Chair's Corner - January 2024 YSS Board Updates

This month's January YSS board meeting update is from Cathy Pescinski, our YSS 2024 Chair and Teen Librarian at Shawano County Library.

The YSS Board met for our annual "retreat" in January. Out of respect for Wisconsin liking to winter anytime anyone has an in-person meet-up planned we chose to meet virtually. You can thank us for the lovely weather, because, Wisconsin, as it is known to do, decided not to winter since we chose to meet virtually. 

It was a great chance for some of our new Board members to meet the others on the Board and get some background on what we do throughout the year. We discussed upcoming events such as the YSS socials at WAPL in April and WLA in November and the 2024 Performer's Showcase.  Several ideas for webinars were discussed including tweens, reader advisory, teen mental health, sensory storytime, bilingual collections, and understanding manga, anime, and fan fiction. A survey will be coming for YSS members to gauge their interest in these areas and to see if there are other topics members would like addressed. 

We will be meeting monthly (except for summer). If you have any questions, concerns, or input you would like to add to our meeting or about YSS in general, don't hesitate to reach out to me at cpescinski@shawanolibrary.org. We are here to represent all of you and to develop meaningful resources for the membership. Also, if any of these activities sound interesting to you, please consider running for a Board position this fall! Reach out to any of us for more information, stop us and say hi at any conference, or drop in on one of the YSS socials.

[Note: Want to read the December 2023 board meeting minutes that the YSS board just approved at their January meeting? YSS members can access the 2023 YSS board minutes as well as previous years’ minutes at the YSS page of the Wisconsin Library Association website. Do you want to read the minutes but are not a YSS member? Please consider becoming a member by joining WLA so you can stay updated on all the YSS action.] 

YSS Social at the CCBC

Socializing at the YSS Social at the CCBC

On October 25 during the WLA Conference in Middleton, YSS collaborated with UW-Madison's Cooperative Children's Book Center to make our annual YSS Social an even more special event. Over 20 youth services library staff and other interested people registered for this delightful event. The YSS board and CCBC librarians were on hand for the evening fun.

Discovering all the CBC has to offer

The evening opened with a very brief - but very interesting verbal tour of the CCBC's space. We found out about the many 4th floors that the CCBC has occupied during its existence; discovered the difference between "current" and "basic" collections; found out WHERE ALL THE BOOKS COME FROM; discovered that there are ARCs (advanced readers copies), bookmarks and other interesting book-related pieces sent by publishers that are given away FREE; were reminded of the amazing intellectual freedom services provided; learned about the Charlotte Zolotow Award and Lecture and were clued in to how using the CCBC can save selectors a ton of money with hands-on book examination to help separate the wheat from the chaff.

Scavenger hunt selfie taking

But that's not all. Attendees heard some great booktalks from CCBC librarians Tessa Michaelson Schmidt and Merri Lindgren. I don't think I was the only one putting those books on hold (via my phone's handy Library app) as Tessa and Merri regaled us with the plots.

There was plenty of time to look more closely at the collections and visit with each other as the evening went on. As a bonus, the staff had prepared a scavenger hunt for interested youth sleuths. For those who chose to participate we needed to find five items on the list and take a selfie of ourselves with each book or item found. Those that completed the hunt went home with a free book!

Picking out a scavenger hunt prize book

It was an excellent evening and an excellent way for YSS folks and other youth library staff to visit a nearby state treasure and get more familiar with it - and each other!

Thanks CCBC for the great evening!

Don't Forget to Join Us at WLA YSS Social

 

Join YSS members and board at the CCBC for a delightful early evening of chatting, looking at the CCBC and fun with CCBC staff and Yass members from throughtout the state. You don't have to be a member to join us but you do have to pre- register. 

                                             Register here:  YSS Social Registration

YSS Social Sponsored by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)

Wednesday, October 25 | 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

CCCBC | 401 Teacher Education Building, 225 N. Mills Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA

Join YSS for an evening at the Cooperative Children’s Book Center! The CCBC is the statewide examination center for children’s and young adult literature, located on the UW Madison campus. The social will include an informal tour, activities related to great new books and intellectual freedom, light refreshments, and enriching conversation.  Information about campus parking and other details can be found at Visiting the CCBC. Contact Director Tessa Michaelson Schmidt at (608) 263-3721. 

Chair's Corner - October 2023 YSS Board Updates

This month's September YSS board meeting update is from Alison Loewen, our YSS 2023 Chair and Youth Services Librarian, Mead Public Library, Sheboygan

The WLA Annual Conference is only one week away, and I am excited to see so many of you there! There is not only an incredible line-up of educational presentations, but many opportunities to connect with both new and old friends. Make sure to first visit the YSS Board at the Exhibit Hall during the opening reception, 6:30-8:30.  We will be passing out buttons and sharing information about a few upcoming events. 

On Wednesday afternoon, the YSS luncheon will be quite the treat, with guest speaker Ebony LaDelle presenting. Thursday morning, those interested in what the board has been up to and what we are thinking about for 2024, are welcome to attend our business breakfast at 7:30am in the Middleton Board Room. And don’t forget about the YSS social at the CCBC. Space is limited, so please pre-register if you are interested in attending. Sign up now by clicking this link.  WLA has its own line-up of special events, so make sure you check out the schedule here.

Looking forward, there are a few special events I hope you will keep on your radar. The WLA Performers Showcase is scheduled for December 8th, and will provide previews of performances from area artists available for booking at your library.  And we have set the date for our next YSS Webinar “Connecting 1, 2, 3 to A, B, C: Exploring Early Math and its Implications for Emergent Literacy in Young Child Programming”. Save January 11th 3-4pm, for what is certainly going to be an inspiring conversation with Dr. Kathleen Campana of Kent State University and University of WI Madison Information School PhD Candidate Jacqueline Kociubuk.    

We are looking forward to a great end of 2023, and another wonderful year ahead.  I hope you can join us at our annual business meeting at the WLA conference! The board would love to meet you!

YSS Social at WLA Fall Conference

 

Join YSS members and board at the CCBC for a delightful early evening of chatting, looking at the CCBC and fun with CCBC staff and Yass members from throughtout the state. You don't have to be a member to join us but you do have to pre- register. 

 Register here:  YSS Social Registration

YSS Social Sponsored by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)

Wednesday, October 25 | 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

CCCBC | 401 Teacher Education Building, 225 N. Mills Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA

Join YSS for an evening at the Cooperative Children’s Book Center! The CCBC is the statewide examination center for children’s and young adult literature, located on the UW Madison campus. The social will include an informal tour, activities related to great new books and intellectual freedom, light refreshments, and enriching conversation.  Information about campus parking and other details can be found at Visiting the CCBC. Contact Director Tessa Michaelson Schmidt at (608) 263-3721. 

Chair's Corner - September 2023 YSS Board Updates

This month's September YSS board meeting update is from Alison Loewen, our YSS 2023 Chair and Youth Services Librarian, Mead Public Library, Sheboygan

The annual WLA conference is scheduled for October 24-27th in Middleton. The program schedule is live on the website, so you can peruse offerings and determine if a full conference, or single day registration makes sense for you and your Library.  There are some amazing off-site tours and events you should take advantage of if you can, including YSS social at the CCBC Wednesday, October 25 from 6-7:30 p.m.  This will be a great opportunity to not only check out the amazing space and chat with CCBC Librarians, but also to reconnect with your board members, and other YS staff from around the state.  The event requires special registration, so sign up now by clicking this link.  You do not need to attend the conference to attend the social, so keep the social in mind when planning your Wednesday evening.

Another Fall opportunity, is an invitation to apply for WLA’s Children's Book Award Committee (CBAC)! The CBAC annually bestows the Burr/Worzalla Award and Notable Children's Author/Illustrator Award uWhile it is still technically summer for a week or so longer, it sure does feel like Fall.  Summer reading prizes have been awarded, and the kids are back in school.  Every book on apples has disappeared off the shelves, and just like squirrels gathering acorns, you might consider placing holds on your favorite winter read-alouds just to make sure you are ready for when the inevitable snow arrives.  It’s also time to think about a few opportunities that WLA has on the horizon.

pon Wisconsin's best and brightest book creators.  

The CBAC is looking to fill 2 vacant committee seats starting in 2024. The committee will meet (likely virtually) three times during the Spring of 2024 to deliberate and decide. If you are interested, please review the committee duties  and submit the following via email me at alison.loewen@meadpl.org

• Name, Job Title, Library, and City

• Are you a current member of WLA and YSS?

• Please describe your professional library work experience, including any reviewing

            experience and/or WLA committee work.

• Please detail your reading preferences, including any areas of special interest.

• Why should we consider you for a position on this committee?

Applications are due by 11:59pm on Friday, October 13.

If you have any questions about any of these opportunities, feel free to reach out to myself or other members of the board, 

Looking forward to seeing you at WLA!

YSS WAPL Social - Join Us!

 

Meet us Thursday night at 7:30 in the party room at the Ground Round restaurant at the hotel!  We invite you to bring a 1-page handout with a program idea that you think would be fun for other libraries to implement.

Good times, fun meet-ups and a chance to kick back and relax with youth services friends, old and new!

Dungeons & Dragons & Dang, That Was Fun!

Today, YSS Board member and Oconomowoc Public Library Youth Services Librarian Caitlin Schaffer shares the scoop on a fun WLA/YSS Social she helped coordinate and co-host..

In case you missed the ruckus of forty-something librarians all playing Dungeons and Dragons at WLA, here’s a quick snapshot of what happened: 

• Book organization!? 

• “So, then I Indiana Jones’ed my bag of coins onto the pressure plate…”

• The floor is lava! 

• “What spell can I cast that would make the statue fart?” 

…and so on. Just another day at a library conference! 

A little background on why D&D was featured so much at this year’s annual conference: The conference was held in Lake Geneva, which is considered to be the “home” of Dungeons & Dragons. Gary Gygax, the game’s original creator, lived in Lake Geneva at the time of the game’s conception, making it the first geographic location where D&D was played. D&D is also having somewhat of a renaissance, due in large part to the popularity of shows like Stranger Things, Critical Role, and The Adventure Zone. Many libraries are already hosting D&D events, and others are starting to see requests from patrons rolling in, either for programs, materials, or both.

If you are unfamiliar with D&D, it can be pretty daunting figuring out how to get started. We decided to combine the YSS Social with a D&D Social, both as a fun opportunity for those familiar with the game to get together and play, and for those unfamiliar to try it out and/or observe a game in action. We tracked down seven willing DMs (Dungeon Masters) to help lead our intrepid adventurers, one of whom wrote the adventure (referred to as a one-shot) each table played. Each player had a selection of pre-made characters to choose from, which they could name, assign some backstory to, and roleplay as if they wanted to. 

The story revolved around a group of adventurers hired by an unnamed benefactor to collect a rare, mysterious book out of a dungeon-like location. Hijinks including riddles, a sassy goblin, statuary, a giant automaton, and the threat of impending lava ensued. Each group had two hours to play, and all finished (more or less) within the time. Each table had at least four to seven players, each coming to the table with varying levels of experience, and everyone seemed to be having a lovely time. One lucky player won a Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set for their library, donated by Barry McKnight, Conference Committee Chair, and each player was able to go home with a standard set of dice, generously donated by a couple of the evening’s DMs. 

As most library conference YSS socials tend to go, there was laughter, silliness, socializing, and a general uplifting of spirits in what has been a difficult time for our profession. For those of you who were able to attend and hang out with us, thank you! We hope you enjoyed spending time with like-minded gamers, or that you feel a little more educated and empowered to bring D&D to your library. If you missed it, never fear! There’s already talk of meeting up again next year at Middleton. We’ll be ready to roll again next fall. 

P.S.: There were also a couple of breakout sessions at the conference involving D&D in libraries. In case you missed them, here are the slides for each presentation: 

Behind the Screen: Intro to Being a Dungeon Master

Beyond the Gaming Table: Engaging Patrons through Storytelling RPGs

Did you attend a youth related session, keynote or luncheon at the recent WLA Conference? We'd love your write-up to share with other YSS Blog readers. Just send it to lochwouters@gmail.com!

YSS Social at WAPL - Mark Your Calendars

 

YOU are invited! 

This year at the WAPL conference, we’ll be relaxing with board games, great conversations and snacks on the night of Thursday, May 12, 7:30-9:00pm in the Oakton Foyer room of the conference center.  This is a great way to unwind after a long day of conferencing and get to know other staff serving youth from around WI.  Pajamas welcome.

We hope to see you there!