ALSC Blog Overview – July to December 2017

Twice a year, in January and again in mid-summer, we offer an ALSC Blog overview, and take a look at what has happened with the blog in the past six months. It’s been a busy and exciting time! Pull up a chair and I’ll tell you about some of the highlights.

In December, we were informed of exhilarating news which made us particularly proud. We learned that the ALSC blog was ranked by Feedspot in the Top 100 Children’s Book Blogs for parents, teachers and kids. It is always so nice to be recognized and have your work validated, and to join such an esteemed group of blogs. Thanks, Feedspot!

In August through January, the ALSC Blog was B-U-S-Y! Here are the number of posts published per month:

• July: 36 posts with 6 guest posts
• August: 37 posts with 10 guest posts
• September: 41 posts with 12 guest posts
• October: 33 posts with 6 guest posts
• November: 32 posts with 9 guest posts
• December: 35 posts with 8 guest posts

In November, we opened up our Mock Elections Results page and encourage YOU to let us know which 2017 titles are selected as Mock Award Winners at your libraries and schools. As the 2018 Youth Media Awards gets closer and closer — they’ll be announced on Monday, February 12th — check back to see what people around the country think are great possibilities.

In August, we began a monthly profile of ALSC Board Members, profiling

• Amy Koester in August
• Paula Holmes in September
• Vicky Smith in October
• Mary Voors in November
• Chris Caputo in December

As the Board continues to strive for transparency as well as connection with the members, look for this feature to continue! We also continued to offer our popular monthly feature, the ALSC Member Profile. If YOU are interested in being a part of this feature — or if you have a friend or colleague you believe should be profiled — let me know at alscblog@gmail.com.

One of the ways we track the effectiveness of the blog, is how often our posts are picked up by other blogs and news outlets. Some of the many pieces which were picked up in the last six motnhs include:

• The ALSC Blog post by Heather Acerro on July 28, 2017, Getting Logical, was picked up on July 28, 2017 by American Libraries Direct.
• The ALSC Blog  post by Renee Grassi on July 31, 2017, Learning about Library Accessibility, was picked up on August 1, 2017 by American Libraries Direct.
• The ALSC Blog post by Nina Lindsay on August 3, 2017, Intellectual freedom and equity, diversity, and inclusion, was picked up on August 4, 2017 by the Intellectual Freedom Blog.
• The ALSC Blog post by JoAnna Schofield on August 7, 2017, Exploring 3D Shapes in Early Math Programming, was picked up on August 8, 2017 by American Libraries Direct.
• The ALSC Blog post by Alexa Newman on August 16, 2017, Eclipse Madness: Zombies Might Be Easier was picked up on August 18, 2017 by American Libraries Direct.
• The ALSC Blog post by Dr. Annette Goldsmith on August 17, 2016, Kids Need Translations – An Idea Whose Time Has Come, was picked up on September 5, 2017 by the WorldKidLit Blog.
• The ALSC Blog post by Jen Taggart on September 7, 2017, Inclusive Technology Station, was picked up on September 8, 2017 by American Libraries Direct.
• The ALSC Blog post written by Marika Jeffery and Jason Broughton for the Public Awareness Committee on September 11, 2017, Resilience Resources: Helping People Displaced by Environmental and Humanitarian Crises, was picked up on September 12, 2017 by School Library Journal’s Extra Helping.
• The ALSC Blog post written by Krissy Wick on behalf of ALSC’s Managing Children’s Services Committee on September 21, 2017, Using Data to Tell Your Story, was picked up on September 22nd by American Libraries Direct.
• The ALSC Blog post written by Sania Zaffar & Armeen Sayani on October 6, 2017, South Asian Narratives to Help Children Embrace their Cultural Backgrounds and Identities, was picked up on October 6 by American Libraries Direct.
• The ALSC Blog post written by Mary Voors on November 3, 2017, Submit YOUR Mock Election Results, was picked up on November 3 by American Libraries Direct.
• The ALSC Blog post written by Allison Murphy on January 5, 2018, To Infinity and Beyond: Skyping with Astronauts, was picked up on January 9 by American Libraries Direct.

Thanks go to the team of ALSC Bloggers who contribute regularly to the ALSC Blog. Tremendous thank you to:

Last, but most assuredly not least, thanks to the ALSC Staff Liaison to the ALSC Blog, Elizabeth Serrano. It is a privilege to work with all of you. I can’t wait to see what 2018 brings!

Mary R. Voors
ALSC Blog manager
alscblog@gmail.com