Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!

Pixabay image

Once or twice a month on weekends, YSS posts round-ups of ads that are sent to us or that we come across.   If you have a position opening up and would like to see it on the YSS blog, please forward the job ad link/descriptions to the YSS blog at the email address listed in the header above the day's blog post.

Here are early August listings:

Mondovi Public Library

Youth Services Library Assistant (part-time)

The Mondovi Public Library is accepting applications for a part-time Youth Services Assistant, with a current starting non-union wage of $9.50/hour.

The position would have 14 regular hours per week, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.  Monday and Wednesday, and one Saturday morning per month, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Hours are subject to some flexibility.  Ability to substitute is a plus.

The Library Youth Services Assistant is responsible for providing high-quality children’s programming, such as weekly Storytime, engaging and promoting early literacy programs, administering excellent customer service, performing circulation tasks, assisting library users with technology, returning library materials accurately to shelves, and other library related tasks.

The ideal candidate would have previous experience working with children and providing education related programming or activities, be highly motivated and outgoing, be able to think creatively, be organized, understand the Dewey Decimal system, be responsible, flexible, dependable, be able to work independently, and should be team oriented.

A high school diploma or GED is required. Experience working in a library is preferred, but not required. Electronic submission of application is preferred. Paper applications may be dropped off at the circulation desk.  Please indicate your email on your application. Review of applications will begin on August 1st and will continue until the position is filled.

For complete information, job posting, and application, please visit the library website at www.mondovilibrary.org/employment

__________________________________________________

Menomenee Falls Public Library

Children’s Services Librarian (full-time)

 

Are you passionate about providing excellent library services to children and their families? Do you enjoy developing early literacy programming and helping the youngest patrons find their new favorite book? Menomonee Falls Public Library is looking for our next full-time Children’s Services Librarian to enrich the community with dedication to promoting early literacy skills and creating a vibrant Children’s department.

 

MFPL is seeking someone friendly, enthusiastic, creative, and organized with excellent communication skills. The ideal candidate enjoys working with all people and strives to provide high-quality, fun, and innovative library service for children and families.

 

The Children’s Services Librarian is responsible for collaborating with the Youth Services team to develop children’s programming and services. Serving children ages 0 – 12 and their caregivers, the Children’s Services Librarian will also participate in collection development and assist patrons at our reference desks.

 

Candidates must have a Master’s Degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited institution or be graduating with their degree in December 2022. Library experience is strongly preferred but not required. Applicants should have extensive knowledge of children’s literature, entertainment resources, and reference sources, a strong understanding of child development and psychology, and experience working with children and families.

 

Salary ranges from $44,720 – $51,979. Excellent benefits package.

 

For more information and to apply, visit: Are you passionate about providing excellent library services to children and their families? - Menomonee Falls Public Library (menomoneefallslibrary.org)

Position open until filled. Deadline for priority consideration is Friday, August 12, 2022.

Menomonee Falls Public Library is a proud member of Bridges Library System. Serving a community of over 39,000 people, the Village of Menomonee Falls is a growing community with a focus on early literacy and excellence for children.

 

Your Youth Services Section Needs You!

Image by Please support me! Thank you! from Pixabay

Congratulations!  You have survived another summer library program!   Well done you!   

Take a breath and consider running for a leadership role in your Youth Services Section on the YSS board.  We have 2 Directors-at-Large positions and the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect position open for our fall 2022 ballot.

This volunteer board opportunity offers so many benefits! You will:

• Network with peer youth library staffers from around the state.

• Help create continuing education opportunities for Youth Services people.   

• Enjoy the camaraderie of a wonderful group of like-minded professionals. 

• Rub elbows with fantastic authors, illustrators, and smart people! 

• No experience necessary,  a Director-at-Large position is a great way to begin! 

And you can fit your board work easily into your schedule. Typically the board meets via Zoom monthly during the school year. Between times, tasks are divided among the board members and everyone pitches in a bit to help make the fun happen!

Still not sure?   Reach out to any of your 2022 YSS Board for more info on any of the positions:

• Claire Parrish, Chair, Rice Lake Public Library claireparrish@ricelakegov.org

• Alison Loewen, Vice Chair, Mead Public Library, Sheboygan    

  alison.loewen@meadpl.org
• Jenny Wegener, Past Chair, Pewaukee Public Library jenny.r.wegener@gmail.com
• Caitlin Schaeffer, Secretary, Oconomowoc Public Library cschaffer@oconomowoclibrary.org
• Linda Jerome, YSS LWA Board Liaison, La Crosse Public Library ljerome@lacrosselibrary.org
• Taylor Wilcox, Director-at-Large, Waupaca Public Library twilcox@waupacalibrary.org
• Melissa Carollo, Director-at-Large, Sun Prairie Public Library mcarollo@sunlib.org
• Murray Johnson, Director-at-Large, Marshfield Public Library MJohnson@marshfieldlibrary.org
• Ashley Borman Director-at-Large, Clintonville Public Library Aborman@clintonvillelibrary.org

Seasoned professionals,  enthusiastic newbies, and everyone in between are welcome– you all have gifts to share! 

To volunteer to run for one of the board positions, please contact Jenny Wegener YS Nominations Chair at jenny.r.wegener@gmail.com.

Thanks for considering.  

Virtual Variety: Passive Programs (Part 2)

Lindy Liedl from the Rice Lake Public Library returns with her monthly column on all things virtual to help you connect with your patrons!

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay 

Passive programs on your social media are a great way to engage patrons and keep people excited for your next post. These could be shared on whichever social media platform your patrons respond to the most. I mostly share them on our Discord server for teens to keep it active while they’re busy during the summer. (Check my previous post about Discord for libraries!)

For this time, our passive virtual program is Writing Prompts.

You might be surprised how many writers come out of the woodwork when they’re encouraged. Writing prompts can be shared as image posts, a sentence, or a beginning paragraph. If you’re not a writer yourself, like me, some good prompt sources are Pinterest, or doing a Google search for “writing prompt image”, or this handy blog: https://promptuarium.wordpress.com/category/writing-prompt/

First, it might be worth considering whether your patrons need some incentive to respond to prompts. You could offer to repost their writing on your socials, or to display them on wall space in your library–This worked really well for National Poetry Month. We then had a Community Poetry Wall for visitors to view, and all ages got into it!

Instagram writing prompts: Since Instagram stories don’t really allow for long responses, I would share writing prompts as a post and ask patrons to comment. You could invite them to message you instead if they’d rather be anonymous.

Facebook writing prompts: A weekly/monthly post would work well on Facebook too. Invite patrons to respond in the comments, or message you. You could reshare responses once a month too.

Discord writing prompts: Share a prompt image or sentence to a writing channel, and teens can post their responses right there. 

You might have to specify guidelines for the content patrons share if you want them to keep things PG. My teens asked if it was okay to share writing containing swear words, and we decided on using Discord’s censoring feature to block out certain words unless the reader is comfortable viewing them. Other platforms don’t have this tool, so you could state right away that you’d prefer not to receive writing containing profanity, gore, etc. But don’t let this scare you! People are generally respectful knowing that they’re posting to a library space.

Be sure to encourage each person who posts or messages you their writing since it’s a pretty vulnerable thing! Afterall, what’s the point in sharing their writing if they’re going to be ignored? For good measure, I like to point out specific things I like about what our teens share. This gets them even more confident to share again. If you’re really lucky, these passive posts could connect fellow writers and get them chatting together which could develop into a group! But even if not, it’s a really fun way to engage your community online, and to see some hidden talent.

Apply Now - National Call for Libraries

[Note: We received this information today and went right to press with it. There is a training session occurring Thursday July 28 so time is of the essence.]

Beyond Our Walls

A project to bring neighborhood games to 20+ cities and communities through public libraries

• Overview
• Libraries
• Guides
• Blog
• Stay in Touch

The folks at Playful City Lab at American University write:

"We are recruiting 25+ libraries to become hubs for making outdoor games and interactive stories — using your local history, community voices, and neighborhood landmarks. This is a 2022-23 initiative, thanks to an IMLS grant.

Why apply today? There is a growing need to engage beyond library walls, including with digital media — as revealed by the COVID pandemic. By joining this program, your library will become a hub for making our own stories and outdoor games. We provide live training and pay for materials, and even run workshops in game design for your patrons over Zoom.

Our remarkable approach to “low tech” keeps the focus on telling community stories, from escape rooms with local history and public art, to audio tours that feature resident voices and send archival photos by text message. The tool we will teach you is called Hive Mechanic, and it does not require any programming experience to use; it was made by the Game Center at American University. Learn more at one of our info sessions below.

Read more about our project overview, or see a list of successful games/stories.

Apply here (or sign up to hear more)

1. Apply to participate by August 15, 2022, with our online form.
2. …and/or sign up to hear more and stay in touch by email (optional)

Info sessions, more information and contact details

(a) Attend an information session by Zoom. Answers to common questions will be posted to our page for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for libraries.

• Session 1: Wednesday, July 20 at 12pm CST, 2022. Register here for Zoom link (up until the event ends). Check back here for notes afterward.
• Session 2: Thursday, July 28 at 1pm CST, 2022. Register here for Zoom link (up until the event ends). Check back here for notes afterward.
• Session 3: Wednesday, August 10 at 2pm CST, 2022. Register here for Zoom link (up until the event ends). Check back here for notes afterward.
• (A second round of applications will open in the winter with info sessions in December of 2022.)

(b) Meet us at a conference. We’ll be at several in 2022, including ALA, Games for Change, JCLC, and ARSL. Learn about successful projects and see the tools in action.

(c) Contact us by email. Write to Benjamin Stokes, director of the Playful City Lab at American University, at PlayfulCityLab@gmail.com"

Helpful Autism Resource

Kristine Millard is working on her MLIS at UW-Madison as well as managing a lab that studies early language development in toddlers with autism. Periodically, she shares resources relating to developmental disabilities that you might find useful.

Recently, one of my colleagues shared a link from the National Autism Association on spotting the early signs of autism with me. The email arrived just before my lunch break, and I fell down a rabbit hole looking at other resources on that page. The one that struck me most includes tips for families who don't know when to approach their pediatrician with developmental concerns. There's a nice, printable chart called Spot ASD by Three families can go through and then share with a medical professional for further evaluation. 

If someone asks you for information on developmental guidelines, this could be a useful tool in your repertoire, or even a link on your website. We know as librarians we cannot give medical advice, but we can offer a list of developmental expectations. Because specific diagnoses can be particularly daunting for caregivers, it may also be helpful to have resources for typical development in the same area. Caregivers may then be able to browse physical brochures and flyers, or weblinks to find more information.

Tuesday Tips: Making the Most of Disability Pride Month

Sam Jones is the Youth Services Librarian at the Beaver Dam Public Library. Today she shares a tip on a some fabulous resources that help you be a better ally and also information on interviews available today and archived on Facebook.

Disability Pride Month may be almost over, but that doesn't mean we should stop thinking about how to serve all of our patrons in the best way possible. One article recently published is called "7 Tips on How to be a Better Disability Ally on the Bookish Internet." This has some really practical, simple advice that we can follow to make our library more welcoming and accessible. One example given is making sure that images have an alternative description. This is something that I have to work on remembering to do all the time. 

For events, the Facebook page, PBS Books has been hosting some author interviews with Judith Herman and Annette Bay Pimentel. Herman's interview will be today, July 26th, at 4 pm central and shown on their Facebook page. Herman wrote Being Heumann and Rolling Warrior and is considered the "mother of the disability rights movement." Pimentel's interview was on July 19th, but the interview is still on the Facebook page. They wrote many books, but was interviewed about All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything. This book is about Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, an disability activist, and Keelan-Chaffins does the interview with Pimentel. I will definitely be going back to watch these interviews soon.

Almost Time for the Play Make Learn Conference

The Play Make Learn Conference is scheduled for August 8-9 at the Memorial Union in Madison.  Play Make Learn is hosted by the UW-Madison School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the office of Professional Learning and Community Education (PLACE).

It promotes high-quality learning opportunities for educators, researchers, developers, designers, foundation leaders, policy makers, museum and library professionals, and school leaders who are dedicated to promoting making, gaming, and playful learning. We aim to engage our audience in cutting-edge learning science ideas and experiences; communicate state-of-the-art design, education, and research; demonstrate new and upcoming games and technology; and network to spark new projects.

There is still time to register ($75 for the full conference). Read about the speakers & registration information here and details on the schedule here.

Bookish Swag

It's always fun to come across book-themed items. Not that this would thrill the heart of a librarian or anything...

Here are two recent posts from Book Riot, one on bookish patches and one on bookish magnets.

Swoon.

Patch from MTthreadz - Etsy

Magnet from BookWormStickerCo-Etsy

     [Stuck on You: Bookish Magnets. Jensen, Kelly. Book Riot. July 13, 2022]

[Bookish Patches. Jensen, Kelly. Book Riot. July 6, 2022].

Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!

Pixabay image

Once or twice a month on weekends, YSS posts round-ups of ads that are sent to us or that we come across.   If you have a position opening up and would like to see it on the YSS blog, please forward the job ad link/descriptions to the YSS blog at the email address listed in the header above the day's blog post.

Here are late July listings:

Luck Public Library

Youth and Adult Services Librarian (part-time)

The Luck Public Library seeks an energetic librarian to lead its programming and services to children and young adults.

Description:  As the Youth & Adult Services Librarian you will develop and participate in programs for children ages 0 to 18 and their families, and help create virtual and on-site programming for adults.  You will be expected to select material for and maintain the children’s and teen collections, and assist with technology for people of all ages. You will collaborate with the local school to coordinate events and activities, shelve library materials as needed, staff the front desk as needed to check in & out materials, register patrons, collect fines, answer questions, etc.

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• children’s literature and child development
• library skills and operations

Ability to:

• Toubleshoot technology with patrons
• Update and create web site & Facebook pages
• Create marketing materials including posters, flyers and newspaper articles
• Create library displays, brochures and posters. Choose material for displays & create marketing piece to advertise the display.
• Interact and engage with parents and children of all ages and abilities

Desired characteristics:

• Attention to detail and good problem-solving
• Flexible in scheduling hours.
• Creative, enthusiastic and team oriented.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including excellent customer service
• Communicate effectively ideas and information in written and verbal form

Qualifications:

• BA in Library Science, Education, Early Learning or similar degree preferred
• Prior service with a library system
• Experience working with children & adult programming
• Proficient with web site design & social media

Review of candidate materials and first preference will be given to applications received by June 26th, 2022.

This position is for 29 hours per week including Saturdays. Salary is determined by the library board.

For a complete job description or inquiries please contact Jill Glover at Luck Library. 715-472-2770. Please submit your resume, cover letter, and list of three professional references via email to luckpl@luckpubliclibrary.org or mail to: Jill Glover, Director, Luck Public Library, Po Box 500, Luck, WI 54853. Review of candidate materials and first preference will be given to resumes received by August 5, 2022.

Using TikTok at the Library

Recently, an idea-filled article from an ALSC Children and Technology Committee member shared some ideas and resources on using TikTok in your programming and service approach. It's definitely worth considering or adding to what you already offer.

Stop here to find out more. [Telling the Library Story on TikTok. Salgado, Claire Moore. ALSC blog. July 9, 2022}  

Just Wondering - Effective Ways to Host an Author Event

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

In this month's column by Manitowoc (WI) Public Library Youth Librarian Susie Menk , she is thinking about an upcoming large scale event and whether there are other tips on how to make the planning process smooth . And she's wondering....what do you think?

So….we are doing a bigger name author event this summer.  My team and I started planning back in January for this event to make sure we had plenty of time to organize and prepare. 

Ha! Ha! The joke’s on us!  We swiftly learned that planning an event of this size is a constant challenge to keep moving forward.  There are several suggestions I would make to others planning an event of this size.

One of the most important things we learned is to make sure expectations for each party are clearly established.  For instance, who is making the travel arrangements?  What exactly does travel arrangements include—airfare, hotel, meals, transportation?  How are expenses being taking care of?  Does the agency book the travel and then the sponsor reimburses?  How are payments made to the booking agency? Check? Electronic transfer?  Some of these methods can be problematic for libraries who deal with Friends or Foundation groups that don’t necessarily have the capability to submit electronic payments.

The second most important thing we learned is to make sure the agent and the author are communicating with one another.  We got to a week and a half out from the event and found out that the author and the agent were not on the same page.  The agent had given us rather strict protocols about masks and Covid-19 procedures saying the author required it. Later we found out that the author thought we had set these strict protocols.  

Lastly, it is important to get the venue nailed down early on.  Our library has a nice set of meeting rooms, but we didn’t think it would work for an author event of this size, so we reached out to a local venue.  We thought we were all set and then they pulled out so we were scrambling to find a new venue about two months before the event.  We had also partnered with a local school to do a writing workshop with the author for part of their summer school program.  They were happy to partner with us and all seemed well.  Then two weeks before the event, we got an email saying that they had to pull out.  We pivoted and decided to offer the workshop here at the library instead. 

We are super excited to host this author event and we have created quite the buzz about the event so we are hopeful that it will be a rousing success.  We have learned a great deal as we went through this process and we will be better prepared the next time we host an event of this nature. 

Does anyone else have experiences to share about hosting a large scale event?  Any tips or tricks or even funny stories you want to share?  We’d love to hear from you!

2022 South Asia Book Awards Announced

The South Asia Book Awards honor high-quality children’s and young adult books that portray cultures, histories, and contemporary issues in South Asia or dealing with South Asians living abroad.  The award encourages and commends authors and publishers who produce such books, and  provide librarians and teachers with recommendations for educational use. The South Asia National Outreach Consortium (SANOC) is the sponsor of the South Asia Book Award.

2022 Award Winners

Dancing in Thatha’s Footsteps by Srividhya Venkat;  illustrated by Kavita Ramchandran (Yali Books, 2021). Thatha takes his granddaughter Varsha to weekly bharatanatyam classical dance lessons while her brother, Varun, tags along. Unexpectedly, the rhythm draws Varun in, but amid spirit crushing comments he’s uncertain that dance is for boys until Thatha shows his dance moves and reveals his past as a dancer in India. (Grades PK-2) 

Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021). Kabir was born in jail, where his mother was unjustly serving time. When determined that he was too old to stay and is suddenly released, he loses the only family and home he knows. The rest of the story is about him, learning how to survive in the world, with the help of Rani, a street girl. (Grades 5-8)

The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim (Harper Collins, 2021). A mother and daughter story of resilience, strength, and love, as they rediscover themselves and each other while being lost in the myriad gallis of the City of Djinns, Delhi. Sheba Karim transports you with Ruby and Noreen to heart and soul of Delhi through her vivid descriptions of culture, architecture, ruins, and of course-the food. (Grades 9-12)

2022 Honor Books

Where Three Oceans Meet by Rajani LaRocca; illustratred by Archana Sreenivasan (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2021). Sejal, Mommy and Pati travel to Kanyakumari, the coastal town where three oceans meet, on India’s southern tip. On this wonderful intergenerational journey, they visit friends, devour tasty foods, and explore the country which connects them. (PreK-Grade 3)

Burying the Moon by Andrée Poulin; illustrated by Sonali Zohra (Groundwood Books, 2021). Latika’s village lacks proper sanitation facilities for women, and they are forced to silently tread to the field every night to relieve themselves. Fearful of scorpions, snakes and harmful germs, and dreading leaving school once she menstruates, Latika gathers courage to approach a government agent to change this shameful problem. (Grades 4-7)

American Betiya by Anuradha D. Rajurkar (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2021). In this gripping coming of age story, Indian-American teenager, Rani, must decide whether to be drawn into a dysfunctional relationship with her first love, Oliver, or stay true to who she is and where she comes from. (Grades 10-12)

2022 Highly Commended Books

Chaiwala! by Priti Birla Maheshwari; illustrated by Ashley Barron (Owlkids Books, 2021). When their train makes a 10-minute stop at the Jaipur station, a young girl and her mother dash to get in line for chai. Waiting for her milky spiced tea, she experiences the delicious sights, smells and sounds of the Chaiwala’s cart. Mmmm! (PreK-K)

Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz; illustrated by Fahmida Azim (Kokila, 2021). This novel in verse transports middle grade readers to the sandy beaches of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh where twelve-year-old Rohingya refugee, Samira, discovers a passion for surfing following her family’s perilous escape from war torn Myanmar.

Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame by Supriya Kelkar (Lee & Low Books, 2021). In 1857, twelve-year old Meera has become a widow before she even moves into her husband’s house. Desperate to escape her husband’s funeral pyre, Meera joins the household of a British commander as a maid and is drawn into a burgeoning soldiers’ rebellion against the British Raj.

Piece by Piece: The Story of Nisrin’s Hijab by Priya Huq (Abrams, 2021). In this beautiful graphic novel, Bangladeshi-American Nisrin, a traumatized victim of a hate crime, emerges from her home for her freshman year, having decided to wear the hijab at her new school. What follows leads to Nisrin’s discovery of her complex family history with both Islam and Bangladesh.

Untold: Defining Moments of the Uprooted edited by Gabrielle Deonath and Kamini Ramdeen (Mango & Marigold Press, 2021). Editors Gabrielle Deonath and Kamini Ramdeen have curated a brave and beautiful anthology filled with Brown Girls’ voices telling their personal stories of discovery, self-love, mental health, and more across the South Asian diaspora.

2022 Award Committee