You may know that the 2020 Census is almost upon us, but did you know that Youth Services library staff members can play an essential role in their communities? We can answer questions and share information about the Census, helping to make sure everyone is counted.
Category: Call to Action
Libraries Working with Children Play an Important Role in 2020 Census
The beginning of 2020 means one important milestone is on the horizon: we are just months away from Census Day.
Resources for Serving Diverse Communities
As our world continues to change and evolve it is important for libraries to seek out resources to serve our diverse communities. It can be hard to know where to begin with such a vast and important topic. If you are unsure of how to get started, ALSC has you covered!
Library Service for Children in Migrant Detention Centers
During the ALA Annual Conference in Washington D.C. a resolution was passed by the American Library Association in regards to library service for children in detention at migrant detention centers. It denounces the existence of family and youth detention centers, the deplorable conditions found there, and the removal of educational and recreational programming including storytimes. It also urges libraries in or near their service areas to reach out and work with the local authorities, schools, and other governmental support agencies to reinstate or start outreach services to those centers.
Día! El día de los niños – El día de los libros – Children’s Book Day
Día! is upon us! So, you’re reading this and thinking OMG, this is not so LOL when Día! is upon us! Don’t panic! There’s still time left to make this a meaningful Día! Sure, you may have somehow missed out on REFORMA’s March 31st deadline for applying for its Día! grants, but with a little planning, and some great resources, you can do this! Do YOU Día? But, I hear you say, Jonathan, I’m not Hispanic and I don’t speak Spanish above the “hola me llamo [insert name]” level. Let’s review what Día is all about! El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, is a celebration every day of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of ALL linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Thus, you see that it’s not just about Spanish speakers. Indeed, I…
All Are Welcome Here: Celebrating Global Diversity and Getting Involved with ALSC
All are welcome here! I’m sure you’ve heard this phrase before. We seem to be using it more and more in an attempt to indicate that our library spaces are inclusive. Some recent children’s books proclaim “all are welcome here,” and feature a mosaic of diverse children and families. There is a song that goes one step further stating, “all are welcome here, as we are.” Lofty goals for any children’s librarian; but do we put those words into action in our services and programs? Do we REALLY mean that everyone is welcome as they are? Do we embrace one type of diversity in the library but overtly (or covertly) shun other types of diversity by using the excuse that X type of diversity cannot be understood by children or Y type of diversity is only in the name of being politically correct? In addition to thinking about welcoming all…
Involvement Challenge
Are you looking to get more involved at your library? Consider these options. Do you have a staff intranet? Ask if it would be OK to contribute content. We recently started using Jostle, and the Manager overseeing its content asked for a few more reporters. My boss asked me if I was interested, and I looked at it as a great way to be creative in a couple different ways. The first idea I am flushing out is a series titled: Meet the Management Team. We have a group of 15 Managers who meet bi-weekly at a Management Team meeting, so I started with our Executive Director, and our Deputy Director. My thought behind it was to ask them for interesting facts about themselves that staff may not know about them, but may help us to understand how their management style has become what it is. For example, my manager…
Women’s History: A Universe of Stories
Women’s History: A Universe of Stories I’m not going to state the obvious. You know…It’s March…It’s Women’s History Month. I refuse and I resist. INSTEAD! We’re looking forward to summer reading. Any writer of summer reading guides will tell you, while pulling their hair, these themes can go all. year. round! So why not adapt your WHM line-up and do some prep for summer at the same time? Breaking news, folks! 29 years after Sally Ride broke the astronaut gender mold: ‘For the first time in history, an all-female crew will conduct a spacewalk at the International Space Station, NASA confirmed to CNN. As part of Expedition 59, NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch will carry out the spacewalk on March 29. They’ll be supported on the ground by Canadian Space Agency flight controller Kristen Facciol, who will be on the console at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston….