In the best way possible! SPCA’s PAWS FOR LOVE was an In-Kind sponsor of the Institute, which means we had dogs visiting us at the Hyatt. Every. Day!! For attendees, speakers, or staff having a RUFF, stressful, or exhausting day, a team of amazing, adorable pooches were on standby to give us their PAWSITIVELY unconditional love. It was so restorative to pop over between tasks and soak up a bit of the love, joy, and serenity that was radiating from Violet and Rosebud. (I regret that I was unable to spend any quality time with Trixie!) The furry and feathered friends from the PAWS FOR LOVE therapy pet visitation program travel all across Erie County (NY), bringing their special brand of comfort and delight to assisted living facilities, courts, group homes, children’s facilities, and other locations where they are needed. And, these pet volunteers aren’t just of the canine variety.... The post #alsc26 Went to the Dogs! appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Saturday morning started bright and early for several ALSC members as we headed to ALSC 201 to discuss reunification updates!  Many ALSC Board members were in attendance, and it was great to hear behind-the-scenes updates on naming, bylaws, and committees. Board members shared that this past year was a year of transitional logistics: communicating the reunification, converting YALSA memberships to ALSC memberships, and merging committees when necessary. However, this upcoming year will be largely focused on “defining who we are as children and teens.” The board will be working with a consulting company to revamp ALSC’s strategic plan, mission, and vision, as well as ultimately updating the name of the organization.  Throughout the session, there was a lot of stress on the fact that ALSC’s goal is to serve children and teens. Everyone emphasized that they do not want teens to get lost in the shuffle, and they do not... The post Reunification Recap at #alsc26 appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Visiting the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library’s Central Library was an #alsc26 highlight. There were mocktails. There were sweet treats! There were opportunities to tour—and learn from—the teen space, children’s room, maker space, and recording studios.  Since we’re heading into Banned Books Week, my favorite experience was a visit to the library’s Mark Twain Room, home of the original handwritten manuscript of the continuously challenged Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The library’s rare books curator shared stories of Twain’s time in the city and the excitement of how a once-forgotten part of the manuscript was found. In anticipation of our visit, she prepared a “Baby’s First Banned Book” exhibit that featured children’s versions of the novel, which included comics and coloring books created in the late 19th and 20th centuries. She noted that, in these titles, “the racist language has been removed and the sharp edges have been softened” and,... The post Baby’s First Banned Book at #alsc26 appeared first on ALSC Blog.

In 1941, the “middle manager” was born. Well, at the very least, there was a defining name for the challenging work of being in the middle, between administration, policy makers, and a team of staff who do the frontline work in the Library. Merriam-Webster defines middle management as: management personnel intermediate between operational supervisors and policymaking administrators. Attending Leading from the Middle: Building Consensus Through Influence, Not Authority, by Kristin Williamson and Emily Williams, resulted in three personal reactions: With entertaining gifs portraying middle management (similar to but more awesome than these gifs), Williamson and Williams challenged future middle managers, current middle managers, and soon-to-be-retired middle managers in the room to make five commitments. I invite you to be my accountability partner in building positive relations at the Library by: Not a middle manager? Never fear! You too can have a positive impact on your workplace community and be known... The post #alsc26 Being a Social Manager Influencer (Middle Manager) appeared first on ALSC Blog.

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! Austin Ferraro, Teen Services Librarian in Loudoun County, shared that they started their escape room programming to provide “positive, literacy-adjacent experiences” for neurodivergent teens in their area. Beginning as a virtual program in 2021 and transitioning to a monthly in-person offering, he has seen a consistent following from middle- and high-school library patrons. These tabletop programs typically run for 45 minutes on a monthly basis.  If you’re interested in hosting your own bookish escape room, Ferraro offered a few guidelines for a successful program. Ferraro’s program has seen a high level of success in their home system. Not only are teens engaged in the program and coming back monthly, but they were able to package their themed escape rooms to share with colleagues... The post Escape (Room) Your Book Club at #alsc26 appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Sketch # 3 Our guest contributor today is Erica Siskind. Erica loves her job at the Oakland Public Library, in Oakland, California, and recently celebrated 30 years as a Children’s Librarian at the Rockridge Branch. Erica is most excited about making time and space for kids to write, illustrate, and perform their own stories – encouraging them to finish projects and share them with others, which she knows is the hard part! She’s looking forward to picking up tips about conducting joyful learning programs through play. Sketching helps her focus – so if you see her with her sketchbook and you want to be included, act natural, but hold still for just a minute. Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC. If you are interested in submitting a guest post, please read and fill out our Guest Blogging... The post Sketches from #alsc26 appeared first on ALSC Blog.

Learn more about the Rochester Public Library and the Strong National Museum of Play from the perspective of a youth librarian.

The Bill Morris Book Evaluation Seminar was on my bucket list for librarian adventures since I was an early career librarian working as a teen services librarian in the children’s room of a local San Francisco Public Library Branch. Meant to teach attendees to hone their critical eye towards children’s books, the seminar offers mentoring and guidance to a range of librarians invited to participate. These librarians are trained to “honor and support William C. Morris’ dedication to connecting librarians, and ultimately children, with excellent children’s books” with teaching “in the group process and in children’s media evaluation techniques.” All attendees in the room have curiosity and interest in serving on ALSC book awards committees. Serving to uplift books through ALSC book awards committees is a group process and attendees were advised to TRUST THE PROCESS that has been established. Mentors shared their pathway to book award committees, their preparation,... The post #alsc26 Behind the Scenes at the Bill Morris Book Evaluation Seminar appeared first on ALSC Blog.

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.  Thomas began by sharing how her love of folk tales from a young age sparked her interest in writing the Nick Blake series. However, the story has a different beginning than most of her readers know. She originally wrote the titular character as the sidekick to a “little white boy.” Thomas shared that she wasn’t used to seeing Black main characters in fantasy novels, and wasn’t yet ready to break the status quo. However, the manuscript was rejected time and time again, which led... The post Angie Thomas – “I’m Looking Forward To Getting Banned Again” appeared first on ALSC Blog.

After seven years as a children’s librarian, I finally made it to my first ALSC Institute! I have been looking forward to this moment for a long time, and it feels especially exciting to be here in Buffalo, New York, surrounded by so many people who share my passion for children, books, and libraries. Of course, the past seven years have not exactly gone according to plan. Somewhere in the middle of them, COVID-19 happened, and it sometimes feels as though we lost almost two years from our calendars. Conferences were canceled or moved online, travel changed, and so many professional experiences had to wait. Being here in person feels even more meaningful because of that. Our first evening began with the Opening Celebration and the opportunity to hear Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give. I loved her confidence, honesty, and empowering message. One idea from Angie Thomas’s speech... The post Finally Here: My First ALSC Institute #alsc26 appeared first on ALSC Blog.