Free Virtual Event! Indigenous Voices: Authentic Children's Literature in the Classroom and Library - May 25 - May 26, 2021

Register here! https://sdcoe.k12oms.org/event_register.php?id=201019

This Year's Zena Sutherland Lecture is Virtual!

Mark your calendars for Friday May 7 from 7:30-9:00pm and virtually attend this free lecture with presenter Jason Reynolds  This lecture is presented annually by the Chicago Public Library, the Sutherland Lecture Committee and the University of Chicago. 

While most years you have to travel down to Chicago for this always-free lecture by a major figure in children's and teen literature, this year you can take advantage of this distinguished lecture virtually. It is a rare opportunity!

John Mangahas of the Chicago Public Library writes: "I'm excited to be able to share this news with you: registration is now open for the 2021 Zena Sutherland Lecture presented by Jason Reynolds! This year the lecture will be on Zoom. You can click here to register: chipublib.org/Sutherland  You can also submit questions to be considered for the Q&A portion via a link on the registration page. I'm so glad we are able to offer this again this year. Please feel free to spread the word and we hope many of you will be able to attend!'

Canva Magic - Tips to Make You a Power User

Some youth folks are already long-time users of Canva, a graphic design platform that lets you create professional looking signs, handouts and social media graphics.  If you don't fall into this category and want to try this great program, a recent Mashable article has a great DIY article that guides you through tips and tricks in using Canva easily and effectively.

To get the deets, please stop here.

h/t to Stephen's Lighthouse for the link!

CLICK Youth Media Challenge

PBS Wisconsin Education and Play Make Learn 2021 invite students in grades K-12 to submit their media productions for the first ever Click Youth Media Challenge. Student-made media will be screened at the 2021 Play Make Learn Conference for an audience of youth and educators from around the world. Prizes will be awarded at the conference for top entries. Students and media educators will be invited to participate in a panel with an audience of experts.

This year’s contest will focus on the connection between sound and image. Students are encouraged to create either videos or podcasts, paying close attention to the ways that audio and image influence storytelling.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Deadline for submissions: June 1, 2021
Notifications: No later than July 2021

Submission Form
Note: All participants in the contest must have a signed waiver (collected in the submission form). Waivers can be downloaded here.

To learn the details, please stop here.

Creating Community Fun - Pet Show and Tell

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

In a recent ALSC Blog post, Robyn Lupa, a Colorado youth librarian shares her tips on running virtual Pet Show and Tells, a program that really works great virtually. 

Robyn writes: "Monthly virtual Pet Show & Tell launched during winter break, with staff-hosted 45-minute Zoom sessions: All About Dogs, Crazy for Cats, and Share Your Stuffies. Starting with a pet-themed story, kids then were invited to take turns sharing their pets, with guided questions such as:

• What does your pet like to do?
• What does your pet eat?
• Does your pet do any tricks?
• What do you love most about your pet?"

Read all the tips and fun they had here at the ALSC blog.

Creating Community Fun YSS blog COVID-19 series

• Mini-Golf Reader’s Cup  9/25/21
• Beep! Beep! Honk if you have Bingo!    9/1/21
• Letters to Guinea Pigs  8/18/21
• Stuffed Animal Fun for Everyone  7/13/21
• Pet Show and Tell  4/17/21
• Campfire Storywalk 3/10/21
• Outdoor Storytimes 1/17/20
• Family Trivia Night  10/7/20
• Flipgard, Fanfare and Friends: River Falls Celebrity Storytime  9/21/20
• Tie Dye Masks  8/24/20
• Summer Book Picnics  7/13/20
• Engaging Kids Outdoors  7/10/20
• Downtown Story Stroll    6/5/20
• Book nCover Double  6/8/20
• Going the Extra Mile 6/15/20 
• Summer Storyteller     6/16/20

Throw It Thursday (Not!) - Programming and Interactive Movie Kits

Ashley Borman, Technical Services Librarian at the Clintonville (WI) Public Library is back with her monthly column but she is changing things up today to share an innovative programming idea .

This month, I am taking a pause from my weeding posts to tell you about this great resource for some fun movie programming. Many of us are still trying to figure out what our summer programming will look like. Some of us are back to regular programming, others may be doing a hybrid of virtual and outdoor events, while the rest plan to stay fully virtual this summer. If your library is not doing in-person programming, or is doing a hybrid of in-person and virtual/take-home programming this summer and you are looking for some take home ideas, try interactive movie kits (or you could even use this model to make your own interactive storytime kits).

Regardless of what your current plans are, I want to share with you a Google Doc I found that has been invaluable to me these past several months. In an effort to find something we could prepare into a take home kit from our library, I started thinking about things we could do that kids/families could enjoy at home that would be feasible for us to put together. We were already doing crafting kits, but I wanted something for people who do not particularly enjoy crafting. Then I thought about all the libraries that used to have interactive movies at the library and thought, “We could make that into some kind of take home activity!”

Of course, I was not the first one to think of this, and when I started searching for ideas and scripts other libraries may have posted online, I found this AMAZING Google Doc.  This document includes links to a large number of interactive movie scripts for in library and curbside use. And every time I go back and look, more have been added. I have tweaked so many of these for our library (usually small tweaks to the items included in the kits based on what we have available and what we can find to purchase) and our patrons seem to enjoy them. I usually prep two new ones each month, one live-action film and one animated film. I re-advertise which ones are still available each month (we usually keep older ones in rotation if they are popular and we still have enough supplies for them). For the month of April, we have 7-8 kits to choose from.

Two of the current interactive movie take-home kits
available from the Clintonville Public Library.

P.S. They also have a link in this doc to a resource list for escape rooms! Happy programming and good luck with what’s left of your summer prep!

 Resource

List of Interactive Movie Experience Scripts. Curated by Sarah Pearson, Minerva Public Library Youth Services. Contact information available in document. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KnKIGNHwCczQaR5m0LrKd0QfTNo00I5NCBpIHz30hHk/edit?fbclid=IwAR2HTF1DGVplWHCsUtgt_yx_cqn3xJ2dJemiFgZo5RJCD1A8pnYMFgjcBQY

Participate in the Fall 2021 WI Science Festival!

Are you Sci-curious? 

Have you heard good things about the Wisconsin Science Festival but aren’t sure if it’s for you?

Do you want  to grow curiosity?

Do you want your 500’s to circulate more?

Sign up for this great online presentation to learn more about how partnering with the Wisconsin Science Festival can benefit your library!  Libraries, schools, museums, and more all over the state participate -- why not you??

2021 Wisconsin Science Festival Virtual Kickoff Party 

Thursday April 29,  11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Ready to start making plans for the fall? Just want to learn more? Join us for networking and conversation about the 10th anniversary Wisconsin Science Festival!

Register here

Can You Hear Me? Seeking Portable PA System Recommendations

Pixabay Image

Today we have a guest post from Angela Meyers, Coordinator of Youth and Family Services at Bridges Library System.

Many of us are finding ourselves in the position of planning programs outdoors as we continue to practice social distancing measures during the pandemic. Outdoor programs come with their own set of challenges, including competing with noises from road noise, passerby, wind, birds, dogs and more. 

To help overcome some of the noise challenges of hosting programs outdoors, your library may have purchased a portable public address (PA) sound system with microphone for you to use. If you purchased a portable PA system within the last year or two, we encourage you to share what make and model you purchased, along with any other information you think others might find helpful using this Google Form. 

The list of portable PA systems will be compiled and shared here at the YSS blog as a snapshot in time.

Thanks in advance for sharing your recommendations and expertise!

Hang Out with School and Public Library Colleagues!

Greetings Wisconsin Public and School Librarians!

We invite you to watch this 20 minute video about school and public library collaboration. As you can see from this summary provided by School Library Connection, it is both inspiring and relatable:

When asked how school librarians connect with their community, public library collaboration was among the top responses. Therefore, this video may reflect a partnership that many school library professionals are already familiar with. But whether you already have a strong relationship with your public library or not, hearing from this duo is inspiring all the same. Meet high school teacher librarian Anthony Devine and public youth services librarian Miko Osada, who serve a shared community and have developed a commitment to working together as they do so. The two meet regularly, with or without a formal agenda, and often find that some of their best ideas emerge spontaneously from their conversations. It may be discouraging that there isn't a simple formula for creating strong collaboration, but Devine and Osada's professional bond is a good reminder that sometimes the answer is just a matter of prioritizing one another, and finding value in learning about the work of each collaboration partner without expectations. When genuine care and interest is in place, serendipitous results emerge. While it may not appear to be strategic at face value, the productive and positive results are clear.

If this video leaves you curious about how to find and meet your public or school library counterpart, please consider joining us! The Connecting Wisconsin Libraries group invites you to our next networking meeting on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at 4:00PM. This virtual event is for anyone interested in building professional relationships in order to better serve the young people of our communities. Please email lochwouters@gmail.com or monica.treptow@dpi.wi.gov for the meeting link!

This message is brought to you by the Connecting Wisconsin Libraries group, a collaboration between the Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA), Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), and the DPI Library Services Team.

New ALSC Intellectual Freedom Programming Toolkit

As mentioned in Tessa Michaelson Schmidt's most recent Friday FAQ, the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Intellectual Freedom Committee has published a free IF Programming toolkit. 

The ALSC IF committee writes: "Inside the toolkit, you will find practical, easy-to-implement tips for incorporating intellectual freedom and Information literacy into library cornerstone programs and services. Sample programs include storytimes, book clubs, outreach, and STEAM activities. They include both virtual and in-person activities, so you can serve your community flexibly, regardless of your current service model. An annotated list of additional resources rounds out the toolkit, making it easy for busy practitioners to find more tips and support.

We’re living in a climate of misinformation and heightened mistrust in news media and other information sources. Raising awareness of information literacy and intellectual freedom issues with our families has never been more important. Developing these crucial skills helps keep kids informed, safe, and prepared to support their communities."

Please click here to read the ALSC blog introductory post and link to the toolkit!