ALA Session Highlight: Survival Skills for Teens

I recently returned from attending the ALA 2017 Annual Conference and I am bursting with staff training ideas, program outlines, and more!  Today I wanted to share one of the sessions I attended at the conference.  It was titled Life Hacks: Survival Skills for Teens.  The focus was on teaching teens some basic life skills with minimal cost or planning for libraries.  Some of my favorite suggestions for programs included: healthy eating ona budget, auto care, etiquette, money management, media literacy and safety, and apartment hunting.  Now most of these seem quite basic, but the fun comes in naming these basic life skills programs.  For example, an apartment hunting session could be titled: "Anywhere But Your Parent's Basement" or healthy eating becomes "Pizza Is Not a Food Group."  These types of programs offer teens a great way to learn basic life skills in a fun and safe environment.

The best part about this type of program is that the topics can be based on the strengths and knowledge your staff already has or on topics presented by various community/business/partnership members.  So, go forth and help your teens learn some basic "adulting" skills!

Teen Tuesday: Smoothie Wars

Think summer. Think teens. Think library. Think smoothie. Today was a VERY successful program based on fruits, vegetables, blenders, and food competitions. I got this idea from YSS member Katherine at Aram Public Library in Delevan at the last WLA conference.

Youth ages 11 to 18 competed in teams in the following categories: Most Creative, Most Colorful, Tastiest, and #PlantSlant People's Choice. My county is currently involved in the Blue Zones Project and as a community organization, the library has been incorporating the Blue Zones Power Nine into our programming. Plant Slant was a perfect tie-in to smoothies since common ingredients include fresh or frozen fruit, greens, juice, and coconut milk (we skipped yogurt and almond milk because of possible food intolerances or allergies).


Our partners from the Blue Zones Project sponsored the event and provided all the ingredients and the prizes - tee shirts and water bottles - for the winners. They also brought their Smoothie Bike, which is a pedal-powered blender. The three of us also judged the competition and then the competitors were asked to vote for their favorite and not to vote for themselves.

All of the teens had watched at least one food show like Chopped or Cupcake Wars and were ready to give our competition a go. They created clever names to go along with their refreshing concoctions. Some made smoothies all the time and some had never made one before today.

This is a great program if you can round up some blenders and some judges and it is not prohibitively expensive to run. 

Build an Escape Room - Teen Program

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I really hope you follow the Teen Librarian Toolbox blog that lives on the SLJ site. Intermixed with big questions and thoughts about the lives of teens are some great program ideas.

Recently they posted a thorough "program in a box" on developing escape room scenarios for your library that includes not just the how-to but the "why-to" that contributes to the ultimate success of your rooms!

Check out the post here!

Nominate Someone!

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WLA Awards nomination time is here again.  What an opportunity to nominate a valued peer, board member, library or innovative program to receive deserved recognition!

I really can't say it better than Leah Langby, our current YSS past chair, does in this Keeping Up with Kids blog post!

Go ahead, you know you (or a posse of you) can boost a colleague or library doing amazing work for their community!!

First time at annual? Me too!

I've been happily anticipating my first ALA annual conference and trying to figure out how to best use my time while there to make sure I am exposed to the best in programs for children and teens.

I was pretty happy to discover that you can sort the conference offerings by unit.

Here is the ALSC sponsored schedule and the YALSA schedule.  I've heard tips on when or whether to hit publisher events (one says never, one says which ones are the most fun), information on shipping ARCS back home so you don't need to haul them, and where to eat. (Giordano's Pizza, Firecakes Donuts, and Lula Cafe if you're wondering.)

What are your tips for first timers?

Project Implicit

Along with "looking outward" to increase diversity in our library collections and being more aware of how we, as librarians, can create safe spaces for all, I think it is important to turn inward and look at how our our perceptions and biases are created.  A great resource for closely examining our "implicit social cognition - thoughts and feelings outside of conscious awareness and control" is Project Implicit.  Project Implicit is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 by three scientists with a stated goal to "educate the public about hidden biases and to provide a 'virtual laboratory' for collecting data on the Internet."

What does this mean for you?  It mean a host of  IATs (Implicit Association Tests) that you can to discover your implicit associations on topics such as religion, sexuality, disability, and race.  I think that knowing our biases and their basis is a good step toward creating library collections and environments that are as open, diverse, and welcoming as possible.

Try out some of the IATs HERE.

A Shout Out to the CCBC and their Picture Book List for Older Readers

Every day brings a new question. Monday, it was a request for picture books for older readers, as in middle school age. Well, I knew about Demi, Paul O. Zelinsky's illustrated fairy tales, and Patricia Polacco's stories, but I wanted to provide  a wide field of titles for the reader to choose from to satisfy their request.

This is where the Cooperative Children's Book Center comes in and earns a shout out from a grateful librarian! The CCBC has a myriad of lists to consult and share including the one I needed today: Never Too Old - Picture Books to Share with Older Children and Teens. Compiled by Megan Schliesman and updated annually, this list is organized topically. If you haven't used the CCBC booklists lately, do yourself a favor and see the wealth of resources available to you.

WLA Sneak Peek - YSS Luncheon Speaker

It was just announced last week that the YSS luncheon speaker for Wednesday Oct 18 will be Angela Davis Pinkney!! Here's what our YSS board representative writes:

​We are thrilled to announce that Andrea Davis Pinkney is the Youth Services Section Luncheon speaker for the WLA Conference this year!  Andrea Davis Pinkney is the New York Times best-selling and award winning author of numerous picture books, novels, and narrative nonfiction for children and teens (including The Red Pencil, A Poem for Peter, Hand in Hand:  Ten Black Men Who Changed America, and Let it Shine:  Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters).  Ms. Pinkney is a respected children's book publisher and editor. Her love of libraries, her perspective on diversity, and her energetic and inspiring speaking style will leave you ready to continue your terrific work in libraries across Wisconsin!

Leadership Training Opportunity Deadline Nears!

We've mentioned the WLA Leadership Development Institute (August 9-11 in Madison) in this blog previously.  It's an opportunity to be part of a cohort of library folks who will gain knowledge on communication, strategic planning, collaboration and relationship building, critical decision making, and strategic planning - all skills we use and need to hone as youth librarians.

The deadline to apply for this three day immersive institute is June 23. More info is here.

You don't need to be a member to apply. Don't delay and take advantage of this unique opportunity!!

South Asia Book Awards Announced

The South Asia Book Awards for 2017 have just been announced.  What a great way to add recommended diverse books to your collection!  The award is sponsored by SANOC (South Asia National Outreach Consortium) and the committee is made up of librarians, teachers and subject experts.

The awards committee examines and discusses books for youth published in English that focus on the culture, people or heritage of South Asia.  The committee looks at the text and illustrations for accurate portrayals of South Asia, the experience of individuals living in South Asia or South Asians living in other poarts of the world. The countries and islands making up South Asia are: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the region of Tibet. The books are judged on literary quality, cultural authenticity and potential for classroom use.

And the winners are:

Maya by Mahak Jain; illustrated by Elly MacKay (Owlkids Press, 2016). The loss of her father and a blackout in her Indian city combine to distress Maya.  Her mother’s bedtime tale of a legendary banyan tree kindles the child’s imagination, bringing her comfort and soothing memories of her father.  Alluring illustrations of the lush dream landscape and animals Maya visualizes will engage readers. (Grades K-3)

What Elephants Know by Eric Dinerstein (Disney-Hyperion, 2016). In the Nepalese Borderlands, twelve-year-old orphan Nandu realizes his destiny as a “mahout” (elephant driver). Through a vivid jungle setting and Nandu’s first-person narration, this story reveals the rich diversity of the natural world and the connection between humans and animals. (Grades 4-7)

To see the full list of awards, honors and commended titles, click here.

Links of the Month - Teen Services Undergound

Summer as the library is bananas.  There are programs and increased checkouts and a giant amount of fun.  I also find that I am not as up on what is happening out in the world of libraries, simply because I don't have as much time to explore new topics and recent articles.  Never fear, Teen Services Underground is here!  At the end of every month they round up some awesome online resources and pop them into a list.  Easy and quick to browse, it is my go-to during the summer when I am pressed for time, but still want to see what is new and great!  Check it out HERE.

Finding Sex-free, Swear-free, Magic-free Reads for Young and Young Adult Readers

As librarians, we devote effort to making sure that our collections include something for everyone and that we stand up for the freedom to read. Often this means books that are challenged for content like sexuality, realistic issues, race, ethnicity, LGBTQ characters or families and so on. However, it also means making sure we have reads on the shelf and the ability to provide readers advisory for our patrons on reads that don't involve subjects like magic, swear words, sex, drugs and so forth if that is what they desire.

Maybe you've already developed strong skills in this area, but I've discovered that it is an area where I could grow. To that end, it would be great if you'd share your book lists, resources, favorite series and titles, or publishers for conservative reads in the comments.

This article on Serving Conservative Teens from School Library Journal published on March 4, 2015 has good suggestions on inclusive services for this audience in general, as well as some title suggestions.

Tips for a Child Who Hates to Read

Publishers Lee and Low Books have a blog, The Open Book, that often addresses issues and topics on diversity, literacy and inclusion. They recently published a helpful post by Jill Eisenberg that suggests fifteen ideas to share with parents whose child hates reading. These are practical, doable and suggest easy ways for parents to be gentle literacy coaches with their child.

You can read the post here.

Reading to Therapy Dogs Improves Literacy Attitudes

If you needed a push (or a viable research-based argument) for having therapy dogs in the library, check out THIS article by Tara Pettinato over at the Tufts University news site.
Research done at Tufts Institute for Human-Animal Interaction shows second-grade students who read aloud to dogs in an afterschool program demonstrated improved attitudes about reading.  The results note that reading with a therapy dog improves motivation, helping the child view reading in a more positive light.

100 Middle Grade Reads

Book Riot compiled a list of their 100 favorite middle grade books from the past year. My mind is a little mushy with SLP. I have trouble recalling anything not reading program. Lists are great reminders of titles, especially new ones, I can add to displays and promote.

And also add to my read list. I hate to admit it but I don't read much during SLP. Trying to get everyone else to read is tiring! I can barely read a page before I conk out at night. Is this true for other children's librarians?

Also, what titles would you add to Book Riot's list?

Advocating for Audiobooks in Your Summer Reading Program & All Year Round

My experience in libraries suggests that summer is one of the highest circ'ing months for audiobooks in multiple formats. Since June is Audiobook Month, it's also the perfect time to highlight this collection and to connect it to your summer reading program. So the audiobooks go on display.

Then I overhear things like "Why does listening count for summer reading?" or "But audiobooks aren't real books." Questions and statements like these come up around audiobooks all the time. They offer a perfect opportunity to advocate for the many benefits that listening to books provide whether you do it face-to-face or by adding an infographic like this one to your display on "How Audio Promotes Literacy" put out by audiopub.org.

Audiopub.org also offers other resources for librarians and educators on the topics of sound learning and transmedia literacy.

I'll be using some of the booklists from the transmedia literacy page to assist with updating the read-along collection at my library, as well as choosing audiobooks for display this month and all year long.

Battle of the Books - Librarian Style!

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La Crosse Public Library's Linda Jerome writes:

Announcing a battle of the books just for librarians! On behalf of the C.A.L.L. (Conference About Libraries & Literacy) committee, we will be hosting this event and we hope you will participate! 

Here are the details so far: 

1. The battle will take place on Friday, November 17, 2017 from 5:30-7:30pm in the auditorium of the La Crosse Public Library, 800 Main St.
2. Battle teams can have no more than 4 members and 3 of those must be a librarian (active or retired) and/or work in a library.
3. There are 10 titles on the battle list and they range from middle grade through adult. . The titles are as follows:
   1. Ghost by Jason Reynolds
   2. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
   3. If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth
   4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
   5. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
   6. The Reader by Traci Chee
   7. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
   8. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
   9. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
   10. March: Book Three by John Lewis

Please feel free to forward this information to other librarians and if they're interested, they can put together a team and start reading! We will have team registration start in early fall and we'll keep you posted on additional details as the event gets closer. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

Social Justice Summer Reading Lists Available

The Teaching for Change Project has published two summer social justice reading lists for kids. They "challenge kids to read as many books as they can over the summer - especially social justice books that encourage ttem to question, challenge, and re-think the world beyond the headlines."

The site is worth exploring for many excellent booklists and reviews of books as well as articles that expand our understanding of social justice issues, critical literacy, anti-bias collection building and inclusion in libraries and our  collections.

To access the summer booklists, click here.

Looking for YOU! Volunteering for WLA

This call recently went out to WLA members. What?!?! You aren't a member yet (or anymore)?!?! Please consider re-upping your membership and read more about why I think it's vital to be an active association member as a youth services staffer. And join a great cohort of caring individuals who come together from all types of libraries serving all ages to better all WI libraries (and have a great time doing it!!) Together we ARE stronger. MLW

Greetings Members of the Wisconsin Library Association! This year the Nomination Committee is initiating a “Call for Volunteers” to help more of our membership become involved in our organization.  This is your opportunity to let WLA know that you are interested in a volunteer role.  Getting involved in WLA not only helps you make professional contacts around the state, broadens your skills, and provides a safe environment to try new things, but it is also a lot of fun!  There are plenty of ways to get involved, from one-time commitments to formal committees and board positions.  The payoffs from these opportunities are meaningful and have a lasting impact on you and WLA.

Here’s one volunteer success testimonial from Katharine Clark, Adult Services Librarian at E.D. Locke Public Library in McFarland: What does the Wisconsin Library Association mean to me? It means opportunities to connect with other library staff from around the state to share ideas, resources and stories. Going to our annual fall conference always feels to me like attending a three day pep rally for our profession, it gives me energy and enthusiasm for my job for the rest of the year.  It also makes me feel like I am part of something bigger than myself and part of a community that supports the work I do at my local library. If you want to see WLA doing something different, join a committee and create it, YOU are the Association. Make our Association a good one, become involved.                              -Katherine Clark

Current opportunities WLA WeLead Program protégé WLA WeLead Program Taskforce Chair  WLA Conference Planning Committee Book Signings Chair  WLA Literary Awards Committee Chair  WLA Conference program presenter  WLA Leadership Pre-Conference organizer  but most importantly... WLA Conference Fundraiser dancer extraordinaire Log in to MemberClicks, then use this link to indicate your interests in getting involved in WLA We encourage you to update and re-submit this interest form each year.  Check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ link), and let us know if we can answer any other questions. We look forward to helping you get in on the action! Rebecca Light Chair, WLA Nomination Committee Administrative Librarian Middleton Public Library rlight@midlibrary.org

SLP is upon us!

Hey friends.  Don't forget to take care of yourself!  Here are 23 ways to reduce stress that are SCIENCE BACKED.  You know we need more science.  Have a great summer.

Webinar: Child-Lead Play in Public Library Programming

FREE upcoming webinar from the iSchool at UW-Madison!

June 6 at 12:00 p.m. (CST)
Presenter: Carissa Christner, Youth Services Librarian, Madison Public Library – Alicia Ashman Neighborhood Library

Have you ever wondered if there’s a better way to spend your summer programming hours than hiring magicians and jugglers? Do you struggle with ways to incorporate truly authentic play (the kind YOU engaged in as a kid, not the kind directed by adults) into your library offerings? Not sure how much guidance to provide in open-exploration sessions for toddlers? Are you looking for more ways to encourage literacy skills and parent education? This webinar will introduce you to a radical new library program idea being pioneered in Madison, Wisconsin, based on a groundbreaking new educational philosophy called Anji Play. Learn how Carissa has adapted this approach, originally developed for schools, into a library-friendly format that both kids and parents love.

Register here: http://go.wisc.edu/pkfgg5