This month I read A Place at the Table: Participating in Community Building by Kathleen de la Peña McCook. The back of the book states: “From urban giants to small towns across the country, there is a palpable hunger for a greater sense of community. Libraries, as they continue to provide a vital public service, [...]

Back in April, I spoke to Denise Raleigh, Director of Marketing, Development and Communications; Faith Brautigam, Manager of Youth Services; and Betsy O’Connell, Manager of Information Technology; all of the Gail Borden Public Library District, about the StoryTubes, the national 2-minute or less video contest featuring students and their favorite books. (Voting for the fourth [...]

Animal-themed storytimes are plentiful. Tons of picture books, tons of fingerplays, and tons of ideas for crafts/activities. If you’re looking for something more exotic than dogs and cats, an alligator storytime might be in store.

What would you do if an alligator slipped inside your house, with only your siblings to share in your terror? You’d [...]

by Traci Glass
I want to share with you my very, very favorite program and collaboration idea. I used to live and work in Arizona where I ran the Battle of the Books Program in collaboration with the wonderful school librarians in the Gilbert School District while I was a Children’s Librarian at the Southeast [...]

How many of you are experiencing the Summer Reading Rush? You know what I mean– madly running about printing booklets and fliers for schools, cutting paper, assembling prizes, calling last minute performers, making sure there are enough supplies for that fateful day in June….
As Head of YS, I get to do most of my work [...]

Memorial Day is fast approaching, and with that means the beginning of summer, outdoor barbecues, and for children’s/YA librarians, summer reading program time! If you’re planning a summer-themed storytime, consider adding these books to your repertoire.

Patterned after Gertrude Stein’s famous quote from her poem, Sacred Emily (”A rose is a rose is a rose”), [...]

submitted by Wendy Woodfill, Convenor, ALSC Children’s Collection Management in Public Libraries Discussion Group
The Children’s Collection Management in Public Libraries Discussion Group will be meeting on Sunday afternoon during ALA next month. Here are the details:
Sunday June 29 1:30 to 3:30 pm
Clarion Hotel Orangewood 2 (CLAR)
616 Convention Way
We have two [...]

As the current manager of the ALSC Blog, I attempt to check the comment queue at least three times a day. I am always delighted when a real comment is among the spam. Just moments ago, I went through 180 spam comments, mostly referencing fashion. (At least, for the time being, Paris Hilton seems to [...]

Finally we are hearing and seeing more about the value (including the entertainment value) of listening to audiobooks. The Association of American Publishers is now adding audiobooks and listening to their popular “Get Caught Reading” campaign. The campaign, which began in 1999, features posters of celebrities and public figures who have been “caught reading” their [...]

I have the honor of receiving all of the review books that arrive into the ALSC office.  I started working for ALSC in December 1996, and it’s been Christmas every day since then.  You see, I love opening the boxes of books that we receive almost everyday. I’m like a kid in the candy store; [...]