Blogger Children and Technology Committee

Coding and Beyond: Inspiring young girls to pursue technology careers

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, women are underrepresented in the technology industry – comprising just 25% of the workforce. These careers are often higher-paid, and technology skills are in high demand, so it should be an important mission of libraries to help ensure that young girls have opportunities to explore technology-related careers. (In this article, “girls” refers to all who identify as girls and is inclusive of gender-nonconforming children.) Many librarians are intimidated by the prospect of creating STEM programming for young children, but it can be an exciting and rewarding endeavor, with benefits that go beyond simply learning how to code.

ALSC Board

Julie Roach: ALSC Division Councilor Candidate

In an effort to help ALSC members make an informed decision before they vote, today’s blog post consists of a statement from the candidate for ALSC’s 2023-24 Division Councilor, Julie Roach. The candidate submitted a written statement. Voting begins Monday, March 13th. It is an honor to stand for election to the ALSC Board in the role of Division Councilor. I have been an active member of ALSC for 21 years. During that time, I have served in various ways and on a range of committees, most recently as chair of the 2020 Caldecott Selection Committee. I also served as a member of the ALSC Board from 2014-2017. I manage Youth Services for the Cambridge Public Library in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where I lead an outstanding youth services team in a busy public library. I review children’s literature for the Horn Book Magazine and teach as an adjunct instructor for Simmons…

ALSC Bylaws

Add Your Voice to the ALSC Chorus!

Serving as the ALSC President for 2022-2023 has been a humbling experience in many ways, not the least of which is because every day I have reminders that it is the dedicated work and input of members–all volunteers!–that allows us to set, work toward, and accomplish our goals. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the ways in which members add their talents and voices to the whole–and I want to invite YOU to add your voice to the chorus as well!

Blogger Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers committee

Thoughts about Using Beans, Rice & Other Food in Library Programming

When I present sessions, I like to begin by using opening activities that show commonality among participants and allow space for relationships to grow.  One such activity is a simple invitation for participants to share a recipe for cooking either beans or rice.  Beans and rice are some of the most common foods on the planet and used in a variety of dishes in many different cultures. Beans and rice are so widely recognized and readily available it’s easy to forget they are often a primary food source.  For just one moment, imagine you are the caregiver of a family who has juggled competing interests, figured out transportation, time, and energy obstacles to attend story time at the public library.  The stay-and-play activity after storytime involves playing in enough rice to feed everyone in the room.  It’s not a choking hazard, it engages the senses, it’s relatively inexpensive, and it…