Almost every school across the country has a whole collection of inspirational posters adorning the walls. I can picture a particularly cheesy one hanging on the well-traveled hallways of my elementary school. It read: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” This poster was always worth a prepubescent eye-roll. I remembered this slogan as I waited not-so-patiently for my delayed flight home after one of the most exciting trips of my life. I had just experienced my first conference ever. It was exhausting and exciting and a million other adjectives all at once.
Category: ALA Annual 2016
#ALAAC16 Ideas: Implementation
It’s been 3 weeks since I attended my very first ALA Annual Conference. In the past, my library required its conference attendees to post notes on our staff intranet. I expressed to my director my doubts that staff actually read those posts. She agreed and asked me to send her notes on my sessions, with a grade for each one and a quick synopsis. I also included links to the slides and handouts where applicable. I sent this document to the Head of Youth Services, our Communications and Development Coordinator, and the director, who shared it as they saw fit. So…what’s the point of relating these quotidian details?
Think. Plan. Do. Share. #alaac16
I was delighted and honored to have been selected as one of the recipients of the Penguin Young Reader’s Awards. Most of all, I was thrilled to be headed to my first ALA Annual Conference.
Texting Early Literacy Tips: Reflections on #alaac16, two weeks later
There are certain rituals that I go through every time I return from the ALA Annual Conference. I wait with bated breath for the USPS boxes to arrive, and I enjoy the thrill of doling out the ARCs to colleagues and kids. Eventually I sit down to write a report on what I learned. This year, my notebook is full of stars next to the things I heard about at conference that I want to try to do. At the top of my list is an idea that came from the session “Early Literacy Beyond the Library: How to Engage Young Children and Parents in Your Community.”
News from Great Websites for Kids
Just in case you missed the recent press release from ALSC’s Great Websites for Kids Committee, we have chosen thirteen new sites to add to the Great Websites for Kids site. The newly added sites are:
Orsburn in Orlando & OZ
How was your conference? It was transformative for me, and I would like to share some of the quieter moments with you.
Caldetatts, take two
One year ago, I was listening to Dan Santat give his Caldecott acceptance speech. I was sitting up front, having had a hand in the reason he was on the dais. That experience has left a rather permanent mark on me, in more ways than one.
Diverse Picture Books in Exhibits part 2
MORE exciting recent and forthcoming diverse picture books spotted in exhibits at #alaac16! As in my last post, I didn’t necessarily get to read/analyze these, but they all seem worth a second look!