I want to be a foodie. I don’t claim to have a discerning palate, but I do really LOVE trying international cuisines. With all four grandparents being born in Italy, food is a centerpiece of my family culture, and I just LOVE trying the foods that bring families together around the world.
Tag: readers advisory
Frequently Asked Questions: Youth Readers Advisory
Some readers advisory questions you find yourself getting asked multiple times a week and it can be helpful to have answers ready.
TikTok and Libraries: A Powerful Partnership…was a Powerful Presentation!
Monday was my last day at #ALAAC2022, and I started it with a really informative presentation about using TikTok in your library. When the pandemic first started, I created a TikTok account but never used it. (I am not sure I even remember my login information.) Delving into a new social media platform can sometimes be daunting, so, I was really excited to attend TikTok and Libraries: A Powerful Partnership and to learn how to use TikTok to promote books and my library. Presentations about TikTok seem to be just as popular as the social media platform itself—it was a packed house in the Convention Center!
Ready to Recommend: Brushing Up on Readers’ Advisory
As summer approaches, it’s time to ramp up our readers’ advisory skills for the onslaught of summer reading. (Hopefully) Coming out of the pandemic, avoiding the summer slide will be more important than ever, and more kids may be struggling with reading thanks to disrupted schooling. How do we make sure we get the right books into the hands of students?
Best Books of the Year: Gotta Recommend Them All
The end of the year is when all the various “best of,” lists come out and as a librarian it is overwhelming to keep up with everything. I find that my holds list gets obnoxiously long as I frantically try to read ALL THE BOOKS I missed. I like looking at various library’s “best of” lists like Chicago Public Library’s “Kids Best of the Best Books,”https://www.chipublib.org/kids-best-of-the-best/ or Evanston Public Library’s 101 Great Books for Kids I prefer to refer my family, friends and patrons to library or review journal recommended lists (like School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2021) I find these can be helpful to introduce new titles for people who might revert to their childhood favorites or another series title. I also love to see what wins Mock competitions at various libraries. Another fun favorite to look at is Betsy Bird’s 31 Days of Lists where she features…
Advanced Readers Advisory: Comfort Youth Librarianship
During uncertain times that never stop being uncertain, I find myself wanting to curl up in the “comfort portions” of children’s librarianship. One of the aspects of my job that has not been altered drastically by COVID-19 is readers advisory and my speciality: advanced readers advisory. The kids are still reading, reading and reading. The kids are still coming in thinking they have read every book in the library and it is still my job to stump them. Here are “five of my back-pocket tricks” to win readers advisory.
Keeping Connected with Custom Collections
At a time when Rochester Public Library (MN) has limited ability to provide direct services to children, teens, and families, our custom collection service has helped us stay connected. Since mid-March, RPL staff have been heavily engaged in city-wide pandemic response work, including setting up and staffing a day center for people experiencing homelessness and running a COVID-19 call center. We also provide library services through our digital library, Curbside pickup, Bookmobile services, Deposit & Homebound services, phone reference, and Internet access by appointment. This work has required our library to collaborate as a large team, with staff from multiple divisions sharing ideas and responsibilities on the various projects. As a result, our Youth Services team hasn’t had many opportunities to work together. During this time, two YS programs have allowed us to provide direct service to our kids, teens, and families. In June, we launched our Pen Pal program which has been…
Vote for Books!
Or rather, books about voting. How can we engage our young customers in the electoral process, and start imparting the importance of voting upon them at a young age? This would be the time to do a mock election at your branch—Peanut Butter or Jelly? Chocolate or vanilla? I recall seeing this great blog that had a secret voting booth and everything! But this year, however…EVERYTHING is different, again thanks to the pandemic. One thing that remains, though, is that publishers put out election-friendly books for kids during our presidential election year. And today, I’m going to take a look at a few of them. First, for the picture book set: Jonathan London’s Froggy for President. Froggy is so excited to run for class president that he leaves his house in only his underwear and is once again saved by his reliable mom. Of course, Frogilina would run against him,…