Teen Services Webinar Today!

Want to get the scoop on doing amazing teen services from creative Wisconsin librarians? You don't need a big staff, a big building or a ton of cash.

Sign up for today's free webinar: Teen Services OK? Better Than OK!  (1-2 pm CST) and get ideas for volunteers, programming and displays for this important audience.

It's easy and fun. Register now!

This webinar is brought to you by the Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association and the Nicolet Federated Library System!

52 Weeks: Week 4 Amazing Race

Brought to you by the Wisconsin Library Association Youth Services Section, 52 Weeks of YA Programming is a collection of teen programs submitted by YSS members across the state.

Week 4: Amazing Race Submitted by YSS Member Becky Arenivar

Music and Early Literacy

Lately, I've been promoting kids and family music as a way to develop early literacy skills. Some of my favorite artists include Ella Jenkins, Hap Palmer, Raffi, José-Luis Orozco, Elizabeth Mitchell, David Landau (a Madison area artist who has excellent rates for library programs - FYI), and the Laurie Berkner Band.

A recent discovery of mine, but an artist who's been around for a long time is Susie Tallman. I especially like the albums Children's Songs: A Collection of Childhood Favorites and Let's Go! Travel, Camp and Car Songs, but she has many others including  Classic Nursery Rhymes which features some diverse arrangements of traditional nursery rhymes.

http://www.susietallman.com/records/childrens/index.html

Earlier in March, Jodie who blogs at Growing Book by Book: Nurturing Our Youngest Readers wrote about kids' songs that build literacy skills.

What are your favorite kids' and family musicians? What songs do you love to use in storytimes? Do you sing? Use a playlist? Share with us.

52 Weeks: Week 3 It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

Brought to you by the Wisconsin Library Association Youth Services Section, 52 Weeks of YAprogramming is a collection of teen programs submitted by YSS members across the state.

Week 3: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night Submitted by YSS Member Amber McCrea 

Elephant and Piggie Party!

Brought to you by Susie Menk at Manitowoc Public Library

Manitowoc Public Library Children’s Department recently hosted a Mo Willem’s Elephant & Piggie party as a wrap up to our winter readathon. The readathon was for children up through grade two. Children needed to read ten hours in a six week period. Children who completed their reading logs by March 7 received a little elephant water squirter. 

Then we had an Elephant & Piggie party. Children played games based on Mo Willem’s Elephant & Piggie books. There was a bird’s nest relay race, an Elephant & Piggie photo opportunity, a dress up bin, Elephant & Piggie crafts, as well as pin the trunk/nose on Elephant or Piggie. The kids had a great time! Door prizes of Elephant & Piggie books were given away to round out the party. 

Many of our ideas were from Abby the Librarian’s post or from other Pinterest sources. We just tweaked them a little to work for our patrons!

YSS Powerhouse Presents: School Age Programming

Mark your calendar!

Wednesday, April 29, 2015, 1:00pm - 2:30pm

Register: http://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1519040549772322561

Wisconsin youth services librarians share successful programs for elementary age children. Includes on and off-site programs, tips on what made the programs work, pitfalls and successes.

Panelists

• Amanda Struckmeyer, Middleton Public Library
• Sarah Cournoyer, Horicon Public Library
• Katie Kiekhaefer, Whitefish Bay Public Library
• Alexandra Jennelle-Collins, Brewer Public Library

This webinar is brought to you by the Youth Services Section (or YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association and the Outagamie Waupaca Library System (OWLS). YSS is the home for teen and children’s librarians in our state who push youth services forward and create exciting opportunities for youth librarians to network together, to lead and to learn. Please consider joining YSS by becoming a member of our statewide association: The Wisconsin Library Association. Together we are stronger!

Books IRL

A few book-to-life tidbits to ponder:

• A real life The Other Half of My Heart (by Wisconsin author Sundee T. Frazier): black and white twins!
• Think the MUTHR of The Secret of WondLa (by Tony DiTerlizzi) is way in the future? Think again: robot mothers help out in war torn countries.
• Labeled as the Disney Up house, it also reminds me of Virginia Burton's The Little House.

What other 'real life' things have you come across that relate to a book you've read?

52 Weeks: Week 2 LED Bracelets

Brought to you by the Wisconsin Library Association Youth Services Section, 52 Weeks of YA programming is a collection of teen programs submitted by YSS members across the state.

Week 2: LED Bracelets submitted by YSS Member Rebecca Van Dan

Photo credit: Instructables.com

Early Literacy and Family Engagement Workshop on April 9

Early Literacy and Family Engagement:  Creating Opportunities for Life-Long Fun and Learning with Lilly Irvin-Vitela (Wisconsin Head Start Association)

Thursday, April 9, 9:30-3:30  (lunch is on your own), Menomonie Public Library, 600 Wolske Bay Rd., Menomonie, WI

Register by April 6, Please invite community partners.

Early literacy is based first and foremost in relationships.  Children’s potential greatly increases when we support family engagement and children and families engage in daily activities that nurture literacy.  You'll leave this workshop with an action plan for how to strengthen family engagement in your library or organization.  

Lilly Irvin-Vitela is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Head Start Association, WHSA.  Lilly has significant professional experience in mobilizing communities, family engagement, conflict resolution, promoting cultural competence, and strategic planning.  She’s also a terrific presenter!

This workshop is funded with a Library Services and Technology grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Presented by the Indianhead Federated Library System.

52 Weeks of YA Programming! Try Something New

Brought to you by the Wisconsin Library Association Youth Services Section, 52 Weeks of YA programming is a collection of teen programs submitted by YSS members across the state. 

With help from our amazingly talented membership we hope to provide a resource that will inspire you to reach out to the young adults in your communities and try something new.

We will showcase one program here on the YSS blog each week.

OR you can download the entire 52 Weeks as a pdf document here.

Week 1: Hack a Banana submitted by YSS Member Cole Zrostlik.

WEMTA Conference - Make, Shake, and Move: March 22-24

The Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association Conference is taking place at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells from Sunday, March 22 through Tuesday, March 24. Join makers, movers and shakers from Wisconsin and beyond.

See the conference home page for schedule and more information on featured speakers. To share your story at the conference or to learn more about that, see the post on the WILibraries for Everyone blog.

Día Day Planning Resources and Booklists

If you are looking for Día resources, the folks at ALA have developed some free downloadable posters and booklists for different age groups emphasizing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) that you are free to use and share at your library.

Growing Readers Early Literacy Event at Pewaukee Public Library

Brought to you by Jenny Wegener at Pewaukee Public Library

On February 6, the Pewaukee Public Library hosted a new event designed to provide early literacy training, library awareness, and encouragement to child care professionals. This program was made possible by an Early Literacy grant from the Waukesha County Federated Library System with some help from the Pewaukee Kiwanis Club. A total of thirteen people, plus several library staff members attended.

I promoted this event with letters sent to area day cares, emails, and personal invitations to child care providers who attend our programs. We also had information posted in the library and on our web site and Facebook page.

We began the evening with a delicious pizza and salad dinner delivered by our local Rosati’s. The dinner was free for participants and was very generously paid for by our local Kiwanis group. The library also provided beverages as well as Rice Krispy Squares (homemade) and chocolate for dessert. Most participants were attending right after work and really appreciated the meal.

After introductions, I gave a short talk that highlighted the six early literacy skills and five practices from Every Child Ready to Read 1 and 2. I also emphasized the importance of early childhood experiences in setting the stage for future learning and the special place that day care professionals have in ensuring a child’s academic success. I did have some of my favorite books on display and modeled dialogic reading for the group. While I spoke, the participants enjoyed the meal.

The highlight of the evening was a presentation by Stuart Stotts. Stuart, who has done multiple keynote addresses at Early Childhood conferences, was absolutely marvelous! He gave a terrific presentation that had participants singing, laughing, sharing and learning together. Stuart shared information about brain development, the importance of singing with children, and the critical nature of quality care in the early years. We all learned some great songs to use in our work with children, and, best of all, came away eager to implement the ideas.

All the participants seemed to enjoy and appreciate the evening and I did have several ask if we planned to do it again next year. I would like to if the funding is available and I am hopeful that this year’s participants will “spread the word” to their coworkers. All children need quality early literacy experiences, not just those lucky enough to visit the library’s story times and I hope this event will make a difference.

Organizing Picture Books by Subject

If you've ever heard the question - "Where are your truck books?" or "Where are your ABC books?" or "Do you have books about ...?" then you may have thought about organizing your picture books by subject. Patti from the Barron Public Library recently wrote about her experience creating subject access to picture books for the Indianhead Federated Library System blog Keeping Up With Kids. You can read that post here.