Hey everyone! Here are some ideas to put in your back pocket for Tween programming at your library.
Category: Guest Blogger
A Few Off-the-Mall Suggestions for #alaac19
Washington, D.C. is home to wonderful independent museums and places of interest to adults & children. We suggest five places to find books and toys, four “off the mall” museums, and three relaxing green spaces. (Distances are given from the Convention Center).
Play on a Shoestring in the Public Library
Free play is child-directed, voluntary, internally motivated, and fun. It strengthens physical, emotional, social, cognitive, creative skills and fosters communication skills as well. Children talk and listen while they play, and they also read, write, draw, and sing! According to Dr. Karyn Purvis, it takes 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain- unless it’s done with active play. In that case it takes only 10-20 repetitions. Play is truly the work of a child and also a pleasant vehicle for interaction between kids and their grownups.
Getting to and around Washington, DC #alaac19
The ALSC Local Arrangements Committee is so excited to welcome you to Washington, DC this year for ALA Annual 2019! From the Capitol to the Mall, the Smithsonian Museums to the National Cathedral, there is a lot to see and do! We hope that these tips help you get around the city and make the most of your stay.
Team Up to Read Is Building Stronger Readers
Team Up to Read, Brooklyn Public Library’s new literacy program for kids ages 5-9 and their caregivers and families, will launch a summer series during the library’s 2019 Summer Reading Program: A Universe of Stories.
MLA-Children and Young People’s UnConference
The MLA-CYP UnConference, held this year on March 29th, 2019 at Rochester Public Library in Rochester, Minnesota, is a day filled with learning about youth development, networking, and soaking in every ounce of inspiration and creative juices you can from other youth services librarians! “Be the person you needed when you were younger.” —Ayesha Siddiqi. One of the key takeaways from this day of learning is that as youth workers, not only should we focus our efforts on programming but also advocating for their presence within the library! Youth should feel welcome and safe when they are at the library. Investing in services for teens is not only important for their development, but also for the future of the library! As youth workers we want to foster a love for the library while also encouraging teens to become invested library users- both today, tomorrow, and in the future! It is…
A Call for More Free, Accessible Professional Development
A Children’s Librarian By Any Other Name… “Early childhood educator,” “parent educator,” “community worker,” and “social worker.” These are all terms Children’s Librarians have used to describe themselves in the 2017 Every Child Ready to Read report. Children’s Librarians are expanding their skill set and taking on new and exciting roles to best serve their communities. The caveat, of course, is that many librarians are not trained as early childhood educators, parent educators, community workers, or social workers. As our job description expands, so is our need for training and mentorship. The strong sentiment in the field that library and information graduate programs don’t adequately train librarians with real life skills persists. In a 2014 article on the recruitment and retention of Children’s Librarians, Virginia Walter states “no public library can assume that a graduate of an ALA-accredited program has received any relevant training” (p. 27) The lack of preparation…
The (Mis)Conceptions of Serving on the ALSC Budget Committee
When I tell people I am serving on the ALSC Budget Committee (my two-year term ends June 2019), they often respond with a “whoa” or “yikes” and say “that must be taxing.” I have to admit that when former Budget committee member Carolyn Phelan approached me about serving, visions of calculators, enormous spreadsheets, and perplexing figures that do not add up filled my brain. What if I messed up one of the ledgers? What if I botched the balance sheets?