On Monday, May 19th library professionals throughout the country joined Children and Technology Committee members for a lively We Are ALSC Chat titled Beyond the Screen: Navigating Screen Time After COVID. Participants explored multiple related topics including. Based on the committee’s research, participants learned that the pandemic exacerbated the issue of screen time when almost everything in a child’s life moved to remote and online. Prior to the pandemic, adolescents spent more time than the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of two hours of screen time per day. During the pandemic, screen time rose by nearly two hours a day and stayed higher once students returned to in-person learning. Research suggests excessive screen time has presented negative impacts on children of all ages, especially in early developmental years (ages 3-6). The committee commented that there are not many studies that analyze the interactions between school and out-of-school screen time. Positive…
Category: Blogger Children and Technology Committee
Utilizing Technology for Mock Caldecott
I am the Youth and Teen Collections Librarian at my library system. The majority of my job duties involve purchasing materials. One of my additional responsibilities is to assist with our Annual Mock Caldecott event held in January. Throughout the years, I have been utilizing technology to improve this process for myself and staff, while providing more access for all those interested. My Mock Caldecott process includes: 1. Track the starred reviewed titles throughout the year.2. Include titles that will be eligible for the Caldecott Medal. 3. Create a list for staff. The publications I use for starred reviews are Booklist, BookPage, Bulletin of the Center for Children, Horn Book, Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, and Shelf Awareness. A sample of my 2025 Mock Caldecott Tracker: My library system uses G-Suite, allowing us to share and edit documents in real time. Our Mock Caldecott event only pertains to books…
The Great AI Debate: Digital Artwork and Graphic Design
It feels like all avenues of technology now have been infiltrated by some form of artificial intelligence (AI). It is pervasive in our world – phones and computers have it installed either right out of the box or developers add it with software updates, websites employ AI for their content or their searches, and we have now seen it be added to art and design tools like Procreate or Canva. This can present an issue for children (and adults!) who do not understand the nuances of AI and the effect it is currently having on the creative world.
Don’t You (Forget About Me): the Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award
It’s been just under two weeks since the 2025 Youth Media Awards (YMAs) announcements and the library world (and beyond!) is still buzzing with excitement. As you review and celebrate this year’s list of winners and honorees, don’t forget about one of the newer awards, the Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media (EELDM) award. Some Background The Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media recognizes the producer of the most distinguished digital media created for an early learning audience (ages 2-8). Past winners include television series, apps, and podcasts. The committee also considers websites, enhanced ebooks, and more. This ALSC blog post from 2019 (the first year EELDM was awarded) provides more information about award. For the 2025 EELDM committee’s take on this year’s winner and honorees read ALA’s press release. 2025 Winner — “Carl the Collector” Producer Fuzzytown Productions and Spiffy Pictures is the 2025 recipient of the Excellence in…
Staying Safer on Social Media: Suggestions for Media Mentors
As library professionals, we are uniquely positioned to support youth and their families by fostering media literacy and providing guidance for safer digital engagement. In this post, you’ll find three actionable recommendations to help families create safer social media experiences for young users.
Sustainable S.T.E.A.M. : Thoughts for a new year
A favorite S.T.E.A.M.-making activity with school-age kids in my public library space is slime—it is sensory, it is fun, it is dynamic, it is real chemical science, and the kids love it. But each time I host a slime program, I have this little nagging feeling as I look around at all the glue that we’ve used as part of our recipe that will never-the-less be tossed in the waste after the programming hour or class visit is done. We do our best to recycle materials, reuse containers, and limit the amount of supplies used, but at the end of the day, when a ball of slime is thrown into the trash, I know it isn’t going to decompose nicely back into the ground. It may even go on to be harmful to animals and plant life – specifically sea life. (Here is a more eco-friendly alternative to your borax…
Advancing Media Literacy in Early Childhood: A Partnership with PBS Kids
In June of this year, the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) embarked on a partnership with Maryland Public Television (MPT) to develop programs that empower families and caregivers to cultivate healthy media habits. Three staff members took the initiative to train as Early Learning Media Ambassadors through MPT. We successfully presented the first of five programs, with plans to host each session in different locations across our expansive county.
Teaching Geometry and Technology: Does Size Matter?
Since my early years as a children’s librarian in Northeast Ohio, I’ve been passionate about the role librarians can play in math education. Integrating math concepts in program planning is a critical responsibility of all librarians and one of the ALSC competencies for librarians serving children in libraries (Competency III.6). I would frequently include shape manipulatives during open play, count aloud as I changed the tracks on my CD boombox, and incorporate activities related to size, operations, and computational thinking in my storytimes. Growing the next generation of mathematicians alongside the next generation of joyful readers has always been a priority for me. What the Research Says But how, if at all, are emerging technologies changing early math education? How can children’s librarians make use of these advances and accompanying research? In their recent article published in Education Science and Management, Trifunović et al. (2024) found that screen size played…