Francisco! Have fun and eat lots!

**************************************************************

Today’s blog post was written Rebecca Alcalá-Veraflor, the Early Literacy Coordinator at the San Francisco Public Library, for the ALSC Local Arrangements Committee.

The post San Francisco: Where To Eat and What to Do? appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Christy Estrovitz, Chair of the ALSC Local Arrangements Committee, and Carla Kozak, Chair of the ALSC Pre-Conference (photo courtesy of Christy Estrovitz)

A word to the wise from the Local Arrangements Committee, book your hotel soon. ALA Annual coincides with the 45th Annual San Francisco Pride Celebration and Parade. AirBnB is another lodging opportunity and splendid way to immerse yourself in one of SF’s neighborhood. Stay tuned for more tips from the locals.

The post Early Bird Registration is Open for #alaac15 appeared first on ALSC Blog.

2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco (image courtesy of ALA)

Want to attend the 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco?

ALSC and the Grants Administration Committee are now accepting online applications for the 2015 Penguin Young Readers Group Awards. This award, made possible by an annual gift from Penguin Young Readers Group, provides a $600 stipend for up to four children’s librarians to attend their first ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco.

Applicants must be personal members of ALSC, as well as ALA members to apply. Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, October 1, 2014. For more information about the award requirements and submitting the online application please visit the Penguin Young Readers Group Award Web page.