Keeping Up with Kids is Keeping Up and On

Leah Langby, writing for IFLS Library System's Keeping Up with Kids blog, often shares powerful content and wonderful resources that help connect the dots to better service.  Here are three recent posts that point the way towards great work:

John Lewis, Good Trouble and March, a short, moving tribute to John Lewis and the power of all of us in libraries to make "good trouble"

Reimaging Library Service - Looking Down the Road explores a "School Library Journal series about taking COVID 19 as an opportunity to re-think youth services."

What Jessica Bratt is Up to These Days takes us from presenter Bratt's recent webinar on "how to successfully talk about race in a positive way in storytime with very young children and their parents" to what she is doing now.

Socially Distant Teen Services Webinar Available

The following message is shared by Angie Manfredi, the Iowa State Youth Services Consultant.

"I know this has been a topic of much discussion, so I am sharing in case you want to share with your librarians. 

Since many of my librarians were asking about socially distant programming for teens, I recruited the teen librarian who is doing the YALSA Train the Trainer program with me to do a session on this. Her name is Tanvi Rastogi and she works at the Ames Public Library. She talked about how they have transitioned their programs online and how she lets teen lead in programming. She covered their discord server, online events, and an anti-racist online book club they started that will be led by local community members. 

 

I know many of our libraries (very small and rural) felt like there was NO WAY they could do anything she talked about or didn't even know WHERE TO START with teens but there's some people that will always be sure they can't do something so we tried to address that some too, urging them to play to their own strengths, listen to teens, and not feel bad about not being able to do everything. Hopefully that got through to AT LEAST A FEW OF THEM.

 

Anyway, please feel free to share if you think it is useful! https://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/c-d/continuing-ed/conted-ials/archives-webinar/2020/popyslive/pysl2020-07  

 

I also did a webinar last month on socially distant reader's advisory tips, since that too was a topic I had been getting asked about: https://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/c-d/continuing-ed/conted-ials/archives-webinar/2020/popyslive/pysl2020-06."  Angie Manfredi, July 20, 2020

Thanks to Tessa Michaelson Schmidt for forwarding this resource.

 

Youth-Centered CE from UW-Madison iSchool

For those of you hankering for some outstanding autumn CE focused on youth services, you can't go wrong with the many online offerings this fall from UW-Madison SLIS. These courses are taught by some of the best in the children's and teen field and are worth every penny. You will recognize, as your instructors, the names (and talents) of many current YSS members and former members now working in other states.  There is a 10% early bird discount if you register 2 weeks before each class begins!

Here are the youth-specific offerings coming up this fall:

Programming with Purpose 
Sept 21-Oct 18.  Instructor: Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser
We all want our libraries to have strong programming. How do you know if your library is producing meaningful, intentional programs that align with your vision, support your mission and recognize staff capacity versus simply falling into the "more is more" trap? This course will explore both broad perspectives on identifying programming values and goals as well as in-depth strategies for planning thoughtful, intentional programs for any age. Participants will actively focus on defining programming priorities; staying rooted in community; implementing tools and resources; and change management.

Youth Services 101
Sept 28-Nov 22. Instructor: Brooke Newberry
Looking to ground yourself in the basics of youth services for public libraries? Whether you are new to the field, need a refresher, or just need a breath of fresh air, this course will look at the past, present and future of great services for children and teens.

Teens in the Library
Oct 12-Nov 22. Instructor: Linda Jerome
You've got teens in the library - now what? Or maybe you'd like to have more teens in the library. So how exactly do you do this? This course will help provide library staff a foundation upn which they can build successful service to teens in their community through programming, attractive space for teens in the library, teen collections and outreach and community partnerships.

What's New in Children's Books?
Oct 19- Nov 15 Instructor: Crystal Brunelle
Are you looking for ways to keep your children's collection inclusive, relevant and up-to-date? Designed for librarians and library workers in service to children, this course will provide a survey of new books for readers birth-12 years old. Participants will learn about current evaluation and selection techniques and resources for finding a wide variety of books for young readers. Books examined include outstanding new (2017-present) board books, picture books, graphic novels, poetry along with fiction and nonfiction in various formats.

You can also find outstanding courses on beginning Spanish, trauma-informed care; graphic design, and so much more! Stop by the main UW-iSchool CE page for all the course listings, dates and costs.

2020 CSLP End-of-Summer-Survey

Dear Library Staff Coordinating Summer Library Programs,

The 2020 Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) End-of-Summer Survey is open and ready for your input.  

This the only data gathered regarding summer library program efforts in Wisconsin. There are no longer questions specifically about summer library programming on the Wisconsin Public Library Annual Report. If you use and value the Collaborative Summer Library Program materials and membership that are provided by DPI using LSTA funds, please share your feedback via this survey.

The survey will be open from Monday, July 27, 2020 through Friday, September 25, 2020. One response per library, please.

This is the link to the survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdqwRQuxtvf1yrjDP9Wm9u3iTEpMuL79vezpvkD-PFtxQr2dw/viewform?usp=sf_link 

The survey covers three age groups, Children’s (0-11), Teens (12-18), and Adults (19+) [age categories as defined by the Institute of Museum and Library Services]. Questions include:

• How your library tracks participation in your summer library program.
• Total number in each of the three age groups who participated in your summer library program.
• Total number in each age group who completed the minimum goal.
• Total number of summer library program themed events for each age group.
• Total number of individuals attending summer library program themed events for each age group. 
• Ways your library adapted programming in response to the global health crisis.
• Your suggestions, ideas and feedback for summer library program themes for 2022 and beyond.
• Summer library program adaptations in response to the global health crisis.
• Your suggestions, ideas and feedback for summer library program themes for 2022 and beyond.
• Utilization of the statewide online subscription to Beanstack for Summer 2020 reading challenges
• Participation in the USDA's Summer Food Service Program
• Engagement with local schools to encourage participation in summer library programming.

The survey questions are attached as a PDF. 

CSLP works with libraries to create an inclusive literacy based program that is enjoyable for all ages, provide a reproducible program with a unified theme, share resources and offer professional support. Your response to this survey ensures that we continue to receive a valuable product from CSLP. In addition, survey responses help state library staff support your library’s needs. 

Thank you,

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt

Public Library Consultant – Youth and Inclusive Services

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Division for Libraries and Technology
(608) 267-5077

What Kind of Collaborator Are You?

In the spirit of work at the national level through ALA’s State Ecosystem Initiative and the new Public Library & School Library Collaboration Toolkit done through collaborative efforts of AASL, YALSA, and ALSC, WEMTA, WLA, and DPI are working together to support and foster communications and collaborations among Wisconsin public and school librarians in order to better support the communities we serve. Each quarter we will share a resource, strategy, or example with you that could be used as a talking point in your community. Please use these ideas to initiate or continue to build relationships with public and school librarians.

Supporting Collaboration Survey - The Results are In!

Beginning with interviews at the WLA Conference last fall and continuing with an online survey open through winter 2020, 90 public and school librarians shared their thoughts with Connecting Wisconsin Libraries about collaboration in their communities. It was encouraging to see that 95% of those surveyed had found an opportunity to collaborate with their public or school library colleagues. And, we were certainly not surprised to find that the greatest challenge to successful collaborations was finding the time to make the work happen.

Please view our infographic, What Kind of Collaborator are You?, to find out more about the data collected. You will also find some helpful hints for getting collaboration started in your community. 

We would like to thank all those who participated in the survey. The feedback has led to powerful conversations and great ideas for how to build our community moving forward. Look for more exciting opportunities to connect with your public and school colleagues in the near future.

This message brought to you through the collaboration of Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association (WEMTA), Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), and DPI School and Public Libraries. If you are interested in working on future tidbits or have other suggestions for collaborations, please contact Marge Loch-Wouters (WLA) or Raquel Rand (WEMTA) .

August Webinars for Youth Librarians

Image by LoveYouAll from Pixabay

Two upcoming webinars are of interest to youth librarians:

Playful Learning for Librarians 
Thursday Aug 6, 2:30-4pm

Join PBS Wisconsin to connect with fellow librarians around the state and learn about engaging virtual programming ideas for early learners. Prepare to learn about fun, hands-on, STEM activities that you can implement virtually with the support of PBS Wisconsin. Mouna Algahaithi, Education Engagement Specialist, will give an overview of six, ready-to-use activities that inspire love of learning, science, exploration and require minimal preparation.

You will also have a chance to experience a mini version of one of these activities! A complete agenda will be sent to all those registered. Registering will also give you access to the recording of the workshop and any additional resources. Register here.

Healing Reading Trauma
Wednesday August 12, 1-2:00 pm
South Central Library System
Too many of our youth have had their love of reading systematically stolen. This trauma enacted on our youth includes a lack of meaningful representation, high-stakes testing culture, unhealthy fixation on the “Classics”, and the shaming of students for what they love to read. The result can be youth who associate reading with pain, insecurity, embarrassment, and humiliation. Not only is this affecting the academic achievement of our students, it’s taking away our teens' ability to act powerfully upon the world. When we damage someone’s language, we are taking away a piece of their humanity. This work of healing reading trauma is an essential part of liberatory and anti-racist education. In this session, the facilitators will share how they are building liberatory reading spaces at their secondary school libraries where youth are beginning to heal their reading trauma. Specific tools--including teaching methods, collection development strategies, and program/policy changes--will be shared. Register here.

Deciphering Reading Levels

Susie Menk, Youth Librarian at the Manitowoc (WI) Public Library will be writing a monthly blog post. Here is her first one! It's all about figuring out how to help families searching for specific reading levels for their readers.

We all have them—small collections within a collection.  Well, then again, maybe we don’t.  I work at a medium sized library in the Children’s department. We often get complaints about all the different collections in the youth department.  BUT what people don’t realize is that there are so many levels of reading for children.  I can’t tell you how many times we get adults in asking for a particular level of reading for their child.  Children are reading at a “K” level or an “O” level and they want more books on that level.  So what do you do?  Books aren’t published with reading levels listed on the cover, so how do we help our patrons? 

Most of the schools in my area tend to use the “F&P” reading levels.  That is short for Fountas & Pinnell and is a reading level based on the 26 letters of the alphabet.  Reading levels are grouped by grade level.  What we have been finding is that in the easy readers or early chapter books, there are some publishers that will put an F&P level on the book, but most don’t.  So what to do?  Where to go? HELP!!!!

Have no fear, there are some tricks you can use to help you figure out reading levels.  First there is a website by Scholastic called Book Wizard.  This site allows you to put in a title and if they have it in their records you might be able to locate a grade level or F&P level.  Another handy tool is to check the back cover—there are some publishers who are now putting F&P Guided Reading Levels on the back covers of their books.  Not all, but some so that is helpful.  Our library has started finding and then writing in the F&P level inside the front cover of our easy reader books.  We don’t always find one, so some books have N/A instead of a reading level.  This marking of the reading level helps both us and our patrons. 

The last tool that I would suggest is a conversion chart that I found a few years back.  This tool has been a lifesaver for me time and time again.  I use it to find the F&P level or for older chapter readers, a comparable lexile level.    It’s a lexile conversion chart .  This chart also comes in handy since it has Accelerated Reader levels as well as other formats for reading levels.  

If you have any other handy tools that you love to use, please share them below!

Teen Summer Programming During the Pandemic

Image by Miroslava Chrienova from Pixabay 

Teen Services Underground is a great resource of crowd-sourced information for library staff working with teens.

Recently, six of their "agents" (teen librarians) shared how each of their libraries are uniquely doing their service and summer programs for teens. It's worth the read!  Stop here to read the blog post

Teen & Tween Virtual & Offline Programming YSS blog COVID-19 series:

• Virtual Teen Escape Room Book Club  10/22/21
• Keeping Up Your Spirits  10/4/20
• Tween Virtual Program Ideas  10/1/20
• Tips for Doing Teen Virtual Programming  9/14/20
• Teen Summer Programming During the Pandemic  7/22/20
• SLP Virtual and Offline Program Ideas for Teens/Tweens  5/22/20

Representation In Children's Music: A Jumping Off Point

Have you been looking for better representation in the musical offerings for your programs, but are unsure where to begin?

Check out this amazing resource shared on Storytime Underground by Samantha Small of Thomas Crane Public Library!

WHO IS MAKING MUSIC FOR BLACK CHILDREN? 
These Black Artists Make Music Catering to Our Children and the Culture 

WORDS: ONGISA “GIGI GUMSPOON” MCKENZIE

VISUALS: SADE CLACKEN JOSEPH

The Cardigan Newsletter is Moving

Many of you have been receiving the very rich youth services newsletter, The Cardigan monthly. Started in November 2018 by Allie and Katherine, two Oklahoma children's librarians, the newsletter is committed to free and accessible professional development for children's librarians. They write: "Inspired by the life and legacy of Fred Rogers, the Cardigan's content seeks to be inclusive, compassionate and inspiring."

Now duo are moving away from the emailed newsletter to a website. Their newest message to urges us to subscribe to the website to get an email notification each time the free monthly newsletter is published.

"Our little newsletter is moving from an e-mail newsletter format to a website. To stay up to date with our future newsletters, please "follow" us here:  www.thecardigannewsletter.com

You will receive an email notification from Wordpress each time a new newsletter is updated to the website (the first Wednesday of the month). If you have any problems "following" please feel free to e-mail us at thecardigannewsletter@gmail.com 

Thank you for your continued support! The website allows readers to post comments, so we look forward to interacting with you more on this new platform."

Antiracist Teen/Tween Collection Development & Programming

Adrienne Almeida, MLIS

Infopeople has a free hour-long webinar coming up Wednesday July 29 at 2pm CT that will help you in your work with teens and tweens, using an antiracist lens. Adrienne Almeida is the presenter.

"Right now, we are a profession called to lead the charge for antiracist work. It’s time for listening, reflecting, and thoughtful action. If you are a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), how are you supporting the antiracist work of your white colleagues without doing all the heavy lifting on your own? If you are white, how are you holding yourself and your colleagues accountable to be transparently antiracist in your collection development and programming? Who are you listening to and learning from to improve your antiracist practice? Let’s come together to unpack resources and protocols to refresh our toolboxes and inspire our communities to be agents of positive change. Attendees will leave with a refreshed toolkit to connect their patrons and colleagues with resources required to be agents of antiracist work in their communities."

For more information and to register, please click here. 

May 2020 YSS Board Minutes

Wisconsin Library Association 

Youth Services Section Board Meeting 

Friday, May 15th 

2pm - 3pm   

Present: Emily Zorea,  Katie Kiekhaefer, Susie Menk, Tessa Schmidt, Katherine Schoofs, Anne Hamland, Florence LeBeau, Jenny Wegener, Katherine Freund 

Virtual Meeting link:  https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/520923717      

Approve Agenda Emily motion, Flo second. All ayed.  

Welcome  

Old Business: 

Public/School Libraries Group - Katie   

• April  School/Public Libraries Group discussed positives and challenges from both perspectives during pandemic.  
• WAPL/WEMTA did not happen so both school and public library teams were focusing on sharing professional development and resources. 
• Next meeting: Tuesday May 26th @11am 

YSS Luncheon--Katie 

• 2020 Michael Dahl is confirmed for WLA Conference October 2020 
• Budget is looking great. 

YSS Powerhouse Presents - Katie 

• Original ideas: collection development and programming  
• Pivoted ideas with new normal: panel levels (How are libraries coping? Summer programs? Opening? Intentional social media? Tracking statistics? Best practices?) 

• Limited services, pursuing sustainable virtual programming 

Marketing Committee - Anne & Katherine 

• YSS email: highlighting key blog posts? Katherine S. chooses? 1 per week? Information overload!!!!  YSS Lite 

• YSS take a break from emails 

• YSS Facebook posts: images highlighting specific posts? 

• Highlight posts weekly/bi-weekly, Katherine chooses 
• Michael Dahl announcement…. Hold off to make sure WLA HAPPENS

New Business: 

DPI Youth Update: Tessa M.S. 

• Something we’re not hearing? Let Tessa know! 

• Wisconsin Annual Report Taskforce working on changes to annual report affected by pandemic including Youth Statistics. 
• Continue advocacy to communities on what and why your library is doing. 
• Opening Guidelines forthcoming. Recommendations and considerations.  

COVID-19 - How can we continue providing support to library staff serving youth and families? 

• Kudos to Katherine Schoofs for ASL storytime and regular storytime programming   

NEYSS Elections - Katie 

• Reaching out to potential candidates for fall ballot NOW. 
• K. Schoofs and K. Kiekhaefer brainstorming over fall ballot and expectations and extended until mid-summer. 

• New Chair-Elect 
• 2x Director at Large 

• WLA Board Liaison (possibly Sarah C. or Terry Ehle) 

Regional Meet Ups - Flo & Katherine 

• March one canceled 
• Postpone for now 
• Possibly reschedule with virtual tours 

Conference Committees 

• WAPL update - Katherine 

• Canceled for this year 

• WLA - Florence & Emily 

• Social ideas 

• Tote bag swap--ongoing 
• Notebook creation--during social  
• Blend of project while socializing 
• Advertising needs to be solidified yet--by June 
• Contact WLA publicity or booklet chairs to get on radar  

• Storytime Resource - on hold 
• Form Letter -on hold 
• YA SIG - on hold  

YSS Membership Committee 

• Sue’s fabulous email points: 

“I think there is value in talking about a membership committee with our board, but it needs structure or it will keep falling off our radar.  A purpose will give YSS members on that committee a "foot in the door" to YSS leadership positions.   Just off the top of my head, we could delegate the Conference socials to that committee, and/or we could delegate reaching out to new members to that committee (new member packet has been on the table for discussion for a long time).  

Maybe the first thing to do, is to contact the folks listed on this committee to see if they are still interested in serving.  But we should have an idea of what we want them to do first.  I'd be happy to contact these folks once our board makes a decision.   

Questions to ask the board:   

How many people should be on the committee and for how long? Staggered terms for continuity, I presume.  I would recommend 5 people with one chair.  These would not be elected positions, but assigned.  We could use the blog to look for volunteers.   

What one or two things would this committee be asked to accomplish each year?   

Would it be best to find regional representation to make the committee larger but also feed into the meet-up organization process?  Careful to have representation from both large and small libraries.   

Who would the chair report to, how often and how?” 

• Figure out logistics 
• Keep current 
• Terms for members of committee 

• Devise form letters 
• Talk about more in detail next time 

CBAC last meeting next Friday 

• Will be making decisions soon and publishing 
• 
  

WLA Board Report Liaison - Sue 

DPI Updates - Tessa  

Possibly combine YSS Powerhouse and Regional meet ups 

Florence and Susie and Katie will discuss 

Adjourn 

Florence motion. Emily 2nd 

All in favor--aye! 

Respectfully submitted, 

Susie Menk 

YSS Secretary 

July 15, 2020