Tuesday, October 30, 2018

The Diary of a Young Girl, Now in Graphic Memoir Format!

Nonfiction graphic novel alert!

Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl has been adapted into a graphic memoir!

This quote from the Bustle article discussing the new adaption captures the magic and potential of this new format so well: "The graphic adaptation juxtaposes the text The Diary of a Young Girl with beautiful artwork by David Polonsky to show readers some of the things that Anne Frank doesn't explicitly mention but certainly existed in Amsterdam during the Nazi invasion. Through the artwork, readers are shown how daily discrimination against Jewish people played out, what the secret annex (and its occupants) looked like, and images from the warfront and concentration camps."

Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adapation, which came out earlier this month, would be a fantastic addition to any library's shelves.  We all know that graphic novels have immense appeal among a variety of audiences and retelling such a powerful story in this new format will make it accessible to avid and reluctant readers alike.

Monday, October 29, 2018

Thanks YSS Team!!




A grateful WLA president thanks my colleagues, peers and dear friends in the Youth Services Section for your tremendous support over the course of this year!

It is a big deal for a YSSer to become President of the Wisconsin Library Association. There are not many of us over the 127 year history of the Association. I am mindful of the honor and of the importance of having, as leader, a youth services person.

Your extra added fun at the amazing fall conference that we just finished lifted me up. The presidency is both a joy and a challenge. Knowing that you all were cheering me on gave me strength and great joy.

I hope all of you reading this dream a big dream of doing this job some day. You can do it. Youth librarians have mad planning skills; facilitation skills; project management skills; decision-making skills; advocacy skills; sharp intellects and an ability to cut through the clutter to find the gems we need to make a great association.  You have a strong YSS support system as well as an association full of peers in small libraries, academic libraries, special libraries and in units big and small who want to get to know you and work with you.

Please consider stepping up as a leader and becoming involved beyond YSS in larger WLA activities, committees and board work (the secretary position on the board will be in the 2019 election). There is always an adventure ahead!

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Power Up: A Conference in Leadership for Youth Services Managers and Staff

Registration is now open for Power Up: A Conference in Leadership for Youth Services Managers and Staff! The conference is scheduled for March 28 - 29th, 2019 in beautiful Madison, Wisconsin.

Join us for a day and a half conference filled with presentations from leaders in youth services, with an opening keynote address by Andrew Medlar (Director of BookOps for New York Public Library), and a closing keynote address by Dr. Sarah Park Dahlen (Associate Professor, MLIS program, St. Catherine University).

Ten scholarships are available, which will fully cover the conference registration fee ($300) for each winner! Please see the conference website for more information.

Full schedule, registration, scholarship info, and other details available here: https://ischool.wisc.edu/continuing-education/power-up/2019

Please contact Meredith Lowe with any questions, mclowe@wisc.edu or 608-890-0364.

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

NASA's Media Library...At Your Fingertips!

Did you know NASA's entire media library is available for you to use?

That's right, the ENTIRE MEDIA LIBRARY.  Even better?  All the media is free to utilize, both in terms of cost and copyright.

Image result for firefly gif excited

Can you imagine the potential for next year's Summer Reading Program?  A Universe of Stories--complete with real photographs, sounds, and more of the ACTUAL universe!  They can be utilized for decor, promotion, or even programs! 

(What's that, lovely patron?  You want legit space sounds to use in your stop motion project?  Boy oh boy, do I have some good news for you!)

This image of the Eagle nebula shows the self-emission of the intensely cold nebula gas and dust as never seen before; the nebula intricate tendril nature, with vast cavities forms an almost cave-like surrounding to the famous pillars.
It may look like something from "The Lord of the Rings," but this fiery swirl is actually a planetary nebula known as ESO 456-67. Set against a backdrop of bright stars, the rust-colored object lies in the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer), in the southern sky.

In this image of ESO 456-67, it is possible to see the various layers of material expelled by the central star. Each appears in a different hue - red, orange, yellow, and green-tinted bands of gas are visible, with clear patches of space at the heart of the nebula. It is not fully understood how planetary nebulae form such a wide variety of shapes and structures; some appear to be spherical, some elliptical, others shoot material in waves from their polar regions, some look like hourglasses or figures of eight, and others resemble large, messy stellar explosions - to name but a few.

Image Credit: ESA/Hubble and NASA

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This dazzling infrared image from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope shows hundreds of thousands of stars crowded into the swirling core of our spiral Milky Way galaxy.

Happy exploring!

Backlit wisps along the Horsehead Nebula upper ridge are being illuminated by Sigma Orionis, a young five-star system just off the top of this image from the Hubble Space Telescope. Resembling an opulent diamond tapestry, this image from NASA Hubble Space Telescope shows a glittering star cluster that contains a collection of some of the brightest stars seen in our Milky Way galaxy called Trumpler 14. 

Thursday, October 18, 2018

2018 Burr/Worzalla Children's Award Winners and Honors


Children’s book Roll, written by Darcy Miller and published by HarperCollins, has won the coveted Burr/Worzalla Award for 2018.  She will present at the WLA conference in La Crosse on Thursday October 25 at 1:45 p.m.  Roll, is a hilariously funny and poignant coming-of-age story about Lauren, or rather “Ren,” who learns about friendship, family, and Birmingham Roller Pigeons after he moves to the country.  Roll is an impressive debut from Miller, who lives with her family in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin.  The Children’s Book Award Committee of the Wisconsin Library Association’s Youth Services Section annually awards the Burr/Worzalla to the most distinguished work in literature for children written and/or illustrated by a Wisconsin book creator.

This year’s Wisconsin Notable Children’s Author, Laurence Yep, was chosen for his amazing body of work in children’s literature. A former Marquette University student, and respected author of children’s literature, Yep was the 2005 recipient of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for his career contribution to children’s literature.  Yep’s many notable works include two Newbery honor titles, Dragon Wings and Dragon’s Gate.  The Children’s Book Award Committee is very pleased to bestow yet another award upon this master storyteller.

Ten noteworthy titles were selected for Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Literature, written and/or illustrated by Wisconsin book creators:

The March Against Fear: The Last Great Walk of the Civil Rights Movement and the Emergence of Black Power by Ann Bausum
Big and Little Questions (according to Wren Jo Byrd) by Julie Bowe
Claymates written by Dev Petty, illustrated by Lauren Eldrige
Slider by Pete Hautman
Egg by Kevin Henkes
Noah Webster’s Fighting Words by Tracy Nelson Maurer
Someday Birds by Sally Pla
Liberty: The Spy Who (kind of) Liked Me by Andrea Portes
Pomegranate Witch written by Denise Doyen, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler
Where Are You? By Sarah Williamson

The 2018 Children’s Book Award Committee members consist of Judy Jones, Chair, U.S.S. Liberty Memorial Public Library (Grafton), Abby Bussen, Chair Elect, Muskego Public Library, Amanda Brandt, Hudson Area Library, Jenni Frencham, Hilarie Kane, Prairie Hill Wardorf School, Katherine Schoofs, Aram Public Library (Delavan) and Aimee Schreiber, Sparta Free Library.  For more information about the Children’s Book Awards Committee, visit http://wla.wisconsinlibraries.org/yss/childrens-books-award-comm.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Fake Cake Pops, FTW!

Sweet program idea, coming at you!

Cake pops.  

Adorable.  Tasty.  Sugary.  Not always the easiest to make. (and, let's be frank, finding time to make enough for a program can be...difficult, to say the least.  see also: ain't nobody got time for that)

Back in July, a post appeared on the Teen Services Underground group on Facebook, penned by Judith W. from Alabama in which she shared her brilliant idea of a cake pop decorating program using...

Image result for wait for it psych

DONUT HOLES.

This program is easy and fun, allowing the participants to be creative and--because of this--practically self-run.

I just had to try it!

In the original post, the library opted to hold a variety of creation challenges, including emojis and monsters.  Given that I was holding the program during October, I chose to embrace CREEPY Cake Pops.

                               

Supplies:
  • donut holes
  • treat sticks (can be found in the baking/craft area of Walmart, Target, your store of choice)
  • icing tubes
  • candy
  • sprinkles
  • candy melts
  • foam or some sort of stand to allow the pops to harden after decorating
  • bowls/napkins/spoons
Of course, the supplies list can be altered, depending on your theme, etc.  

The kids and parents who attended had a great time, but there was one hiccup.  We offered an assortment of candy melts but--as anyone who's used them before knows--those little melts can be rather finicky, depending on your microwave/heating apparatus.  After some trial and error, the participants figured out the magic number (both in terms of melts to include and time needed to melt without overcooking) but some of the kids decided instead to use the sparkly icing tubes as adhesive instead.  Both options ended up scary successes, but just something to keep in mind if you decide to do something like this at your library!

We had a blast with this program!  Thanks to Judith W. for so generously sharing her idea on Teen Services Underground!

I'll definitely be utilizing this sweet little program again in the future.





Monday, October 15, 2018

Are We Relying Too Much on Circ Stats?


Karen Jensen over at Teen Librarian Toolbox blog has a thought-provoking post about our over-reliance on circulation stats to measure our success. She makes a cogent case for what those stats don't tell and begins the discussion of other ways to consider the library's value.

Read about it here

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Volunteering with YSS at WLA!

Greetings!
Looking for a way to get involve with YSS at the WLA conference?
We have two volunteer opportunities for members:

YSS Room Monitor
Time: Throughout WLA
Check-in with speakers, sit through the presentation, count how many people attend the session, report attendance to the WLA registration table and if need be, alert speakers if they are reaching their time limit.  

YSS Booth
Time: Throughout WLA
Sit at the YSS booth, greet those who stop by, answer questions, encourage membership and volunteering opportunities and meet great people! The YSS booth is located in the exhibit hall next to the CCBC.

If you are attending WLA, are a YSS member AND would like to help out please sign up for a spot!

Link to Google Doc sign up sheet:   https://tinyurl.com/ybch6wb2  

Questions? Email Claire Parrish at claireparrish@ricelakegov.org

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

2019 WLA Election Results!


The WLA Nominations & Elections Committee has tabulated the results of the 2019 WLA elections:

Wisconsin Library Association (WLA)
WLA Vice-President/President-Elect
Sherry Machones - Director, Northern Waters Library Service
WLA Treasurer
*Katharine Clark – Adult Services Librarian, E.D. Locke Public Library

ALA Councilor NA Association of Wisconsin Special Librarians (AWSL)
AWSL Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
Amy O’Shea - Online Librarian, Broadview University
AWSL Secretary
Brianna Wolbers – Librarian, Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds

OSRT
OSRT Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
Angela Zimmermann
OSRT Secretary
NA

READ
READ Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
NA

Reference & Adult Services Section (RASS)
RASS Director-at-Large
NA
RASS Vice Chair/Chair Elect
Barbara Alvarez, Head of Adult Services, Northshore Library

Support Services & Circulation Services (SSCS)
SSCS Vice Chair/Chair Elect Chair-Elect
Cynthia Arauz - Circulation Manager, La Crosse Public Library
SSCS Secretary
Samantha Vogel - Circulation Supervisor, Waterford Public Library
SSCS Director-at-Large (Academic)
NA
SSCS Director-at-Large (Circulation)
Katie Ganser - Circulation Supervisor, Middleton Public Library

Technical Services Section (TSS)
TSS Chair
Amy Gannaway - Technical Services Consultant, South Central Library System
TSS Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
Nic Ashman - Technical Services & Reference Librarian, Chippewa Valley Technical College
TSS Secretary
Beth Bechtel - Database Management Librarian, Bridges Library System

Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians (WAAL)
WAAL Chair-Elect
Michael Doylen, interim Associate Vice Provost and Director of Libraries, UW-Milwaukee Libraries
ACRL Chapters Representative
NA
WAAL Secretary/Recorder
NA

Wisconsin Association of Public Librarians (WAPL)
WAPL Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
David Kranz, Director, SWLS
WLA Board Representative
NA
WAPL Director-at-Large (2 positions)
Shanneon Grant - Director, Sparta Free Library
Roxane Bartelt - Consultant

Wisconsin Libraries Trustees & Friends (WLTF)
WLTF Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
NA
WLTF Secretary
NA
WLA Board Representative
NA

Wisconsin Small Libraries (WISL)
WISL Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
Amy Stormberg - Director, Amery Public Library
WISL Secretary
NA
WISL 1st Year Director
Bethany Volgren - Director, Milltown Public Library
WISL 2nd Year Director
Tammy Peasley - Director, Black River Falls Public Library
WLA Liason
Gina Rae - Director, Wilton Public Library

Youth Services Section (YSS)
YSS Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
*Katherine Schoofs - Youth Services Librarian, Aram Public Library
YSS Secretary
*Susie Menk - Youth Services Librarian, Manitowoc Public Library
YSS Director-at-Large (2 positions)
*Emily Zorea - Youth Services Librarian, Brewer Public Library
Anne Hamland - Public Library Services Consultant. Wisconsin Valley Library Service

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

John Green Talks Teens and Mental Illness with CBS News

It's SO important that adults are open about their dealings with mental illness.

Being upfront and willing to talk can truly make a difference in a young person's life, especially if they happen to be coping with similar issues--or, perhaps, just feel alienated and alone.

John Green, YA author extraordinaire and proud Nerdfighter, recently spoke with CBS News about teens, Nerdfighters, and mental illness.


Jon Wertheim: You've said that it's important for young people to be able to see successful, productive adults challenged by mental illness.

John Green: Yeah.

Jon Wertheim: Expand on that.

John Green: Well, I have a really wonderful life. I have a really rich, fulfilling life. I also have a pretty serious chronic mental health problem. And those aren't mutually exclusive. And the truth is that lots of people have chronic mental health problems, and still have good lives.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

Oh...by the way...

Monday, October 8, 2018

Making the Most of a Conference Experience



WI Library Association in La Crosse is just around the corner. We hope to see you there. The YSS board and conference committee have worked hard to create fun learning opportunities and adventures.

Here are some tips to help you make the most of your conference attendance:

  • Do attend events and sessions outside of your youth services focus.
  • Do wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
  • Do attend the WLA membership (Wed. 5:30-6:30 pm) and YSS membership (Thursday 7:30 am) meetings. You learn a ton and meet great people. Remember WLA is YOU!
  • Do talk to people around you before and after sessions start, in hallways and at meals. Meet and welcome a new colleague. Don't just meet-up, walk with and spend time with co-workers and friends. View conference as an opportunity to reach out and stretch yourself and discover the richness that is the library staff who attend conference. You'll meet lifelong friends and colleagues.
  • Do attend receptions, events, and sessions.
  • Do take time for yourself - a walk in Riverside Park, time in your room, a stroll around the lovely, lively downtown.
Finally, if you can't come this year (programs at your library to do; venue too far; I know all this stuff already, etc), please mark your calendar for Oct 8-11 at the Dells. Create a break in your programs during that week in 2019, start saving (or making sure your library supports your attendance financially), consider a program or panel YOU can put together and join the IRL networking with other library staff who share your passion and commitment to serving your community. You'll be glad you did!

Marge Loch-Wouters, WLA President


Thursday, October 4, 2018

UNICORN BOOKS

I love fall.  I love the sweaters and endless tea and napping.  I do not appreciate the gloomy, dreary weather fall has been offering up lately.  Remedy?  UNICORN BOOKS.  Luckily, Alex Luppens-Dale over at Book Riot has compiled a list of 19 Sparkly and Wonderful Books About Unicorns for Babies and Children.  Titles include:

 Check out the whole list HERE.


Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Don't Let the YSS Social Escape You!



Youth Services Section Escape Room Experience at WLA!

Wed. October 24th 7:30-10:30pm in the Radisson Hotel La Crosse - Wisconsin I

Theme: Mr. Lemoncello's Library! Team up with other youth services, or socialize and network.

Sponsored by the Youth Services Section (YSS) of WLA. 

You can still register for the best WLA fall conference evah! Join your colleagues and learn (and laugh) a ton!

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

THE HATE U GIVE: Angie Thomas Shares Her Thoughts On Challenges

Recently, Angie Thomas was interviewed by Entertainment Weekly, where she discussed her best-selling book The Hate U Give and her thoughts on the recurring resistance her book has faced since its publication. 

Many of the adverse parties are concerned about the graphic depictions of drug use, police brutality, and the regular use of explicit language throughout the story.  Thomas responds as such:

“When you say ‘Black Lives Matter’ to three different people, you get 30 different reactions,” Thomas says. “There are so many misunderstandings. There’s the assumption that it’s an antipolice book, when the fact is it’s anti-police brutality.” She continues, in regard to the language: “There are books with way more curse words in them, for one. And two, there are 89 F-bombs in The Hate U Give. But there were 800 people killed by police officers last year alone.”

Read the whole article HERE.

With the film adaptation being released in select theaters this month, the book and its story are likely to be a topic of conversation for quite awhile.

And speaking of the movie, have y'all seen the trailer?!  



Monday, October 1, 2018

Applications Open Now for Educators to Sail on E/V Nautilus in 2019

Teachers, artists, and informal educators!

Apply now to explore the Eastern Pacific Ocean with Dr. Robert Ballard’s Corps of Exploration as a Science Communication Fellow! This team of explorers conducts cutting-edge scientific exploration of parts of the global ocean never seen before using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and multibeam mapping technology. Fellows will spend 1-3 weeks at sea between April - September 2019 in the Pacific Ocean.

The Science Communication Fellowship invites K-20 and informal educators for a professional development experience aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus as science interpreters among a team of STEM professionals. Participants will gain exposure to and experience in the applications of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the field of ocean exploration. Fellows will collaborate with a cohort from across North America, explore side-by-side with scientists and engineers, and share the adventure with their students, community, and the world as the expedition is broadcast live on www.NautilusLive.org.
What Science Communication Fellows are saying:
“I've always thought the best teachers were those who experience things and then bring it back to help their students have their own experiences. I also can't understate the energizing effect of having OET invest in me this way; it just feels empowering."

Many of the students I work with are first-generation college students, and think I can stand as an example to them of what is possible when you stick with it and go for outstanding opportunities".

Applications for the Science Communication Fellowship are due by December 14, 2018. The application packet includes full program details: http://www.oceanexplorationtrust.org/communication-fellowship

Paid student internships are also available for undergraduate, graduate and recent graduates in the fields of ocean science, seafloor mapping, ROV (remotely operated vehicle) engineering, and video engineering. http://www.oceanexplorationtrust.org/internships

Questions? Contact the OET Education Team via education@oet.org
--
Megan Cook | Manager of Education Partnerships and Programs
215 South Ferry Road | Narragansett, RI 02882