WLA Meetup in Madison for the Documentary "The Librarians"

We hope you can join us in Madison for a meetup on February 19th! Event is open to everyone and FREE!

 

MADISON AREA MEETUP! WLA is hosting a Madison area meetup to watch the documentary THE LIBRARIANS. This event is FREE and open to everyone (not just WLA members). See below for the details: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19 Pre-movie meetup at Butterbird (1134 Regent Street in Madison) from 4:30 - 6:00pm for social hour and food. Stop by when you can!  The Librarians will be showing at The Marquee Cinema at Union South (1308 W. Dayton Street in Madison) Doors open at 6:00pm for 6:30pm showing. The closest parking lot is Lot 80, a parking garage under Union South. The parking is free from 4:30pm-7am. WLA will be hosting a virtual discussion group after the movie for its members on February 25th from 3:30-5:00pm. Thank you to the Wisconsin Union Directorate Film Committee for hosting the film and for the invite to our members!

I Wanna Serve on a Book Award Committee!

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You're not alone!

Many youth librarians dream of being on a state or national committee that selects the best book, media or digital content annually for kids 0-18. Many also wonder how do I get there?

1. Read (listen) widely and deeply in youth literature.

2. Join the professional organization that sponsors the award (WLA, ALA, NCTE, USBBY, etc)

3. Be active in that organization; don't just push to get on the award committees.

4. Volunteer to review books for SLJ or VOYA. It's good practice to develop your critical eye.

5. Own and take to heart KT Horning's excellent From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books.

6. Practice discussing books (and remember discussion is as much about listening as talking). Attend book discussions like the CCBC's monthly book discussions one Wednesday of the month 3:30-5:30 pm (the next one is Wed August 24). Click on this link to read about and get the booklist.

7. Attend the WLA Conference program: Librarian Dreaming - Serving on a Book Award Committee on Thursday Oct 27 1:45-2:30 in Milwaukee to learn more. Conference registration opens soon!
Sue Abrahamson, Waupaca Area Public Library, Waupaca; Karli Pederson, Milwaukee Public Library; Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison
Ever wonder what it's like to serve on a youth book award committee?  This panel will feature Wisconsin librarians currently serving on state and national youth book award committees who will share their experiences and offer information on how to be selected for an award committee, how to prepare for serving and what the process is like. Q and A to follow.

What other suggestions do you have? Please share!

First Lady Doyle's Recommended Children's Titles for this January and February

First Lady Jessica Doyle has initiated an online book discussion club for children and adults. Each month her Web page for the book club, called "Read On Wisconsin," lists the titles for discussion. All books were carefully selected by a Literacy Advisory Board and reflect a commitment to diversity in their content and message. Mrs. Doyle hopes you find them as interesting and appealing as she does.

The titles recommended for January were:
Preschool: "Not A Box" by Antoinette Portis
Primary: "The Deaf Musicians" by Pete Seeger and Paul Dubois Jacobs
Intermediate: "Tents, Tigers, and The Ringling Brothers" by Jerry Apps
Middle School: "If You Come Softly" by Jacqueline Woodson
High School: "American Born Chinese" by Gene Luen Yang

The titles recommended for February are:
Preschool: "I'm Dirty!" by Kate and Jim McMullan
Primary: "Today I Will Fly" by Mo Willems
Intermediate: "Sienna's Scrapbook" by Toni Trent Parker
Middle School: "Harlem Summer" by Walter Dean Myers
High School: "Bronx Masquerade" by Nikki Grimes

For more information or to join the "Read On Wisconsin" book club, go to http://readon.wisconsin.gov