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…
Category: Guest Blogger
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:
Bugs for Breakfast, Worms for Lunch #LibLearnX
Do you know that one in every four people across the globe eat insects on a regular basis? On purpose! What seems strange to many Americans is commonplace in other parts of the world – this is one of the fun facts from author Mary Boone’s presentation, Nonboring Nonfiction: Using Hands-on Activities to Engage Young Readers.
Children’s programming dominates Day Three of #LibLearnX
Hello from day three! This morning kicked off with a chat with Molly Shannon and Cynthia D’aprix Sweeney, and I immediately learned that Shannon’s mother studied library science, and librarians are close to her heart. She survived childhood tragedy with a strength and sassiness that made me really excited to read her upcoming memoir!
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:
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?
Today’s Signals Can Inform Tomorrow’s Libraries #LibLearnX
Thank you to Chance Hunt for the really interesting discussion about using signals from today’s headlines to project potential challenges and advancements for libraries of the future. Mr. Hunt described Strategic Foresight as the ability to see all the possibilities of a new technology; to recognize the good and bad implications in order to be proactive in our planning.
Exploring and Engaging – #LibLearnX day 2
Day two of LibLearnX 2022 has been full of so many engrossing sessions! The day kicked off with U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono in discussion with ALA President Patty Wong. They discovered they had much in common, and Senator Hirono also discussed her memoir Heart of Fire, which I immediately placed on hold at my library.