I’m excited to share some of my adventures from Midwinter a couple of weeks ago and update you on the ALSC Board’s work together in Boston. Kicking things off on Thursday, I attended an Information Policy Workshop with our veep, Betsy Orsburn, and our Executive Director, Aimee Strittmatter. As one of the key elements of ALA’s Strategic Directions, learning more about this important area was very insightful and you can learn more about the day here. Friday began with the happy task of welcoming attendees to the 2016 Bill Morris Seminar: Book Evaluation Training, which is held every other year thanks to the generosity of the William C. Morris Endowment. The Morris Seminar provides mentoring in children’s media evaluation techniques, and I couldn’t be more grateful to this year’s spectacular co-chairs Deborah Taylor and Sylvia Vardell and to all of those who shared their experiences and wisdom with attendees, one of whom, Lisa…
Tag: alamw16
ALSC helps YOU with advocacy #alamw16
Aside from checking out great new titles, sitting in on book discussions, and listening to speakers, I had the opportunity to meet with the members of my virtual committee who were attending ALAMW too. Bonus! The ALSC Advocacy & Valuation Task Force is a two year task force focused on advocacy and valuation using outcome/output measurement. One of our most shocking take-aways so far is that many members don’t know about or use the Everyday Advocacy website and newsletters, created specifically to help YOU with advocating for youth services. Take a few minutes today to check out the important work Jenna Nemec-Loise is doing and participate in her January 5 challenge to set a 2016 advocacy goal for yourself.
ALSC Process & Program Committees May Not Be Glamorous on Monday Morning, but are Super Worthwhile #alamw16
Everyone knows about ALSC committees like Newbery & Caldecott, but there is a galaxy of other committees full of dedicated librarians that make ALSC tick and support us all in our work. Serving on a process committee like Membership, Grants Administration, or Organization and Bylaws provides opportunities to build relationships with other librarians, while also building leadership skills, looking at ALSC: The Big Picture, and guiding how ALSC operates and serves us all. Not all of these groups require attending a conference, there are virtual committees too. These can be really excellent for finding mentors and building a librarian community if you’re feeling isolated. Check out the roster of opportuntities on the ALSC Committees page & fill out your volunteer form today! Join us!
Youth Media Awards
How exciting to have Last Stop on Market Street be awarded the Newbery Medal as well as a Caldecott Honor. I remember this also happened with A Visit to William Blake’s Inn.
Reconnect with your favorite authors on the ALSC YouTube Channel #alamw16
Did you know that ALSC has its own YouTube Channel? Neither did I. One of the themes of my year is exploring all the avenues ALSC uses to share information with its members and this is a fun one! I heard about this today in a committee meeting and had to check it out. The ALSC Channel has author and illustrator interviews, Newbery/Caldecott/Wilder acceptance speeches, and great information from members and leaders in ALSC.
Harry Potter Alliance and Youth Advocacy
While browsing the exhibits at ALA Midwinter, I came upon the Harry Potter Alliance and its work on organizing youth to participate in National Library Legislative Day – mainly by creating local chapters in schools, libraries, youth centers, etc.. to enlist passionate readers in youth advocacy. Of course, I also had to buy this wicked awesome (note my attempt at Boston lingo!) t-shirt: These local chapters “serve as an access point for young people who are passionate about stories to become civically engaged and lead projects that improve their communities.” (thehpalliance.org) The HPA envisions librarians being “most heavily involved in creating their chapters, planning the first few meetings, and identifying potential leaders among the young people in attendance.” Are you as intrigued as I am? You can send questions via a virtual owl (HPA brilliant lingo!) to their Chapters Staff at chapters@thehpalliance.org to learn more.
ASHES by Laurie Halse Anderson
Coming in October is the next book in Anderson’s series that began with CHAINS and FORGE. She spoke at a luncheon today about the inspirations for the books. (Paraphrasing here) ‘Children need to know history, warts and all, in order to make the future better.’
Taking Advantage of the Resources at #alamw16
I found myself circling the exhibits a few times while I was on the lookout for the ALA Joblist and Career Development Placement Center. Now, before you excitedly google my job, no I am not in the market, thank you very much. I love my library. So why the placement center? I wanted to take advantage of the amazing photography service. It’s been awhile since I have had an actual headshot taken, and let’s face it – sometimes that selfie just won’t cut it. So I found the placement center (it’s right near the post office on the exhibit floor), checked in at the desk, paid my $20 and headed over. There were 2 professional photographers there and we took several shots. The photos will all be sent to me digitally as raw files so that I can filter them up to my heart’s delight! This is a great opportunity,…