National ALSC Booklists to Help You!

When people question "What is in it for me?" when thinking about whether to invest their own money to join a professional library association, I often think about the power of collective action. 

Social media brings us together in an immediate way to share, create community and get information quickly. Library associations do the same - plus provide the benefit of organization, structure and a powerful collective voice to do the same work on a less ephemeral level.  

One of the pluses of association membership is being able to collaborate and participate in creating worthwhile resources. These resources benefit not only association members but all libraries. Great examples of this on a national level include the ALSC Virtual Storytime Services Guide, the AASL/ALSC/YALSA Public Library and School Library Collaboration Toolkit,  ALSC white papers on diversity; the importance of play; outreach and media mentorship and many other vital free documents and free publications.

All of these resources are the result of pooling collective knowledge and energy of members to produce needed resources. They push librarianship forward in a way that it is difficult for us to do individually. I hope it encourages you to invest in your state (hurray WLA's YSS!), local and national library associations through your membership in them.

The following are three free ALSC resource lists that can help you in your work right now thanks to that collective action!

Embracing Gender Identities was created to help support conversations about gender identity and expression. This list, which is divided into books for 0-5 year-olds, elementary school students and middle schoolers, includes recommended informational picture books, as well as works of fiction and non-fiction that challenge gender norms and explore the wide spectrum of gender identity. It includes additional resources for parents. Community, Connecting, Cultivating & Constructing Conversations Through Literacy This list was developed by members of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) and ALSC’s Quicklists Committee. It is intended to support conversations about dismantling systems of racial injustice. In #LookToLibraries, ALSC has compiled a suite of tools and resources to support library professionals and the families in their communities. These resources include booklists for children that cover a variety of topics from understanding germs to managing anxiety.

Download the list here

 

In #LookToLibraries, ALSC has compiled a suite of tools and resources to support library professionals and the families in their communities. These resources include booklists for children that cover a variety of topics from understanding germs t managing anxiety.

Download the list here.

 

Community, Connecting, Cultivating & Constructing Conversations Through Literacy This list was developed by members of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) and ALSC’s Quicklists Committee. It is intended to support conversations about dismantling systems of racial injustice. In #LookToLibraries, ALSC has compiled a suite of tools and resources to support library professionals and the families in their communities. These resources include booklists for children that cover a variety of topics from understanding germs to managing anxiety. 

Download the list here.