Thanks in part to the Library Linx partnership program featured in the Public Library and School Library Collaboration toolkit, Deschutes Public Libraries (OR) have seen a significant increase in collaborative programming with area schools. One great success has been my involvement with a local high school. Eila Overcash, teacher-librarian at Summit High School, had a great brainstorm about three years ago. She wanted to attract new students to her media center as well as capitalize on the interest of the strong corps of readers she served every day. She began a weekly Brunch and Books program during the school’s lunch period; teens could drop by the library for tasty snacks, book-related craft projects or games, and connect with other students. Eila invited me to come to Brunch and Books once a month to do book talks and share library news. This fall will mark my third year visiting Summit High….
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Where to Find Free Children’s eBooks
It seems like even the family cat has access to a device, so it’s no surprise that even our youngest readers are utilizing eBooks. While our library collections are full of exciting new content (read along ebooks, beginning readers, and picture books to name just a few), sometimes nothing hits the quality reading spot quite like sharing a classic title. And best of all, there’s no such thing as a holds queue when reading classics with a free and legal public domain download. Where can I find free titles? So many books, so little time! You want to make sure you’re using yours effectively. Whether you’re reading on a phone, tablet, dedicated e-reader, or desktop computer you’ll find more than enough titles for your “for later” list. You’ll find public domain titles on multiple sites, so it’s really all about the reading experience. It’s a bit like choosing your phone’s operating…
Banned Books in August
Yes, I know it’s only the beginning of August, but if you’re still in Summer Reading mode, than maybe you haven’t started planning for the fall yet. If you’re a plan ahead master, then feel free to skip this post.
Universal Design Environments for Early Learners
Introduction About four years ago I attended the Birth to Three Institute. A former program of Head Start. I went to a very informative workshop, “Adapting and Embracing the Environment: Fostering Participation for Children with Disabilities”. Th“e session was led by Linda Brault, Project Director, WestEd and Senta Greene, Executive Director of Full Circle Consulting Systems, Inc. Session Information The most important information I left with from this session is that you don’t need a lot of money or anything fancy to create a universal design play space for toddlers. If you treat each child as an individual, you can create multiple possibilities for engagement. And “multiple” is the key word to keep in mind. Are there multiple ways for the child: 1) to enter and interact in the environment, 2) access materials and toys, and 3) play, among of things to consider? During this interactive session, each group received…
Go Vols!: Volunteers Needed for ALSC Committees – Appointments Begin in Early 2018
With a title like “Go Vols!” You might think I’m rooting for a favorite college football team. While I’m not enthusiastically sharing my team spirit, I am fervently hoping to see an ALSC volunteer form from each and every one of you! ALSC has greatly benefited from the hard work of all our volunteers who offer to serve the association in various capacities. I began my career in children’s librarianship several years before I became involved in ALSC. But, once I made the right connections at the urging of my mentor, I stumbled upon the amazing work of previous generations of ALSC members and decided to join in the goodness. I started small – with a volunteer form, of course – on the ALSC Intellectual Freedom committee from there I served on an award committee, the Nominating committee, and several taskforces and working groups, mainly related to collaborative work with…
Refine your advocacy skills at 2018 ALA Midwinter
The 2018 ALA Midwinter Meeting is right around the corner. Before you get too far along in planning your schedule, I want to highlight the advocacy-related meetings taking place. The fun begins on Friday, Feb. 8th, with the Advocacy and Intellectual Freedom Bootcamp and Advocacy Training Institute. At these two ticketed events, organized by ALA’s Office of Library Advocacy and Office of Intellectual Freedom, you will learn proven strategies to effectively implement an advocacy plan for your library and garner the support of your community. After learning the nuts and bolts of library advocacy, sit in on a committee meeting. Both the Committee on Library Advocacy and PLA’s Legislation and Advocacy Committee meet on Saturday morning followed by an afternoon meeting of the UNITED Legislation, Advocacy & Intellectual Freedom Committee. All three meetings are open and included with full conference registration. You can find these and other advocacy-related meetings in the…
Interview with Patrick Sweeney of Every Library
Patrick “PC” Sweeney is the Political Director at Every Library, a 501c4, dedicated to helping libraries with campaigns, elections, and any political arena where library funding is at stake. Patrick’s first library job was a school librarian, and claims it was the best job he ever had. Nichole Brown conducted the following interview with Patrick on November 8, 2017, where we discussed advocacy and children’s services. NB: Tell us about EL’s recent campaign on November 7th. PS: EL worked with nine libraries on ballot initiatives and seven won! Some of the highlights are that the Rochelle Park, NJ establishes a new library system…. NB: … that means some jobs are opening up? PS: (laughs) Yup they got the funding! Also, Moniteau County was going to have to close libraries with this ballot measure the citizens were able to prevent that from happening. Our website has all the details. NB: Congratulations…
Get Involved With Collaborative Summer Library Program
Do you know any children’s librarians who don’t have a summer reading/learning program? I know I don’t. Summer reading and learning programs are a major aspect of most youth librarians’ work. There are many other additional responsibilities that are a part of our job, I encourage you to use the resources of Collaborative Summer Library Program. This organization of member state libraries produces a wealth of information to make your planning and administration of summer reading/learning less challenging.