It’s been another jam-packed, amazing day at the 2018 ALA Conference! This afternoon I attended The Inclusive Makerspace #WeNeedDiverseBooks session led by Gina Seymour, a School Library Media Specialist. She offered some great advice on making your Makerspace or hands on learning activities accessible for a wide variety of youth, including those with disabilities or language barriers. Gina provided many simple tips with big impact, like providing triangular anti-roll crayons, instruction sheets with a visual cue for each step, and printing instructions in both English and Spanish. Other suggestions included labeling all craft materials used in making with not only a word but an image of what is inside. She emphasized how making can promote the 3 E’s: Equity, Education and Excitement. This session made me think of how my library could reassess our own maker-based activities and programming so that everyone can be successful and feel welcome. Thinking of…
Tag: #alaac18
Illustrator LeUyen Pham
“The power of picture books is painting the world the way you want see it.” Yesterday I sat in on illustrator LeUyen Pham’s talk “Wandering Wonderful: How an Outsider Found Her Way In.” Pham shared intimate stories from her childhood and related her experiences to her favorite books. It was a beautiful glimpse into a reader’s journey to the woman and artist she is today. I am really inspired by author and illustrator talks, especially from artists like Pham who allow us in. Hearing their personal stories helps me connect their books with kids. When you can say, “You know I met this illustrator. She was really cool. She loved Charlottes Web and told us a story about her pet ducks. And yes, her family ended up eating the ducks, but she didn’t”, kids see the creator of the books they love as real people who even were once kids…
New Voices with Fresh Takes #alaac18
This morning I was honored to speak about my passion for diverse storytimes as part of a group of first time national presenters in “Fresh Takes in Youth Services.” It was the scariest 5 minutes of my life but I loved every second of it! This Ignite style program was a great way to introduce new voices in our field and provide conference speaking experience to novices. Each presentation highlighted a very timely and relevant topic to Youth Services such as robotics, leadership, Comic Cons, LGBTQIA advocacy and STEAM partnering. I’m in awe of my co-presenters Jo Schofield, Robin Sofge, Molly Virello, Connor Flan Joel Park and Jamie Naylor! I’m especially thankful to Brooke Newberry and Amy Koester for their mentorship during this process. I really hope ALA continues to host programs like these that provide rookie presenters an opportunity to share their passion on a national stage in an accessible…
2018 Pura Belpre Award Celebracion
One of best sessions at each ALA Annual Conference #alaac18 is this Celebracion! Each author and illustrator gave insite into their work then we were treated to a performance by the folk group Vive Mi Terra from New Orleans. Their name — “Feel My Country” — is so apropos as we celebrate these latino titles and honor all children by celebrating mulicultural experiences. #alscleftbehind This post addresses the following ALSC Core Competencies: I. Commitment to Client Group and IV. Knowledge, Curation, and Management of Materials.
French Comics Panel Discussion #alaac18
Yesterday was an amazing start to my weekend in New Orleans at the 2018 ALA Conference! Not only did I have the distinct pleasure of co-presenting for the first time at ALA (Shout-out to fellow live blogger Soline Holmes for her post about my session) but I attended some great programs and discussions! I particularly enjoyed the panel discussion “French Comics Kiss Better: Bande Dessinee 101” which took place at the Graphic Novel and Gaming Stage in the exhibits hall. This program, sponsored by the French Comics Association, included some of my favorite creators of youth graphic novels- such as Aurelie Neyret, author of Cici’s Journal. Other creators on the panel were Eve Tharlet (Mr. Badger & Mrs. Fox), Cati Bauer (Four Sisters) and Barroux (Alpha). These authors and illustrators discussed their work process, the challenges of getting their works into the American market, translations and more. They also shared…
Libraries Support Immigrant Families: News from #alaac18
On June 19, a “Resolution on Cessation of Family Separations for Refugees Arriving at the United States Borders” was shared on the REFORMA listserv with a call to “distribute far and wide to your divisions, round table, and other library boards” and to “get endorsements for the resolution.” The ALSC Board then reviewed and discussed the resolution on ALA Connect in the days leading up to the ALA Annual Conference. The resolution was entered into the consent agenda for ALSC Board I at ALA Annual, which took place today, Saturday, June 23. At that meeting, the ALSC Board endorsed the resolution, which has been amended and renamed “Resolution to Reunite Detained Migrant Children with their Parents.” The resolution is currently planned to go before Council, sponsored by the Committee on Library Advocacy, on Tuesday at ALA Annual in New Orleans. Because this is an evolving news item, the specifics of…
The room where it happens #alaac18
Today the ALSC board voted to change the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award to the Children’s Literature Legacy Award. It was an epic, historic moment those of us in the room will never forget!
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words: Graphic Novels #ALAAC18
The first point discussed was that Graphic Novels are a FORMAT rather than a genre. Of course, there are many different genres within the Graphic Novel format. While this may be obvious to us librarians, we must remember that patrons, parents, and educators may not realize this. A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words: Reaching Kids and Families with Graphic Novel Programming was a fantastic session sponsored by the ALSC. I got lots of great ideas for graphic novel book clubs as well as background to share with those who think of graphic novels as “comic books.” Benefits of Graphic Novels 1. Graphic novels help children develop VISUAL LITERACY SKILLS. The format makes readers notice details, visualize things from different angles, and move easily from picture representations to real life. These are skills needed for computer programming, geometry, problem-solving, and even putting together IKEA furniture. 2. Graphic novels…