Recommended Conference Sessions at ALA Annual

If you’re planning to attend ALA Annual in Chicago this June, here are a few of the incredible sessions related to youth and diversity. Abridged descriptions are below. Full descriptions are available at ALA’s Conference Website. 

Sessions Focused on Early Childhood

• Building Bridges: Using Research and Partnerships to Support Early Literacy in Diverse Communities. Sunday, June 25, 10:30-11:30 AM.
“Panelists will share their dynamic and responsive approaches to meeting the learning needs of adults who are raising and caring for young children across diverse contexts.”

• Beyond Bilingual: Making Storytime Friendly to Families who are English Language Learners. Sunday, June 25, 3:00-4:00 PM.
“From creating visual schedules and other visual aids to using Plain Language to translating storytime guides, discover simple techniques to make your storytime friendly to parents and children who are English Language Learners.”

• Early Literacy Outreach to Vulnerable Populations. Monday, June 26, 1:00-2:30 PM.
“Because acquisition of early literacy skills can improve young children’s lives, outreach programming to people who are not yet library users has expanded.” Panelists will discuss a variety of early literacy outreach programs.

Sessions Focused on School Age

• Dynamic Ways to Serve Teens of Color. Saturday, June 24, 10:30-11:30 AM.
“Four librarians with experience serving teensin schooland public libraries located in urban and suburban areas will present strategies and methods for meeting the needs of students of color and immigrant students.”

• Women Aren’t Funny (And Other Essential Untruths For Middle Grade Readers). Saturday, June 24, 3:00-4:00 PM.
“With editor Sharyn November as moderator, five middle grade authors will discuss the serious business of busting stereotypes and the pleasures and pitfallsof being female and writing funny.”

• TechniGals: How to Get Girls Excited About Making & STEAM in the Library. Sunday, June 25, 1:00-2:30 PM.
“A presenter “will talk about [the TechniGals Summer STE(A)M Camp] and [other programs] that attract girls to the library to engage with technology and making.”

Sessions Pertinent to All Ages

• ALSC PREconference: Perceive. Rise. Engage: Celebrate the 2017 ALSC Honor Books. Friday, June 23, 11:30 AM – 4:00 PM.
“Join us in conversation with authors, illustrators, and publishers as we celebrate and explore the 2017 Batchelder, Caldecott, Geisel, Newbery, Pura Belpré, and Sibert Honor Books.” This is a ticketed event that is not included with the cost of general admission.

• A Radical Interpretation of the New 2015 ALSC Competencies. Saturday, June 24, 10:30-11:30 AM.
“In early 2016, ALSC members identified ‘diversity in children’s literature’ as the #1 topic they most wanted to learn about at 2017 ALA annual. To this end, this session provides participants with a framework and recommended guidelines to interpret and apply the new ALSC Competencies in regards to collection development and library programming.”

• Libraries Are Not Neutral Spaces: Social Justice Advocacy in Librarianship. Sunday, June 25, 8:30-10:00 AM.
“The myth of the library as neutral is increasingly an impediment to our work and our professional standing, as well as being at odds with our professional ethics. Youth services librarianship is, at its core, social justice work.”
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Marika Jeffery, a Youth Services Librarian at San Diego Public Library, is writing this post on behalf of the Public Awareness Committee. She can be reached at mjeffery@sandiego.gov.