The room was packed for this session focused practical experiences and tips from two participatory learning spaces in public libraries at Skokie (IL) PL and Oak Park (IL) PL. I appreciated that they gave so many tips on how the process works at each place, how they take an idea and make it into an experience for their community. They covered everything from dreaming up ideas, to developing staff training, and the creating the physical space. Participatory learning can be done anywhere, in many different ways. The possibilities are endless and truly as diverse as the imagination, needs, and interests of your staff and your community. I appreciated this program for a nitty gritty look at how to make this happen! I encourage you to take a look through the programs and services offered in OPPL’s Idea Box and Skokie’s BOOMBox and make something participatory at your library asap!
Category: PLA 2016
Another Great Day @ #PLA2016
With a theme of “Be Extraordinary,” #PLA2016 is shaping up to be just that! Today’s Children’s Author Lunch keynote was given by the incomparable Sherman Alexie, only a couple of months after having brain surgery, and he had the audience in the palm of his hand as he used that terrible experience to illustrate the power of storytelling. Storytelling, as he shared, being what really makes us human. And as children’s librarians who connect author’s stories to the kids who need to hear them, he encouraged all of us that every time we hand a book to a kid we should look at the author’s name as we do so and hear that author declaring their love and gratitude. Then after an afternoon of insightful, informative, and inspiring sessions, as my co-live bloggers have been sharing, it was time for the ALSC Happy Hour, which was very happy indeed! Thanks so much to…
52 Weeks of Stem at Your Library
I am really enjoying my first #PLA2016 conference. Today I attended “52 Weeks of STEM at Your Library”presented by The Heathers (Heather Love Beverly and Heather Thompson) of Cook Memorial Public Library District. As Teresa mentioned, they have a great blog (STEMinLibraries.com) that outlines their successes in STEM programming and fabulous ideas to get us started incorporating this into our own libraries. In addition, they shared a lot of other tips and tricks for those of us who might be just a *little* intimidated by the idea. Rule of Three: When attempting an experiment, measure how long it takes you to complete it. Then, multiply that times three. That is how long you should expect it to take during the program. It is ok to say “I don’t know.” This can be used as an opportunity to say, “After the program, let’s go look it up!” The programs they list…
Checking My Bias, Guerrilla Storytime, and Meeting My ALSC Colleagues: #PLA2016 Day 2
My second day at #PLA2016 started with an inspiring and motivating session by Verna Myers who talked about moving beyond “colorblindness” (which is not a real thing, let’s face it) and acknowledging our biases. She offered several takeaways that will keep me thinking (and talking) for a while, including: Moving from the golden rule – treat others as you’d wish to be treated – to the PLATINUM rule: treat others the way THEY want to be treated. This will mean having conversations. We each need to do a “bias inventory” and acknowledge our own biases and the cultural lens through which we view the world. If we don’t notice differences, we are in no position to MAKE a difference for those who experience challenges due to our, and other, biases. I admit I have a bias about children’s librarians. I think they’re all AWESOME and the work they do CHANGES…
#pla2016 Stem at your Library
We made catapults during Heather Love Beverley and Heather Thompson’s presentation, 52 Weeks of STEM at Your Library, this morning. They shared their excitement, enthusiasm, encouragement, and ideas. Visit their webpage, STEMinlibraries.com, for ideas, materials, and links.
Merchandising Master Class in comics at #pla2016
All illustrations copyright Lisa Nowlain, 2016. Lisa Nowlain is the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Fellow and Children’s Librarian at Darien Library in Darien, CT. She is also an artist-type (see more at lisanowlain.com).
#PLA2016 in comics – The Bubbler @ Madison Public Library
The Bubbler is a magic zone! This session reminded me of the power of art and libraries. All illustrations copyright Lisa Nowlain, 2016. Lisa Nowlain is the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Fellow and Children’s Librarian at Darien Library in Darien, CT. She is also an artist-type (see more at lisanowlain.com).
Making It An Extraordinary #PLA2016 in Denver
In addition to working the ALA booth (#1603) at a national conferences like this, I also occasionally attend sessions, particularly when they have to do with growing ideas and productivity. Everyone wants to maximize their time at conference and it can be challenging to do so without planning ahead. On Thursday morning, I attended a session called Make It Extraordinary, which featured speaker Kari Chapin sharing ideas on setting goals and following through. I took some notes that I’d like to share: Go in to each day asking yourself what you would like to accomplish – Is there someone you want to meet or something you want to follow up on? Defining those things in advance is helpful. Take stock at the end of the day – It’s a good practice reflect on valuable takeaways from each day. The presenter shared a great anecdote about a boss asking employees to email…