Category: Blogger Laura Schulte-Cooper

Blogger Laura Schulte-Cooper

Welcome to CAL Rewind!

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CAL Rewind, ALSC's Children & Libraries

CAL Rewind is a new, semi-regular blog post dedicated to sharing past articles from Children and Libraries: The Journal of ALSC (CAL). Articles presented in each Rewind are accessible to all online and chosen around a theme or article type. CAL content is diverse, from academic pieces and interviews, to columns written by ALSC committees and reports from Bechtel Award winners about their experience at the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature. CAL Rewind will showcase the journal’s range of content, revisiting past stories that present valuable research, enlightening conversations with children’s book creators, innovative programming ideas, and more. And, speaking of programming ideas! The articles below, picked for our inaugural CAL Rewind, provide the ins and outs of some truly engaging programs and activities that nurture creativity and curiosity in young people. Innovative Library Programs Theater Camp Exit Stage Left: Bringing out the Bard at Library Drama Camp by…

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Blogger Laura Schulte-Cooper

Everyday Advocacy Has Lots to Offer

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Everyday Advocacy: www.ala.org/everyday-advocacy

With National Library Legislative Day (May 7-8) just about a month away, this seems an appropriate time to remind everyone about Everyday Advocacy (EA)! Are you familiar with EA? According to ALSC’s EA website, Everyday Advocacy is “a grassroots effort that starts with you and the incredible things you’re already doing for the youth and families you serve.” Consider Everyday Advocacy an antidote to the advocacy intimidation factor! Need more convincing? Just take another (or first) look at the site. It truly is filled with resources compiled to help you get comfortable in the role of advocate or to get inspired to do more in the way of advocacy. Here’s just a small sampling of what you will find at the Everyday Advocacy site: Be Informed | The Power of Stories Human beings learn through stories. A well-told story is an extremely compelling way to convey your message, which will…

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Blogger Laura Schulte-Cooper

Articles about Fairy Tales Also Provide Good Reading!

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headshot of Cecilia McGowan

With fifteen volumes of Children and Libraries now in the books, I recently was prompted to revisit past issues of the journal online. While browsing through old tables of contents, I was reminded of how much I enjoy articles about fairy tales. There is something that still intrigues me about these old, traditional stories about dark woods, evil queens, and magic spells! So much so that I enjoy curling up to read not only these grand old tales themselves, but also the more contemporary, academic writings ABOUT these stories! Below is a sampling of CAL articles that explore the art, appeal, and history of fairy tales. Illustrator Extraordinaire: Bechtel Fellow Enthralled by Arthur Rackham by Brigid Mangan https://journals.ala.org/index.php/cal/article/view/6336/8294 Where Fantasy and Facts Meet: Fairy Science Books from 1870 to 1900 by Natalie Ziarnik https://journals.ala.org/index.php/cal/article/view/5693/7074 Perennially Popular: The Appeal of Classic Fairy Tales for Children by Pauline Dewan https://journals.ala.org/index.php/cal/article/view/5991/7635 What kinds…

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Blogger Laura Schulte-Cooper

Think Spring, Warm Weather, and Gardens! Botanical Stories in Libraryland

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Sitting here at my laptop, wondering what to write about as I gaze out the window. Snow on the neighboring roofs, frost on my window, a high of 7 degrees outside. What subject jumps to mind? Spring, warm weather, and gardens, of course! And, as a result of my wistful daydreaming, below is a sampling of articles that feature libraries that incorporated gardens into their community and programming. A Bumper Crop of Ideas: Library Gardens Offer Many Teachable Programs, Moments By Sandy Kallunki Children & Libraries (CAL), Vol. 13, No. 2 (Summer 2015) Gardening can promote healthier eating, sustain environmental health, inspire a sense of community, and offer outdoor experiences for all ages. It’s no surprise that libraries are among the public places introducing gardens. Learn how to combine early literacy components and garden-related activities to create engaging and rewarding library programming from this CAL article. Photo courtesy of Brown County…

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Blogger Laura Schulte-Cooper

Member Content Editor Sought for Everyday Advocacy (EA) Initiative

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Everyday Advocacy - Educate - Share - LEAD

For nearly five years now, the Everyday Advocacy (EA) initiative has been educating and supporting librarians and library workers serving youth on the importance of advocacy and providing tools to assist them in articulating their own value within the library profession and community. Jenna Nemec-Loise, EA Member Content Editor, has worked tirelessly over those five years, establishing Everyday Advocacy through her work on the website, quarterly EA Matters newsletter, Take Action Tuesday and EA challenges, Children & Libraries columns, and so many other efforts. Now, Jenna is ready to pass the baton on to a new member content editor who can continue the good EA work with energy, ideas, and a passion for advocacy! We heartily thank Jenna for all she’s done to nurture and grow Everyday Advocacy. We will miss her advocacy acumen, but we also look forward to working with the next Everyday Advocate extraordinaire. That’s right; ALSC…

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Blogger Laura Schulte-Cooper

Road Trip! Children’s Book Art in Libraries

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Road Trip: Children's Book Art in Libraries

Happy Picture Book Month to all! When I recently received an email from Sarah Johnson (thanks, Sarah!) about Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie children’s library card at Forbes Library in Northampton, Mass., it got me thinking. I bet there are lots of instances of children’s book art adorning library spaces all over the country. One well-placed query on the ALSC-L electronic discussion list and my guess was confirmed! I  received some great examples of illustrators working with libraries, and children’s spaces decked out with fun, bright, inspiring illustrations straight out of the pages of beloved picture books and the imaginations of the artists. Join me on this virtual road trip to discover children’s book art in libraries. Bring on the Art! Check out these libraries and the wonderful gems they showcase! Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro, Vermont The Brooks Memorial Library exhibits original art from children’s picture books in their children’s book illustrator exhibition…

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Blogger Laura Schulte-Cooper

Website Transition Is in Progress!

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New design for ALSC website

ALSC is happy to announce that transition is in progress to the newly designed website (as of Wednesday afternoon, 10/4)! You may experience some temporary service interruptions during the move, and we do apologize for the inconvenience. We anticipate work on the site to be complete within 48 hours or so. Site visitors then will enjoy a user-friendly experience, as the new responsive design resizes webpages based on the device in use. And, as a result, ALSC webpages will not be downgraded in search results for being “mobile-unfriendly.” The newly designed site continues to provide the same trusted resources, news, and award information, but pages display a fresh look. The homepage design displays clear, bright “blocks” of information that point visitors to prime resources on the site, such as awards, book lists, and eLearning opportunities. ALSC news, blog, and twitter feeds, also on the main page, allow users to quickly browse…

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Blogger Laura Schulte-Cooper

Coming Soon: New Design for Website

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New design for ALSC website

A new design for the ALSC website will go live soon. Site visitors will enjoy a user-friendly experience, as the new responsive design resizes pages based on the device in use. As a result of this responsiveness, ALSC webpages will not be downgraded in search results for being “mobile-unfriendly.” While the new site continues to provide the same trusted resources, news, and award information, webpages will display a fresh look. The homepage displays clear, bright “blocks” of information that point visitors to prime resources on the site, such as awards, book lists, and eLearning opportunities. ALSC news, blog, and twitter feeds, also on the main page, allow users to quickly browse the latest announcements, posts, and tweets coming out of the association. The actual date for the transition is not yet set, but it will be very soon. For a sneak peek of the new homepage (still under construction), visit…

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