Are you attending the 2026 ALSC National Institute in October? We’d love to have you consider writing guest posts for the ALSC Blog about what you are learning and experiencing!
Category: Professional Development
work of ALSC Priority Group VIII and other items pertaining to professional development of youth services librarians
Highlights from the Summer 2026 Issue of Children and Libraries
The upcoming summer issue of Children and Libraries highlights the many ways libraries support learning, creativity, and community connection beyond the walls of the classroom. From joyful summer reading and early literacy programming to disciplinary literacy, STEM learning, intellectual freedom, and community partnerships, this issue offers practical ideas and thoughtful reflections for library professionals serving children and families.
Professional Development that Actually Sticks
Finding the time and funding to support your professional development can be a challenge! As professionals in a field dedicated to lifelong learning, it is vital to seek out training and conferences to grow our skills and inspire new ideas. Once you’ve snagged that coveted registration spot, your real work begins. As a Librarian for a small city library, attending training and conferences often means hearing about initiatives on a scale I’d dare not imagine. Don’t let this scare you! If you’ve ever steered clear of a training because the idea seemed too big, or you didn’t feel you’d have the support to bring it to your library, this blog is for you! As a trainer and a trainee, I’ve heard both sides of frustrations around conferences and training. Beyond preferences in format and delivery, attendees commonly lament that there are no immediate actionable ideas for their library, or that they don’t…
Presenting at #PLA2026
The other day I was browsing my inbox for an email and I found the initial email that I sent my colleague about collaborating for a presentation at PLA. It shocked me to see that that was nearly a year ago, when today we finally got to share our presentation with #PLA2026 attendees.
Plan Now to Attend the 2026 National Institute
Registration for the 2026 ALSC National Institute, to be held in Buffalo, NY from October 1 – 3, opens in April. The members of the National Institute Task Force have been hard-at-work planning this event for more than a year, and we are very excited to welcome everyone to Buffalo this fall!
Tips and Tricks for New Children’s Librarians!
If you are reading this, I want to start off by saying CONGRATULATIONS on becoming a Children’s Librarian! This is an incredibly rewarding field and I am happy that you have joined this community. I have been working in libraries for 7 years, almost exclusively in Children’s Services. I worked my way up from a Library Assistant to the Head of Children’s Services. Through my experience, I have learned so much and continue to learn every day. If you’re a new Children’s Librarian, here are some tips and tricks to get you started!
Attending the National Storytelling Festival
I’ve been a children’s librarian for over 15 years, and while I have always felt confident with reading books at storytime, storytelling always felt like a big leap to make. I’ve dipped my toes into it by reading “Teaching with Story” by Margaret Read MacDonald and memorizing a few tales I could recite on command at a school or daycare visit. Recently while visiting a first grade classroom in October, I performed a storytelling of “The Singing Pumpkin: a tale from Iran.” The students were attentive and I was able to use their participation to elaborate details of the story such as what the ogre looked and smelled like as well as add to the list of delicious foods the granddaughter made for the old lady. When I was finished the teacher told me that this had been the most engaged the entire class had been so far this year.
Save the (Monday) Date: the Charlemae Hill Rollins President’s Program at ALA Annual
Save the date! We are delighted to announce the 2026 ALSC Charlemae Hill Rollins President’s Program: Picture Books for All: Celebrating the Joy of Visual Literacy. This special event will take place on the afternoon of Monday, June 29 at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL.