Why inclusion? We can do better in terms of inclusion. We must do better. As youth services librarians we do not simply purchase and organize books. Nor do we mindlessly offer programming. We think about what we are doing. We fill needs in our community, the people we represent and the people who rely on us. Inclusion will fill this need and much more. The struggle with diversity: As of February 2015, we are still behind in diverse children’s literature: Isn’t quality children’s literature enough? Quality children’s literature builds strength in readers. Getting children to pick up a book and read it speaks to how well the book reflects their lives. Creating a collection and designing programming that are diverse welcomes patrons from a range of cultural backgrounds. Above all, our efforts will encourage empathy by helping kids better understand their similarities and differences. The world we live in is only increasing…
Month: December 2016
Gimme a C (for Collaboration!): A Successful Partnership Can Begin with Summer Reading
Through school-public library collaboration, librarians can co-design successful summer reading programs that help prevent summer reading loss. The goal of a national nonprofit called the Collaborative Summer Library Program, or CSLP, is to support public libraries with high-quality summer reading materials for all age groups at the lowest possible cost. Experienced librarian volunteers help CLSP provide member libraries with a summer reading kit in English and in Spanish. In Oracle, Arizona, public library volunteer director Pauly Skiba identified a pressing need for collaboration with the public school in her community. Oracle Public is an all-volunteer rural library thirty miles north of Tucson. Pauly, a retired classroom teacher, realized that although the library did an excellent job serving preschool and adult community members, few school-age children and teens used library resources—school-age programs and the summer reading program were not well attended. One day, Pauly was helping a 7th-grade girl do her…
Collaborate with Local Organizations In The New Sharing Economy
Public libraries have been successfully demonstrating the benefits of a sharing economy way before businesses like Uber and Airbnb were on the scene. As pioneers of this operating model, libraries have set the standard for increasing access to resources and spaces for their individual users. The rise in popularity of the sharing economy presents libraries new opportunities for community partnerships.
Film & Books: Disney’s Moana
Moana, the latest film from Disney Animations studios, is a hit by any measurement. So far, the film has grossed almost $284.5 million dollars in the U.S. alone, and currently has a 95% rating with critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The titular heroine of Moana is the daughter of a chief. She must journey across the ocean to find the demi-god Maui and rescue her people, an adventure that’s a nice change of pace from earlier princess movies.
Anticipating January 23rd
Award season has me all aquiver. Children’s lit lovers don’t need any further clarification to that statement. For most of us, there is one group of awards that stand out from all the rest. The Youth Media Awards.
Great news from Great Websites!
Great news from Great Websites for Kids Committee We’ve got new winners and a new name!
Ring in the New Year with Youth Services Goals
This season can be a time for reflection and planning. It’s hard for me to imagine that in just a few days we will ring in a New Year! My professional goals for 2017 focus on training, teamwork, and creating enhanced early literacy spaces for our youngest patrons. What plans do you have on the horizon during this next year?
Two Little Magic Words
This time of year, I enjoy looking back at what I am thankful for. I remember my first job as a Children’s Librarian in a little hamlet in Los Angeles County almost 22 years ago. One day there was a meeting of the Friends, and I was there to ask them to support a children’s program. They voted yes, and I was happy, but kind of in a fog, and not too sure about how these things worked. A Library Assistant who attended the meeting nudged me and said quietly through a bright smile, “Say thank you.” So I did. I’ll admit that I was a little annoyed that she had to prompt me, but I shouldn’t have been. That was my introduction to the Friends of the Library and the beginning of a career of learning to say thank you.