As members of the Program Coordinating Committee, we read, review, and select the educational programs that are presented at the ALA Annual Conference that would be of particular interest to attendees who work with children and families. Two such programs I am pleased to share with you below are sure to be engaging and informative.
Talk Story: Centering Oral Traditions to Advance Literacy Justice and Transform Community Relationship is a panel discussion with speakers Amy Kyung-eun Breslin, Outreach Librarian for the Lorain Public Library System and Sarah Nguyễn a PhD student at the University of Washington Information School. Joining them will be three additional speakers Aaron LaFromboise, the Director of Library Services at Medicine Spring Library, Stacy Wells, a Youth Services Librarian at Southlake Public Library, and Tiffany Mallery, a graduate student at Simmons University School of Library and Information Science.
This program will feature three parts. The first part will include two oral storytelling presentations from members of the American Indigenous Library Association (AILA) and the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA). The second part of the program is a panel of AILA and APALA Family Literacy Focus joint-committee members who will discuss the application, significance, and cultural relevance of oral traditions and collective story sharing in liberation and librarianship. Panelists will draw from their own experiences with implementing and centering the Talk Story community of practice within their own libraries and communities.
This program may be for you if you are interested in community building, social justice, equity and inclusion, family literacy and cultural literacy, culturally-responsive pedagogy and communities of practice.
This program will be presented on Saturday, June 23, 2023 from 9:00 to 10:00 AM and can be found using the category Transforming: Community Relationships.
Transformative Outreach-Growth Through Impactful Partnerships and Inquiry-Based Programming is a hands-on session with speakers Amy Kyung-eun Breslin, Outreach Librarian and Stephanie R. Brown, Outreach Public Services Professional both of the Lorain Public Library System along with Brittany Labinger, Instructional Coach at the Thinkery Children’s Museum in Austin, Texas.
This program has two parts. The first part will be a presentation of the program including the history and overview of the “Discovery on the Go” youth initiative which brings inquiry-based library programs into Preschool and K-12 classrooms, increasing accessibility to the library for under-resourced youth in rural, suburban, and urban settings. The presenters will share their combined experiences in reimagining outreach services, developing youth programming, identifying and building effective partner relationships, and constructing plans to address crucial community needs. The second part of the session will be hands-on and focus on putting what attendees have learned into practice by creating an operational plan for youth outreach programs in their service areas. Attendees will also walk away prepared to determine 3 critical, community, stakeholder, organizations and strategies for effectively meeting shared goals, to serve youth where they are.
This program may be for you If you are a youth services staff member or manager, work in outreach services, work in school libraries or are active as a community engagement liaison.
This program will be presented on Sunday, June 25, 2023 from 2:30 to 3:30 PM and can be found using the category Transforming: Community Relationships.
If you are interested in volunteering for this committee in the future (or any other ALSC committee), now is a great time to fill out your volunteer form. Committee appointments are made throughout the spring and early summer. If you have any questions about the Program Coordinating Committee, please email me at jpeterson@indiantrailslibrary.org. I hope you enjoy your time at the ALA Annual Conference!
Our guest blogger today is Jennifer A. Peterson. Jennifer is a Youth Services Supervisor at Indian Trails Public Library in Wheeling, IL. She lives with her husband and two puppies, and believes the library is a place where everyone belongs.
(Image courtesy of Jennifer Peterson.)