- LibLearnX 2022

My experience on the 2022 ALSC Notable Children’s Recordings Committee

Congratulations to all involved in the YMA Awards– writers, artists, publishers, committee members, and everyone it took to create this year’s canon of beautiful stories. Let us also remember the stories and creators that weren’t recognized and the stories yet to come. They matter. Awards are a huge honor, but they are also just awards and not a measure of a story’s worth or a creator’s talent.  This year, I was on the ALSC Notable Children’s Recordings Committee. What an honor it was. Training for a half marathon was a helpful activity to complete the over 1,000 listening hours each member was assigned this year! 

- LibLearnX 2022

Day 4 #LibLearnX – and now, to work!

I always feel inspired after a good conference to go back to work and try all the great new programs, launch some initiatives, read some books! As LibLearnX winds down, I find myself a little bit overwhelmed by the calls for unity and action. How do I convince my administration that we need to be more sustainable, for the children, for the planet? How do I reach out to Home Educators who are not already using the public library? How do I shed my invisible knapsack? The answer to all these questions is right here – The American Library Association. Virtual conferencing has been difficult for a lot of us, but I think one good thing to come out of it can be seen in the number of tabs I have open on my web browser – so many resources, and nothing but time on a cold snowy day to…

- LibLearnX 2022

The YMA announcements at #LibLearnX did not disappoint

One of my favorite days of the year is when the ALA Youth Media Awards (YMAs) are announced. For years, they have been announced at the American Library Association’s Midwinter meeting with a buzzing auditorium full of excited librarians, publishers, and other children’s literature aficionados in attendance. Due to the pandemic, the announcements went virtual in 2021. This year the YMA announcements were once again live-streamed as they were announced at ALA’s virtual conference LibLearnX – Library Learning Experience.

- LibLearnX 2022

Highlights from the #LibLearnX Virtual Mystery Hunt

It’s Day 4 of LibLearnX, and I am so excited for all the #ALA Youth Media Award winners and honorees! There are several titles on those lists that are new to me, and I can’t wait to hunt them down and give them a look. To wind down from all that joyful energy, I returned to complete the Virtual Mystery Hunt, and it was more challenging than I expected, but I WAS VICTORIOUS. I’m happy to have finished, but beyond the brain itch these puzzles scratched so nicely, I actually learned a lot about ALA and all it has to offer. Here are some of the highlights:

- LibLearnX 2022

Embracing Diversity in Book Evaluation Committees #LibLearnX

Presenters Crystal Chen, Daniella Pagan, and Jessica Agudelo shared a wealth of knowledge in this session titled “Embracing Diversity in Book Evaluation Committes”! Even if you aren’t starting your own committee, I want to share valuable information for any library staff working with children. There’s too much juicy goodness to cover in one blog post, but here are some takeaways:

- LibLearnX 2022

How to Think Like a Library Project Manager

An idea without a plan for execution is just making trouble for somebody else. – paraphrased from #LibLearnX presenter Don’t you love ideas? I sure do. During my first year as a children’s librarian, I wanted to do everything. Outreach, collection, storytimes, technology, you name it…bring it on. Fast forward. It’s the middle of a global pandemic. Staff. Are. Tired. What projects do we take on?