A big book is large and in charge and can command a room. Big books are one of my favorite items to use in story time, with a large or small group. But they are so overwhelming. Here are some tips on taking big books and using them to their BIG advantage.
Author: Emily Bayci
Love and Children’s Books: Wedding Readings
Our wedding is five days away (four by the time this blog publishes) so clearly, love and marriage is high on my mind. Although our wedding does not use any of these, I can’t help but reflect on my favorite wedding readings about love from children’s literature. It seems right to start with one of the most beloved characters, Winnie the Pooh and the example of true friendship from A.A. Milne. “’If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.’ Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. ‘Pooh?’ he whispered. ‘Yes, Piglet?’ ‘Nothing,’ said Piglet, taking Pooh’s hand. ‘I just wanted to be sure of you.’ ‘We’ll be Friends Forever, won’t we, Pooh?’ asked Piglet. ‘Even longer,’ Pooh answered. ‘If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together…there is something you must always…
Librarian Hacks: Tips for rough days
I love being a children’s librarian. But, who can honestly say it’s all peaches and roses 24 hours a day? Everyone is going to have a case of the Monday’s sometimes. Especially when Winter seems to be dragging on for a million months and the to-do list is never-ending and there are 8642 programs in a week but you already have to plan for six months in ahead… Here are some of my favorite “hacks” that make these tough days a little easier and some tips for getting thru them. Emergency storytime kit. -Books, a funky hat or puppet something you can grab in the “IforgotIwasdoingstorytimeandthere’s60toddlersrunningaroundscreaming” moments. Have some books ready that you are comfortable with. My fall backs are Where is the Green Sheep by Mem Fox and Say Hello Like This by Mary Murphy. Songs to fall back on. When the wiggles just don’t seem to be coming out…
Leadership and ALSC at #alamw18
One of my favorite parts of Ala Midwinter 2018 was the Leadership and ALSC program. It started with an opening message from ALSC President Nina Lindsay, an update from the ALA Washington office and then a part where everybody in the room introduced themselves and said where they worked and their affiliation with ALSC. This part was super awesome because you were able to put faces to names and make new connections with people. I would highly recommend individuals to go to this program at future conferences. The second half of the program was a presentation- “Toxic Stress in the Library: The Upstream Impact of Life Adversity on Children,” presented by Dr. Janina Fariñas and Johanna Ulloa Girón MSW. The dynamic and brilliant duo tackled important and relevant issues about toxic stress and how it influences the way public libraries provide services to children. They provided real-life examples and solutions which they…
Finishing #alamw2018 strong with Bill Nye in real life! And Greg Mone too!
Science nerds and librarians were thrilled with a geeky and fun end to ALA Midwinter 2018 with Bill Nye (the science guy) and Greg Mone. Nye and Mone have a new middle-grade series out- Jack and the Geniuses, where kids go on scientific adventures around the world. The duo talked about their new series and interviewed one another. Here is some fun information I learned from the closing keynote: Bill Nye’s mom was a World War II Code Breaker! (Totally where he got his smarts) One of Jupiter’s moons- Europa is a fascinating area where there may (or may not) have been life. Side note (If Bill Nye could fund any expedition anywhere, it would be to Europa). One of Greg Mone’s and Bill Nye’s first interactions was surfing, where Bill kept talking about the science of waves etc. etc. People can eat three burritos for lunch on Antartica and then…
New members dinner at #alamw18
The ALSC Membership committee tried something new at this conference, a fun dutch (pay your own way) dinner for new members during the first night of ALA Midwinter. There were about 25-attendees including new-to ALSC members, old friends and individuals from the membership committee. It was a fun way to connect with old and new friends and find a familiar face to navigate the conference with. The membership committee had a great time and we are looking forward to doing more events like this at future conferences, so be on the lookout!!
The Great Ribbon Adventure #alamw2018
Books, buttons and tote bags are seemingly the most popular swag at library conferences. However the one is always the most fun to me is ribbons! I’m very impressed by the people who have 55-ribbon long chains under their conference badges. I’m lucky to have three (and then I spill coffee on them all) Here are some gems I found so far this year: What’s the favorite ribbon you got from Midwinter? Or any conference for that matter? Who has the record for longest ribbon-chain? If you could create your own ribbon, what would it be? Let me know in the comments!
Bill Morris Seminar at #alamw18
On Friday during ALA Midwinter, I had the privilege of attending the 2018 Bill Morris Seminar. Here a cohort of ALSC members were trained by the masters in book discussion and book evaluation. As I prepare to better myself as a gatekeeper of books and to truly place quality materials into children’s hands, here are five of my top takeaways: When evaluating books, leave your “at-home” stories there. Focus on information pertaining to the quality of the book, that will truly help the conversation move forward. Every committee is different and an award decision is truly based on the committees decision. A decision is based on the process of a large number of people (can go from 8-15). The committee is stronger together because committees are comprised of a multiple of background, world views and personalities. I heard the line, “trust the process,” many many times– there is an integrity…