Maybe they should be called “curiosity books” argued Marc Aronson, the inaugural winner of the Sibert Award in 2001. Lesa Cline-Ransome joined in the conversation stating that these books “should make clear what is unclear.” The stories they tell are not just about the past, but about the connections and echoes around us today, added Candace Fleming (winner of the Sibert in 2021, in addition to three Sibert honors in other years). At Saturday’s Big Ideas session, we had the enormous pleasure of listening to these three authors, who are each so gifted in making nonfiction topics come to life for children of all ages, as they discussed their research and writing of both past and forthcoming books. Their passion for their subjects was matched by their respect for their young audiences. One of the points that struck me the most was when Candace Fleming asserted that if a nonfiction…
Author: Catherine Ash
A little of this, a little of that at #alsc26
At the end of a long day of attending conference sessions, my mind is swimming with ideas; being at the ALSC National Institute is exciting, but it can also be overstimulating. In the quiet of my room, I look over my notes, scan my photos, and look through the variety of flyers I have accumulated over the course of the day. Reflecting on the day, I ask myself what did I learn about that I actually plan to bring back to my library? Did something I hear about spark an idea for an entirely new program? Was there a session that helped me to understand issues I’m grappling with or want to pursue as part of my professional development? Was I able to network with people that are working on the same kinds of new ideas that I am? All of these are things that can happen during the ALSC…
Rochester Public Library & Strong National Museum of Play – A Place For All At #alsc26
What a treat it was to be able to participate in the all day outing to Rochester today and to visit both the Rochester Public Library and the Strong National Museum of Play! We began our day in the 90-year old Rundel Memorial Building where we were awed by the beautiful architectural details, stories of mysterious stairways and hidden doors, and tantalizing tales of the resident ghosts. From there we went to the newer building across the street. I can promise that every youth librarian present was utterly delighted by the secret room in the children’s area: Filled with toys, musical instruments, and books, what small child (or librarian) wouldn’t want to duck inside this magical room hidden behind a bookcase? The teen room was amazing as well; this was not surprising, as we were told that teens had a great deal of input in how it was designed, and…
Looking through a new lens – lessons from #ALSC2024
By the afternoon of day two of the 2024 ALSC National Institute, my mind was spinning from the fantastic author talks, the informative sessions, and the many, many informal talks about library life. To be honest, my energy was flagging just a bit. But during the afternoon sessions, I was once again inspired by the librarians who were presenting their work, and once again I found myself rapidly jotting down ideas about what I might incorporate in my own work once I got home.
Community, stories, respect – throughlines in ALSC#2024, but really always in library life
I was collecting my thoughts from a very full day of attending conference sessions and sat down with every intention of writing up something about intellectual freedom. Several of the sessions I attended on Friday spoke directly to this issue: During the Standing in Solidarity session, we learned about how the Johnson County (Kansas) Library handled challenges to books chosen for their summer reading program. Through a series of reflective exercises, we considered practical ways to address similar challenges. Later, in the Intellectual Freedom Strategies for Success session, Joyce McIntosh offered some pragmatic advice about how to be proactive and prepared for library challenges and other threats to intellectual freedom and how to try and de-escalate concerns before they become challenges. Other panels I attended were not overtly about intellectual freedom, but provided access to knowledge and protecting intellectual freedom as a cornerstone of library service, whether discussing how to…
How to jump right in to a conference – ALSC 101
When I reviewed the schedule for #ALSC24 and saw that one of the first sessions was titled simply ALSC 101, I honestly wasn’t sure if I would go to that session. I know what ALSC is, I thought, and it had already been a long day traveling to Denver. Why not wait to start my conference experience with the main event of the evening, the opening general session with guest Meg Medina (which was amazing, by the way). However, this was my first time at an ALSC institute and I figured it was worth hearing what the presenters had to say about the organization. I am so glad that I did – the session was a perfect way to jump into the conference. Especially for an ALSC Institute newbie, it was informative and inspirational. Much to my delighted surprise, it was also fun and interactive because it was organized around…