INTERVIEW WITH DR. CLAUDETTE S. McLINN Dr. Claudette S. McLinn is Founder and Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature (CSMCL). Since 2011, Dr. McLinn created the CSMCL Día Grant with an African American Focus, which is funded by CSMCL in partnership with the ALA/Association of Library Services to Children (ALSC) and author Pat Mora, the founder of Children’s Day, Book Day/ El día de los niños, El día de los libros; often known as Día. Día is celebrated every year on April 30. Here, we will ask her a few questions about this grant. 1. What brought about this grant in 2011? I became interested in Día because of the concept of family, children, and literacy. I love that families and children share literacy activities together in any library, school, or public setting. Thinking that it would be a good idea, I wanted to…
Tag: Dia
Hispanic Heritage Month 2021
National Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 is upon us! Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15…celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. [Starting] in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Johnson, it was later expanded by President Reagan in 1988 to cover from September 15 to October 15 The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period. — Library of Congress Why is Hispanic Heritage Month so Important? Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month every year is critical for American…
Noteworthy ALSC Booklist Committees!
Today I would like to highlight the work of several committees whose work is used on a daily basis by ALSC members, parents, teachers, librarians, and many others looking for excellent book recommendations. ALSC booklists help fulfill our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion by highlighting books that feature children in our communities and our lives.
Día! El día de los niños – El día de los libros – Children’s Book Day
Día! is upon us! So, you’re reading this and thinking OMG, this is not so LOL when Día! is upon us! Don’t panic! There’s still time left to make this a meaningful Día! Sure, you may have somehow missed out on REFORMA’s March 31st deadline for applying for its Día! grants, but with a little planning, and some great resources, you can do this! Do YOU Día? But, I hear you say, Jonathan, I’m not Hispanic and I don’t speak Spanish above the “hola me llamo [insert name]” level. Let’s review what Día is all about! El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, is a celebration every day of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of ALL linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Thus, you see that it’s not just about Spanish speakers. Indeed, I…
All Are Welcome Here: Celebrating Global Diversity and Getting Involved with ALSC
All are welcome here! I’m sure you’ve heard this phrase before. We seem to be using it more and more in an attempt to indicate that our library spaces are inclusive. Some recent children’s books proclaim “all are welcome here,” and feature a mosaic of diverse children and families. There is a song that goes one step further stating, “all are welcome here, as we are.” Lofty goals for any children’s librarian; but do we put those words into action in our services and programs? Do we REALLY mean that everyone is welcome as they are? Do we embrace one type of diversity in the library but overtly (or covertly) shun other types of diversity by using the excuse that X type of diversity cannot be understood by children or Y type of diversity is only in the name of being politically correct? In addition to thinking about welcoming all…
Global Children’s Libraries, Literacy, and Programs: ALSC On the Road in Athens, Greece
When Jella Lepman initiated the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), she did so for the purpose of creating a dynamic venue for the international exchange of ideas around children’s literature and literacy. Just a day ago, I returned from the 36th IBBY International Congress in Athens, Greece where ALSC Executive Director Aimee Strittmatter and I engaged with librarians, book creators, researchers, and educators from around the globe. With a theme of “East Meets West Around Children’s Books and Fairy Tales,” the congress was an amazing opportunity to learn about numerous children’s books and literacy programs from colleagues in Asia, Europe, and beyond. Día @ IBBY During the three-day conference, we shared a poster about ALSC’s Día initiative, describing the benefits for libraries and classrooms, numerous success stories, and plethora of online programming resources and book lists. The poster, which focused on promoting diversity, inclusion, and advocacy with Día,…
Hispanic Heritage Month Year-Round
Integrating Hispanic Heritage I’d been conducting storytime and other children’s programming for 18 years. I felt like a veteran, or some kind of master. In just one hour, my wife Marianne – who was born and raised in Puerto Rico – made me feel like I was only just beginning. For years I would start with a theme, pick out the books, make the puppet shows. And yet, how often did I reach for my Hispanic picture books? Twice a year? El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day, commonly known as Día) and Hispanic Heritage Month? My wife showed me how to take a picture book or a story and build a theme from it – to reverse the storytime building process, and thereby integrate diverse materials into storytime – Every. Single Week. Hispanic/Latino Contributions So, I made a video. It was all about the contributions…
Join us in celebrating Día 2017!
Día (El día de los niños, El día de los libros), the national literacy initiative, is celebrated throughout the year and culminates on April 30. On and around April 30, libraries, schools, communities, and families around the country will celebrate by connecting children with diverse books and programs. Since 1996, when nationally acclaimed children’s book author Pat Mora proposed linking the celebration of childhood and literacy as an expansion of Children’s Day, Día celebrations have continued to grow. Why Día? Children depend on adults to help them understand the world around them. Now, more than ever, it is important to teach children how to learn about the cultures and languages of others. One of the easiest and most enjoyable ways of doing this is through the sharing of books. Through Día, libraries work to… • Celebrate children and connect them to the world of learning through books, stories, and libraries….