Back in February 2020, the board of the Virginia Hamilton Conference (of which I am a member) was eagerly planning the 35th anniversary of the longest-running event in the United States to focus exclusively on multicultural literature for children and young adults. We were especially excited that our keynote speaker, illustrator Floyd Cooper, was planning on visiting area schools in conjunction with the Conference. And then…2020.
Category: Blogger Maria Trivisonno
Friendship Tales
Valentine’s Day is coming up fast, and in my experience, my display of holiday books won’t last until February 14th. And honestly, for the little ones, love and friendship are just-as-good Valentine’s themes. Today I’m going to share some of my recent favorites on those topics—and please! Share some of yours as well in the comments below.
Librarians Do the Darndest Things
There are so many unique roads to librarianship. I know children’s librarians who are former teachers…along with some who are former lawyers. One colleague did a stint as an archeologist. I, myself, was a television producer (long story!). And some librarians continue to do cool jobs while being a librarian. I’m friends with more than a few crafters extraordinaire, for example.
Developing Executive Function @ the Library
Ever since Every Child Ready to Read focused children’s librarianship on scientific research and empowered librarians to see themselves as experts who can speak to parents, our field has increasingly looked to brain development to support our practices and inform what we do. Early literacy, however, is not the only growth going on in the brains of our early childhood customers. Executive Functioning skills start to develop at around 7-8 months and peak between ages 3-5. Can librarians help with this development as well?
Around the World with Foodie Picture Books
I want to be a foodie. I don’t claim to have a discerning palate, but I do really LOVE trying international cuisines. With all four grandparents being born in Italy, food is a centerpiece of my family culture, and I just LOVE trying the foods that bring families together around the world.
Celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month
Tomorrow is September 1, and that launches the monthlong Library Card Sign-Up Celebration. It’s an opportunity to reach out to members of your community, especially the young people, to make sure they are officially library members!
Back to School Outreach
Summer reading is coming to an end, and school is starting up soon. In fact, where I live, some schools start next week! As we transition into fall, the start of a new semester gives librarians ample opportunities to reach out beyond our typical users and let non or infrequent users know about our programs and services. Here are some tips that have worked for me over the years.
Serving the Whole Child
I recently had the opportunity to attend a discussion at the City Club of Cleveland pertaining to the Whole Child Framework adopted by the Ohio Department of Education. Meryl Johnson, a member of the Ohio State Board of Education, Dr. Tracy Nájera, executive director of the Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio, and Joseph Spiccia, superintendent of the Wickliffe City School District were members of a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Lisa Damour, author, psychologist, and Senior Advisor to the Schubert Center for Child Studies, Case Western Reserve University.