Have you ever compiled a list of recommended materials for children? That’s basically the job of Priority Group II committees.
Kathy Krasniewicz, Chairman of the ALSC Notable Children’s Video Committee, shares:
The charge of our committee is to select, annotate, and present for publication annually a list of notable videotapes and video-discs of interest to children, produced/released within a certain timeframe; to re-evaluate and recommend changes as needed in the criteria; to identify titles for consideration by other committees.
Producers submit materials for consideration. Among these are video editions of children’s picture books, live action shorts and feature-length films, cartoons, and music videos. We receive submissions from well-known commercial ventures and videos that have been made with lots of TLC in someone’s garage. To date, 71 of the videos (a total of nearly 30 hours’ viewing) received are eligible for consideration. Unfortunately, several of these videos have been sent only to the Chairman (which is the producer’s prerogative), and my committee and I will have to spend up to 10 hours viewing these pieces in Philadelphia.
This year, we have tried to keep a formative record of our activities via the ALSC wiki ; potential committee members might want to visit our committee page there to get a flavor of the flow of work.
ALSC Priority Group II consists of five committees which evaluate materials produced for a child audience. The work of four of the Priority Group II committees (Great Interactive Software for Kids, formerly Notable Computer Software for Children; Notable Children’s Books; Notable Children’s Recordings; and Notable Children’s Video) has been commonly referred to as the Children’s Notable Lists. These four committees meet during ALA Annual Conference and ALA Midwinter Meeting in open meetings. While non-committee members aren’t to contribute to the discussion, conference attendees are welcome to sit in the room and listen.
Ellen Spring, ALSC Notable Children’s Recordings Committee Chairman, writes:
Notable Children’s Recordings is the perfect committee for folks who want to keep up on books, music, or picture books with CDs for children ages birth-14 yrs. We receive over 400 submissions from publishers of materials that were published or released in the current year. There are nine members on our committee so the chairman apportions them out, as equally time-wise as can be. The members report back in on their assignments, and any that are nominated are to be listened to by all. This is usually about 80-90. When we meet at ALA annual and midwinter we discuss each submission, play a two or three minute selection to set the tone for discussion, and then we talk. After all the submissions have been put forth we vote on the most outstanding. This is around twenty-five which make the list of notables for that year. It is a great committee for people who like to listen while driving, cleaning, weeding the garden, etc. The professional discussions are what I especially love. It ‘s what being a librarian is all about: discussing literature, and production quality and seeing how others’ views may be totally different. It expands our horizons, and there are tasty snacks at our meetings that make us happy, also.
ALSC Great Interactive Software for Kids Committee selects, annotates, and presents for publication a biannual list of exemplary computer software and multi-platform media currently available. This committee, formerly known as the Notable Computer Software for Children Committee, announced its latest list of Great Interactive Software for Kids on December 4, 2007.
ALSC Great Web Sites was created by the first ALSC Children and Technology Committee and is now maintained by ALSC Great Web Sites for Kids Committee, the only Priority Group II committee specifically designed to do its work electronically, although the committee’s chair is required to attend both ALA Annual and Midwinter Meeting.
Of the Priority Group II committees, the ALSC Notable Children’s Books Committee is the oldest, having been established in 1940. The 2007 Notable Children’s Books web page reads:
According to the Notables Criteria, “notable” is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children’s books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children’s interests in exemplary ways.
Evaluation of media is an important component of library service to children, helping children’s librarians and caregivers get the right book (sound recording, video, interactive software, web site address) in the right hands at the right time. When you are filling out your ALSC Committee Volunteer Form, Priority Group II Committees are ones you should definitely consider. You can download a Committee Volunteer Form by following the link at the ALSC Web Site.