Friday Frolics - Youth Content at WLA!

Are you planning to attend WLA in Green Bay, our first in-person conference in almost two years? Early bird registration continues through Monday Oct 25. Mask up and join the fun. If you're not sure, check out all the youth program and event content to help you decide! This is our final day of sharing youth-related bounty during the next few days!

Friday, November 19

 10:00-10:45 am

Transitioning to a Bookstore Model:  See Ya Dewey! - The presenters will discuss the planning and implementation of transitioning a standard public library organization, with Dewey numbers and author names, into a bookstore model of organization. The Little Chute Public Library began transitioning all library materials to common language and gentrification with the goal of modeling the library after a bookstore. Once completed, all fiction items will be identified by genre and sub-genre and nonfiction items will be identified by topic, using common language, without the use of Dewey numbers. Katherine Freund, Little Chute Public Library; Aubrey Laux, Little Chute Public Library; Ashley Borman, Clintonville Public Library

Teens & Tech – What the Heck! A Guide to Collaborative Teen Programming - Staff from libraries of varying sizes will discuss how they formed a virtual YA programming collaboration to provide monthly programs for teens. Find out how and why the group was formed, and learn about the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. Discover tips and tools that helped with the planning process and develop ideas for starting and sustaining a collaboration with other libraries. The group will share stories, provide suggestions, and talk about how it adapted for summer programming as well as plans for the future of the collaboration. Caroline Herfindahl, Ellsworth Public Library; Valerie Spooner, Rusk County Community Library, Ladysmith; Stacey Brown, Augusta Public Library; Jenna Gilles, Chippewa Falls Public Library

Fri  11:00-11:45 am

Educating the Educators: Libraries as Partners in Quality Wisconsin Early Child Care - Libraries are perfectly positioned to improve outcomes for early care and education providers and children they serve. Presenters will demonstrate the need for cost-free continuing education opportunities that help providers advance their professions and improve quality of care. Participants will learn how to work with various Wisconsin agencies that ensure quality of programs. Presenters will illustrate how the “Every Child Ready to Read” initiative and experience in youth services programming provide the foundation for high-demand workshop content. Shawn Wolf, Erin Mendoza, Kenosha Public Library

We Will Always Be Here: Teen Engagement with Wisconsin's LGBTQ+ History - Authors Jenny Kalvaitis and Kristen Whitson will share their experiences engaging teen participants while writing We Will Always Be Here: A Guide to Exploring and Understanding the History of LGBTQ+ Activism in Wisconsin. Writing for teens and relying on teen feedback – but written during a pandemic in which schools were closed and in-person workshops were impossible – taught the presenters valuable lessons about reaching teens where they are. Librarians Linda Jerome and Jenny DeRocher will share lessons learned in engaging with teen readers in discussions about We Will Always Be Here. Kristen Whitson, Author; Jenny Kalvaitis, Author; Jenny DeRocher, La Crosse Public Library; Linda Jerome, LaCrosse Public Library

Plus a keynote and luncheon speaker, provocative program content on a variety of topics! Register today!

Thoughtful Thursday - Youth Content at WLA!

Are you planning to attend WLA in Green Bay, our first in-person conference in almost two years? Early bird registration continues through Monday Oct 25. Mask up and join the fun. If you're not sure, check out all the youth program and event content to help you decide! We'll be sharing each day's youth-related bounty during the next few days!

Thursday, Nov 18 

10:30-11:15 am

Intergenerational Storytime 101 - What do you do when handed a bowl of lemons? You make a batch of lemonade, of course. While the Hedberg Public Library was undergoing a renovation, their storytime room was unavailable for eight months. Staff needed to think outside of the box to find a way to serve their youngest patrons. This obstacle sparked the presenters to foster a new community partnership and develop an intergenerational storytime for their patrons and the residents at Oak Park Place senior living community. Learn about the benefits of intergenerational programming and hear the details of how the program was developed and implemented. Mary Westness, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville; Shannon Murphy-Tollefsrud, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville

Deepening Community Engagement through PBS KIDS: A Cohort Story - Through an exciting new initiative called the PBS KIDS Community Learning Cohort, PBS Wisconsin worked with 15 libraries around the state to empower and elevate family and community learning engagement. Participants created a community of practice, received training through five, 1.5-hour-long play-based webinars on PBS KIDS digital media resources, and received a $1,000 stipend to implement their own PBS KIDS program during Summer 2021. Come hear stories of value and impact from participating libraries and learn how to integrate playful, educational PBS KIDS resources into your youth programming to create new, innovative programs for your library. Mouna Algahaithi, PBS Wisconsin Education; Elizabeth Timmins, Muehl Public Library, Seymour; Sheva Abeles-Allison, Ashland High School; Katie Guzek, Brown County Library, Green Bay

                                Thurs  11:30 am-12:15 pm

Diversity Audit: How and Why to Make It Happen With Your Collections - Diversity audits for collections are a great way to get insight into how diverse a collection is and are especially helpful identifying the gaps. Audits can also be incredibly daunting and time consuming, easily put on the backburner. Join three youth services librarians to learn how they successfully applied/created and implemented different diversity audits to their picture book, juvenile, and young adult collections. They’ll share how to get things started, the importance of making it happen, what to do with the compiled data, including ideas for handling bad representations, and tips and tricks learned along the way. Claire Parrish, Rice Lake Public Library; Jenna Gilles-Turner, Chippewa Falls Public Library; Laura Turpin, St. Croix Falls Public Library

                               Thurs  2:00 am-2:45 pm

Sustainable Programming: Taking Good Care of Ourselves, Our Organizations, and Our Earth - Community members connect with ideas, one another, and library staff through programs offered by their public library. Whether it’s connecting children through storytimes, teens through hands-on activities, or adults through book clubs, library programs provide opportunities for community members to meet and engage with each other. Library programs support communities, but how do they provide sustenance for library professionals, our organizations, and our beautiful planet? In this session, the speakers will present new ideas for sustainable program planning as well as concrete and original examples of eco-friendly activities that support and celebrate sustainable actions and ideas. Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison; Rhonda Gould, Walla Walla County Rural Library District, WA

Transitioning From Summer to 365 With Reading Challenges - The presenter will discuss how libraries using Beanstack can easily transition to doing year-round or “365” programming through Beanstack. Participants will discuss how this type of consistent promotion can help drive patron use and engagement. They will also learn how this approach can help increase participation year-round while also increasing participation in flagship programs such as Summer Reading and 1000 Books Before Kindergarten. Librarians currently using Beanstack will be invited to share how they are using the platform. All attendees will gain access to Beanstack’s calendar of content and tips on how they can utilize reading challenge content provided to them as part of their membership. Rebekah Garrety, Zoobean Inc.

2021 Elizabeth Burr / Worzalla Award Winner Cathy Camper - Cathy Camper, the 2021 Elizabeth Burr / Worzalla award winner, will discuss her award-winning book, Ten Ways to Hear Snow, and share stories and inspiration from her life. Cathy Camper, Author

Thurs  3:30-4:15 pm

Social Justice Programming in the Children's Department - The presenter will discuss three social justice programs she has successfully presented at the library – Tender Topics, a program for adults about using picture books to discuss sensitive topics; Social Justice Family Story Time, a family story time focused on important social issues; and Social Justice Book Club, a book club for 4th grade and up focused on topics similar to Social Justice Family Story Time. Attendees will leave knowing the reasons for having such programs, with advice for planning similar programs and suggestions for handling negative responses. Are you ready to share your passion for social justice with your patrons? Here’s your chance!  Maria Schmitt, Wauwatosa Public Library

                                      Thurs  7:00-8:30 pm

Awards and Honors Dessert Reception  - Celebrate Aram Public Library's Katherine Schoofs for her Innovative Program Award! This is your opportunity to personally thank and interact with our award winners! Cash bar available.

Plus many more programs and events of interest including a morning keynote, luncheon speaker, WLA membership meeting and yoga. Wowser! Register today!

Wild Wednesday - Youth Content at WLA!

Are you planning to attend WLA in Green Bay, our first in-person conference in almost two years? Early bird registration continues through Monday Oct 25. Mask up and join the fun. If you're not sure, check out all the youth program and event content to help you decide! We'll be sharing each day's youth-related bounty during the next few days!

Wednesday, Nov 17

 10:30 - 11:15 am

Box It Up, Bag It Up: Connecting With the Youth When You Have No Connections - The Brown County Library Youth Services department pivoted to virtual programming during the pandemic but quickly learned it wasn’t reaching a wide array of patrons. They worked to find solutions to reaching their communities during this time and, from one-off take-and-make programs to monthly loot boxes, new offerings were born. Youth Services Librarians looked to drive patrons to their virtual offerings while also ensuring that they connected with the various youth populations. Learn how they used this opportunity to successfully get books into youth’s hands and engage with them during the limiting circumstances of the pandemic. Gillian Dawson, Allison Felchlin,  Gretchen Swadley, Brown County Library, Green Bay

Mentorship: On Track to Success - In these challenging times, it can be hard to know how to stay on track. Join us to learn how a mentor relationship can help you be successful. This session will be a panel discussion from participants in WLA's inaugural Mentorship Program. The program is free for WLA members and is designed to provide encouragement, support, and guidance to library staff seeking professional growth through connections with experienced colleagues within a structured mentoring program. Nyama Reed, Whitefish Bay Public Library; Susie Menk, Manitowoc Public Library; Marge Loch-Wouters, Loch-Works Consulting, La Crescent, MN; Emely Villanueva, Appleton Public Library; Rachel Hitt, Black Creek Village Library; Nancy Aycock, Mukwonago Community Library; Scott Brouwer, La Crosse Public Library

Wed 11:30 am-12:15pm

Ditching Dewey: A Survey of U.S. Public Libraries - In the Spring of 2020, the UW-Milwaukee iSchool partnered with the Kenosha Public Library to conduct a survey of public libraries in the county that have dropped the Dewey Decimal System. Of the respondents, there is a clear message to why changing to another system is helpful to patrons. In this session, the speakers will present their findings, discuss the pros and cons to Dewey, and consider the alternatives used by other public libraries. Rob Nunez, Kenosha Public Library; Nadine Kozak, UW-Milwaukee iSchool; Michael Huynh, UW-Milwaukee iSchool

Eating Insects & Flying Paper Airplanes: Let's Bring STEM Books to Life - Tell a kid about eating bugs and she may remember it for a month. Let a kid actually taste a mealworm or bake cricket cookies and she’ll remember it for a lifetime. Book talks and newsletters are great, but interactive learning makes topics come alive - especially for young readers. From taste tests to paper airplane flying competitions to using concepts of displacement to weigh large objects, session attendees will leave with oodles of creative ideas for low-cost, hands-on programs guaranteed to get young readers excited about STEM and STEAM books. Mary Boone, Author

Library Lunch Ladies - The presenters will discuss how to create and implement food-based programs at the library. They will highlight how to present cooking programs for children through adults, in person and virtually. A short cooking demonstration will give attendees an idea of how the cooking programs work Keri Whitmore, Sarah Bublitz, Franklin Public Library

Wed 12:30 -1:45 pm

YSS Luncheon with Cathy Camper 

Cathy is the recipient of the 2021 Burr/Worzalla Award. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Cathy Camper is the author of the Lowriders in Space series, Bugs Before Time: Prehistoric Insects and Their Relatives, and Ten Ways to Hear Snow. She is also the author of two zines, Sugar Needle and The Lou Reeder, and is a founding member of the Portland Women of Color Zine collection and a graduate of VONA/VOICES workshops for writers of color.

She has also written articles, reviews, and stories for the magazines Cricket, Wired, and Giant Robot, the LAMBDA Literary website, and was on the board of the Arab Literary magazine Mizna. A huge believer of diversity and authenticity, Camper advocates for representation for all in books, magazines, and other media.

She currently lives in Portland, Oregon working as an outreach librarian for kids in grades K-12. In her spare time, Camper likes to make art out of seeds and is a huge proponent for daydreaming. The YSS Luncheon is sponsored by JJS Library Consulting.

Wed 2:00-2:45pm

Failure IS an Option: Resiliency in Teen Librarianship - The presenters will discuss failure as an inherent part of working with teens and will share their experiences navigating failure and resiliency, which is especially important in a post-pandemic world. Participants will be encouraged to share their own stories of failure and resiliency and will learn how to evaluate themselves through a kind and constructive viewpoint. Linda Jerome, La Crosse Public Library; Alejandria Galarza, Kenosha Public Library

Engaging Your Community With Citizen Science - Science can bring joy and purpose to individuals by inspiring learning and keeping people curious. Citizen Science brings science within reach of everyone, everywhere! This presentation will discuss how Kenosha Public Library uses the resources of Citizen Science, SciStarter, NASA, the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM), and local community partners to meet strategic goals and create program series that inspire multigenerational excitement and participation. Marcia Siehr, Shannon Urban, Kenosha Public Library

Wed  3:30-4:15 pm

A Case for Literacy: Value the Activity of Reading - The presenter will demonstrate how one Milwaukee County Library is in the process of transforming the view of reading with zero extrinsic rewards (e.g., stickers, badges, logs, coupons) by valuing the activity of reading itself. Reading rewards lead to false statistical gains, oppression, lower-level reading, detrimental effects to intrinsic motivation, etc. Anne M. Kissinger, Wauwatosa Public Library

                                      Wed  4:15- 5:00 pm

Youth Services Section (YSS) Business Meeting - Meet-up with enthusiastic peers, find out what's happening in YSs and share your thoughts with the YSS board. It's the best 45 minutes you'll spend all day!

Wed  8:30-10:00 pm

YSS Social - Join your fellow Youth and Teen Services folks for a great, stress-relieving social event! You won’t be asked to share your feelings, do team building exercises, or be uncomfortable— unless you want to!! It’s been a year for the history books and you need to spend time with people who “get it.” We will have fun stress relieving activities available for you to try while you chat with friends, old and new. No pressure, just camaraderie. Join us!

Also on Wednesday, opening keynote and Foundation Trivia fundraiser plus even more programs on a wide variety of content! Check out the full schedule here

Coming Up at the WLA Conference Next Week

Another YSS Volunteer Opportunity @ WLA

YSS is currently looking for members interested in being room monitors for YSS sponsored sessions at WLA. Room monitors check-in with speakers, sit through the presentation, count how many people attend the session, report attendance to the WLA registration table and if need be, alert speakers if they are reaching their time limit. If you are interested, please visit our Google Doc to sign up!

A few more conference highlights:

Burr/Worzalla Children's Book Winner

Thursday, October 19 2:15-3:00 PM

Join Sarah L. Thomson, author of this year’s Burr/Worzalla Award winner, as she presents on her title Deadly Flowers: A Ninja’s Tale, the exciting coming-of age story about Kata, a female ninja who must pave her own path when her first mission gets wildly out of hand.  Thomson’s book was selected as the winner by the Children's Book Award Committee of the WLA Youth Services Section after the examination and evaluation of titles from 2016 by authors and illustrators with a Wisconsin connection.

YSS Presents: R-Rated Storytime Social
Thursday, October 19 7:15 PM

Join YSS for an informal discussion of Andrea Davis Pinkney's luncheon presentation followed by R-Rated Storytime Social - A low-key, open-mic session for each and every youth services librarian who has ever experienced the occasional inappropriate moment on the job. From Freudian slips to unintentional innuendo to those crazy things that kids say, we know you've had THAT moment. Come ready to share and laugh along as we celebrate the unforeseen naughtiness that comes with the territory.

Can’t make it to the social but would like to share your story? YSS members are encouraged to send their most outrageous story time moment to YSS Board Member Caitlin Schaefer at cschaffer@cooney.lib.wi.us We’ll be sure and share it with the rest!

Link to Recorded Webinar: Collection Connections

If you missed the recent YSS Powerhouse Presents webinar, Collection Connections, or if you want to refer to it again, you can see it right here:  https://vimeo.com/140210587.

WLA 2010

WLA is right around the corner. Check out these great programs that are being sponsored by the Youth Services Section this year. For information about all the conference programs visit http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/conferences/2010/index.htm.

Wednesday, November 3

7:00 am - 8:30 am

• Youth Services Section Board & Business Meeting
  

10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

• Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Wisconsin Children's Book Awards (SPONSORED BY YSS)
  
  The Children's Book Award Committee of the WLA Youth Services Section carefully examined and evaluated 70+ titles by authors and illustrators with a Wisconsin connection. Come and hear them discuss this year’s winner, and also the books they selected to honor as Outstanding Books. Be ready for some great book talks! They will also talk about the process of selecting the winners and what it was like to be on this award committee.

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

• YSS Luncheon with Gordon Korman (SPONSORED BY YSS)
  
  Gordon Korman wrote his first novel when he was only twelve. A year and a half later, This Can’t Be Happening at Macdonald Hall was published by Scholastic. Now, twenty-five years after that 7th grade project, he has over sixty books to his credit, including the Island trilogy, No More Dead Dogs and Son of the Mob. Using his trademark humor, Mr. Korman will discuss his writing process and what goes into developing and writing his amazing children’s books.

2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

• “Can Children’s Books Save the World?” Behind the Scenes at the Arbuthnot Lecture – by the Lecturer (SPONSORED BY YSS)
  Presented by Kathleen T. Horning, Director, CCBC, UW-Madison
  
  The May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award is given annually by the Association for Library Services to Children, a division of ALA. The honoree “shall prepare a paper considered to be a significant contribution to the field of children's literature.” The 2010 Lecture was presented by Wisconsin’s own Kathleen T. Horning, Director of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center. Join us as Kathleen offers an “inside look” at the experience of making this prestigious presentation, and shares highlights from her paper: “Can Children’s Books Save the World?”

4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

• Graphically Speaking (SPONSORED BY YSS)
  Presented by Ruth Adams, Librarian, Memorial Library, UW-Madison
  
  Graphic novels are a huge growth area for teens and young adults. Do you know the difference between a graphic novel and a comic book? UW-Madison librarian Ruth Adams will discuss the growth of graphic novels as a literary format and help librarians get in tune with and understand what their readers are looking for.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

• Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2011 Nominees (SPONSORED BY YSS)
  Presented by Merri Lindgren, Librarian, CCBC, UW-Madison; Megan Schliesman, Librarian, CCBC, UW-Madison
  
  Beginning in 2011, the list formerly known as Best Books for Young Adults will become Best Fiction for Young Adults. Librarians from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) will talk about some of the titles nominated for the Young Adult Library Services Association’s (YALSA) 2011 Best Fiction for Young Adults list. The session will begin with a brief discussion on the list’s change in scope.

10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

• Using Media to Market Libraries (SPONSORED BY YSS)
  Presented by Linda Jerome, Librarian, La Crosse Public Library; Georgia Jones, Youth Services Librarian, C.A. Friday Memorial Library, New Richmond; Mark Ibach, Marketing and PR Coordinator, South Central Library System; Dawn Wacek, Youth Services Manager, Rice Lake Public Library; Jesse Vieau, Madison Public Library
  
  Photos, videos, social networking, blogs and more. Librarians are finding creative ways to showcase the fun things going on at their local libraries. Join our panel for examples, ideas and a discussion of best practices.

4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

• YSS Book Discussion (SPONSORED BY YSS)
  Presented by Merri Lindgren, Librarian, CCBC, UW-Madison; Megan Schliesman, Librarian, CCBC, UW-Madison
  
  Take this opportunity to participate in a book discussion led by librarians from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC). Everyone attending this session should read either Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper (Atheneum, 2010) or Bruiser by Neal Shusterman (HarperTeen, 2010) in preparation for this session. Participants will follow CCBC book discussion guidelines (www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/discguide.asp).
  
  Please go online to Survey Monkey to indicate your book choice at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3NNRPHB

Friday, November 5, 2010

8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

• Accessing and Promoting Spanish Language Children's Literature (SPONSORED BY YSS)
  Presented by Julie Kline, Academic Outreach and Program Coordinator, CLACS, UW-Milwaukee, Mayra Sánchez Negrón, Amy Baumgart
  
  Amy Baumgart and Mayra Negrón participated in a Fulbright-Hays Group Project, "Chile y la Literatura Infantil y Juvenil" sponsored by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS), University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee during the summer of 2008. The program, based in Santiago, Chile, focused on Spanish-language children's and YA literature. Julie Kline will share Spanish language literature recognized by the Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, sponsored by the national Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) and coordinated by CLACS. Participants will become aware of the availability and use of authentic text, both for second language learners and for heritage speakers. The presenters will be sharing a variety of book titles, potential publishers and vendors for acquisition and valuable Spanish language websites for librarians, parents and teachers.