As a new(er) librarian, this was the first time that I had the opportunity to attend ALSC National Institute, and let me tell you – it did not disappoint!
Reflecting on #alsc26

Pursuing excellence for library service to children and teens

As a new(er) librarian, this was the first time that I had the opportunity to attend ALSC National Institute, and let me tell you – it did not disappoint!
Saturday morning started bright and early for several ALSC members as we headed to ALSC 201 to discuss reunification updates!
This afternoon was full of play at #alsc26 as I learned how to transform my book club into an engaging tabletop escape room for teens and tweens!
Have you ever wanted to start a TTRPG (tabletop role-playing game) program at your library? Perhaps you’ve never played a game yourself before, but you know that youth at your library would be interested. Perhaps you were not a theater kid and are worried that you just aren’t a good actor or good at improv. Or, maybe you have completed a few campaigns with a local D&D group, and you know how much preparation goes into a successful campaign. You worry that you just don’t have enough hours in the day to prepare something fun and engaging for your library patrons. This morning at #alsc26, Youth & Teen Services Librarian Elizabeth Sanderson aimed to help with these common challenges, and more!
This year’s #alsc26 started strong with a delicious dinner and remarks from the amazing Angie Thomas, author of the frequently challenged title The Hate U Give. In conversation with ALSC president Ariana Hussain, Thomas discussed her notable Nic Blake and The Remarkables series, the current state of multicultural children’s books in the U.S., and her recent collaborations with other authors of books for tweens and teens.