Category: Blogger Elizabeth Serrano

Blogger Elizabeth Serrano

ALSC Learning and Networking

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alsc and you graphic

ALSC always has a learning or networking opportunity for you! ALSC Institute In case you missed it, National Institute registration has opened! This fall, children’s librarians, youth services staff, and others interested in library service to children will gather in Minneapolis, MN for ALSC’s two and a half day conference. The conference, themed “Dive In: Engage, Amplify, Activate” will be held October 1 – 3, 2020. The early bird deadline is June 29, but I would recommend registering as soon as possible. Education programs and descriptions are available on the ALSC website and a full list of keynote speakers will be announced soon. Our “Breakfast for Bill” program panelists will include: Bao Phi , Minh Lê , Cheryl Minnema, and Kalia Yang!  ALSC Webinars ALSC has a bunch of live webinars coming up! With topics ranging from advocacy to babies in the library, you’ll want to register for one of these upcoming webinars. If you cannot attend…

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ALA Midwinter 2020

The Bronx and the YMAs #alamw20

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I was born and raised in The Bronx, NY and I was super proud to see two Bronx born names mentioned in today’s Youth Media Awards announcements: Sonia Sotomayor, author of Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You. Rudy Gutierrez, illustrator of Double Bass Blues. The Bronx is a gritty borough of NYC that’s filled with so much art and good, but the positives are most times overshadowed by the negatives. The only bookstore in the entire borough opened in the spring of 2019, so when I visited home last summer I had to check it out. I can’t seem to find any of the pictures I took of the inside, but the outside of the store was just as beautiful. Although there’s access to public libraries (thankfully), it does still make me sad to know that there is only one bookstore in an area with a population of over 1.4 million…

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ALA Midwinter 2020

ALSC Staff Appreciation Post #alamw20

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ALSC Staff Picture

ALSC staff works anywhere between 14 and 17 hours straight on the Sunday before the Youth Media Awards announcements. I’ve heard stories where it’s been even longer than that! So, before we really jump into Sunday, I want to send a quick ALSC staff appreciation post. I have the privilege of working with a group of 6 other people who are creative, funny, intelligent, and genuinely committed and interested in the work our 4,000 members do everyday for children and their families. I had to use the best of my artistic abilities to draw in Aimee (ALSC’s Executive Director) and Angela (ALSC’s Projects and Partnerships Program Officer) who could not make our group photo above. 

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ALA Midwinter 2020

Don’t Forget to Submit your Mock YMA Results!

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YMA high res image

The 2020 YMA’s are almost here! This year, I’ve had a lot of fun receiving and posting all of the mock elections submissions on the YMA Mock Elections page. It has given me an opportunity to pull and read some of the boo ks you have chosen as your winners and honors. The 2020 YMA Mock Elections page is still accepting your results through January 17! This will allow me time to post them prior to ALSC staff Midwinter travels. If you are joining us on site in Philly, the YMA’s will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Ballroom AB. If you will not be joining us on site, you can still watch the live webcast! Information about the live webcast can be found on the ilovelibraries website. Looking forward to it!

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Blogger Elizabeth Serrano

ALSC Professional Awards season is here!

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Professional Awards

We recently completed a 2019 Membership Needs Assessment survey and it was surprising to learn over 95% of ALSC members have not applied for any of the available Professional Awards, Grants or Scholarships *insert my sad face*. Here are some reasons why I thought ALSC members might be hesitant in applying: There is an application process along with requirements and criteria that should be met for each of these opportunities. This could be intimidating or time consuming, but I promise our amazing ALSC staff and selection committee members are here to help answer all of your questions! It could also be possible that ALSC members just do not know these opportunities exist! If you did not know they existed, I’m here to tell you that they do! *insert my happy face* ALSC awards over $100,000 in the form of awards, grants and scholarships every year and I have listed them…

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Blogger Elizabeth Serrano

Apply to be an ALSC Emerging Leader!

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ALSC 2017, 2018, and 2019 Emerging Leaders

I joined ALSC as a staff member in 2017 and I think one of the (many) highlights of my time thus far has been working with our Emerging Leaders (EL) each year. ALSC sponsors 1 EL and it really allows me to, not only learn about them as individuals, but I learn more about the profession through the work they do in their schools/libraries and projects they choose to work on. The program has allowed me to gather everything I’ve learned about ALSC and ALA and share that with our Emerging Leader to better inform their work and welcome them in our association. Information about the program: The American Library Association (ALA) Emerging Leaders program is a leadership development program which enables newer library workers from across the country to participate in problem-solving work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to…

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Blogger Elizabeth Serrano

2020 Bill Morris Seminar: Book Evaluation Training

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Morris Seminar graphic

ALSC is seeking applications for its seventh biennial “Bill Morris Seminar: Book Evaluation Training,” to be held on Friday, January 24, 2020, prior to the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, Pa.  This invitational seminar supports and honors William C. Morris’ dedication to connecting librarians and children with excellent children’s books. The Morris Seminar will bring new ALSC members and members with limited evaluation experience together with those who have served on ALSC’s media evaluation committees in an environment to train and mentor them in the group process and in children’s media evaluation techniques.  The seminar will result in new and emerging leaders for future ALSC evaluation committees. The Morris Endowment supports those selected to attend the training seminar by offering the seminar at no charge to the attendee.  This includes all materials, breakfast, lunch, and afternoon break on Friday.  To help defray additional costs for hotel and other expenses, a…

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Blogger Elizabeth Serrano

ALSC Membership Survey

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ALSC Membership Survey graphic

The ALSC membership survey is here! The last time ALSC conducted this survey was in 2015, so we are definitely in need of an updated analysis on our membership. This survey will help us assess the following: Who are ALSC members? How are ALSC members using their membership? How can ALSC best serve its members? Feedback from the 2015 survey helped initiate important conversations and ideas that resulted in free archived webinars to members and initiated the pilot student gift membership program! This voluntary survey is open for just another two weeks and I hope you will take the time to contribute your thoughts about your experience with ALSC. Access As this survey is limited to ALSC members, please use your ALA username and password log into this page to access the survey link.

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