“Nerd out as long as you want.” This is what one library staff said to me when I wandered into the children’s room at the Parkway Central Library in Philly, when I explained I was here for ALA Midwinter and just needed to “nerd out.” I mean, I can’t visit a new city and NOT visit the main library. And I am one of the fortunate ones whose train doesn’t leave until tomorrow morning, so that’s what I did today after the Youth Media Awards. The main library is a big impressive building and very easy to get to from the conference. I really appreciate how user-friendly SEPTA — Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority — is. I grabbed the #32 bus on the curb by the Convention Center and took it eight stops down where it let me off right in front of the building. Though chartered in 1891 by Dr. William…
Author: Erica Ruscio
A Peak at the PopTop Stage at #alamw20
If you have never been to Midwinter, you probably at least know about the exhibit hall, the goodies, the swag, and of course, the ARCs. But did you know there are also opportunities to hear from authors, library influencers, and publishers? The Book Buzz Theater and the PopTop Stage have scheduled sessions during the exhibit floor’s open hours. Because of my committee commitments, the only one I have had time for was a session about authors and podcasting. All three adult authors have written books that are now audiobooks. And all three podcast.
Conference Ribbons at #alamw20
When I arrived at Midwinter on Friday, I checked in and got my conference badge. Registration is in a tall-ceilinged room with white and grey floors that is not unlike a railway station. It sits at the crossroads between indoor tunnels to SEPTA, the local transit system, to the Marriott, where meetings are being held, and to the rest of the Philadelphia Convention Center. Across from registration is the table full of ribbons with a sign that reads, “If you are one, take one!”
Wes Moore Champions Libraries at #alamw20
“You will never not find me in the middle of two to three books that I’m reading.” “It’s impossible to talk about individual choice without understanding societal impact.” “We cannot talk of an issue that has greater consequence than economic inequality.”
Librarians Advocate for Detained Children on Last Day of #alaac19
”Kids need books, not cages!” “Summer camps, not prison camps!” “”Libraries are sanctuaries!” I stood in the heat and the rain on Pennsylvania Avenue, surrounded by librarians from a range of disciplines. It was my first ALA and also my first chance to visit DC and see some of its landmarks, including the White House. A group of kids in yellow shirts and their teachers gathered nearby. Small groups of tourists with cameras walked past and took selfies. Several security officers in sunglasses watched lazily from a distance. This was my taste of local color. I was seeing the city and not just the conference. A colleague of mine from the area told me that every day there is at least one group protesting one thing or another in front of the White House. It’s just what you do. Indeed, alongside our group and the others nearby, there was one…
ALSC Leadership Development at #alaac19
If you couldn’t be at #alaac19, you might have missed out on the opportunity to network and meet with members face to face. If you have that privilege, it is a rewarding experience to connect with people you’ve only met over your favorite videoconferencing software, to network with new people who are waiting in line for coffee with you. However, you are not limited to in-person interactions. For this post, I want to address the third objective of ALSC’s 2017-2020 strategic plan—this topic has come up in discussion in meetings, in workshops and on the exhibit floor. Learning & Development, especially for folks not at Annual. At the ALSC and Leadership meeting on Saturday, Andrew Medlar, the 2018-2019 chair of the Nominating & Leadership Development Committee referenced this integral part of ALSC’s strategic plan. ALSC is developing stronger pathways to develop leaders in the organization at all levels. After cracking some…
At #alaac19, ALSC Leadership Champions Media Literacy, Computational Thinking and Connected Family Learning
Media Literacy. Computational Thinking. Connected Family Learning. These are the buzzwords that Kathleen Campana, Elizabeth Mills, Marianne Martens and Claudia Haines emphasized at yesterday’s Leadership and ALSC meeting, a gathering of ALSC committee chairs and other leaders. Their presentation, “Positioning New Media across the Evolving Landscape of Children’s Services,” made powerful and lucid arguments for why these approaches are essential for children’s library services. Media Literacy Advocacy for media literacy in libraries has been around since the release of the first iPad in 2010. Since then, librarians have worked to develop best practices, including ALSC’s well-known Media Mentorship white paper. However, not all children’s librarians are comfortable sharing screens with kids. So why bother? “Screens are ubiquitous,” Campana argued. Throughout her portion of the presentation, a live text message poll gauged librarian interest and comfort in media mentorship. Despite some uncertainty, there was strong support in the room for prioritizing…