Don't forget about you this summer!

Photo by Ava Sol on Unsplash

Hey Youth Librarians! How are we? We've made it about half way through the summer, and if you're anything like me, you're exhausted, but loving the chaos and the fun that summer brings in our line of work. Also, if you're anything like me, your work becomes a priority for the summer months, and self-care takes a back seat. Here is your reminder: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES!! 

In an article from the American Library Association, Erika Lehtonen states, "We can be so busy taking care of others, we forget about taking care of ourselves." I have certainly found myself saying, "I don't have time to...(insert any number of things) right now." Summer is busy and it can seem like you can't even find a few minutes to yourself, but remember how important it is to fill your cup. Self-care doesn't have to be big, elaborate, or even take too long. Lounge in a hammock, read a good book, pet your dog, build some legos, have dinner with friends, just make sure you're finding ways and moments to make your care the focus.

To read the tips from ALA visit the article here. [Self-Care: Because You Deserve It. Lehtonen, Erika. American Library Association] 

https://www.ala.org/advocacy/diversity/odlos-blog/Because-You-Deserve-It

Time for a Laugh During SLP

We know how intense summer is. Pair it with high temps, big storms and rolling black-outs just when you have an outside program or the performer has her amp plugged in and stress goes sky high.  

In the interest of self-care and providing an opportunity for a good laugh, we bring you this very funny article about a famous and very well-published author getting some comeuppance from other writers when he claims older white male writers have a deuced hard time getting published.

You can read the Book Riot post here. [Ellis, Danika. Authors Respond to James Patterson's Claims That White Writers Face "Another Form of Racism". Book Riot. June 14, 2022.]

Just Wondering… How Do You Balance Work and Life?

This month's column by Manitowoc (WI) Public Library Youth Librarian Susie Menk is thinking about how we stay balanced when the challenges mount up. And she's wondering....what do you think?

Image by Ralf Kunze from Pixabay

 Leadership in libraries is changing.  There are so many positions that are now available in libraries for managers and directors.  Is this a result of baby boomers retiring? Is this due to the challenges facing libraries? Or is it due to burnout at top levels?

How can staff manage with library leadership understaffed or not there at all?

Our library has been without a director for months now.  Our senior managers have been picking up the slack and recently we also had a manager leave due to health issues.  Yet our doors are still open, programs still need to go on.  Summer is coming and there is so much still to do.  How do we muster forward?  How can leaders keep staff motivated and upbeat for the toughest season of our year? 

Summer is one of the busiest times for public libraries. We have summer reading programs which include lots of extra activities and programming as well as extra staff time for its execution. How do we keep our sanity in this crazy time?

If one thing has become clear during the course of this pandemic, it’s that staff need time away–away from each other, away from service desks, away from the work place.  Staff need to have time to renew and refresh themselves.  Be sure to take walks outside on lunch breaks, read a book during a break to take your mind off whatever is causing stress in your work day, leave work on time and to leave work at work.  

But more than that, staff needs to feel that managers understand and also model good work/life balance.  Are managers remembering to take time off?  Have they left clear expectations or assigned a point person while they are gone?  Are they encouraging staff to take breaks and making sure there is coverage for those breaks? 

In the past, I know our library has offered chair massages, walking groups, and other opportunities for staff to step away from work.  What does your library do to support their managers and staff during the summer?  Do you do staff get-togethers outside of work to blow off steam?  Do you share favorite places or vacations that you have taken?  Do you plan fun staff activities for during the work week just to lighten the mood and increase morale?  Share what you do to help keep the balance!

The Library, Tragedies, and Our Community Losses

A recent post written by Leah Langby in Keeping Up with Kids blog from IFLS compassionately addressed how we can respond to difficult emotional circumstances in our community while we are grieving too.

Leah addresses not just what we can do for our communities when facing local trauma and losses but also how we can take care of ourselves in our sadness. She also links to some outstanding resources you can tap into. This is a must read post.

You can read the post here: Helping Communities Respond to Tragedies When We Are Sad Too. Leah Langby. Keeping Up with Kids blog. Dec 3, 2021

Sparking Your Fall Program Fires

A couple of recent blogs posted some fun resources to get your children's programming creativity going:

• Jbrary blog updated an older passive (or self-directed) program post with a lively round of current ideas from colleagues in Canadian libraries. With COVID-19 numbers rising and many libraries going back to virtual and off-line programming, the ideas found here may spark your planning!

• Kim Niesing, Youth Services Consultant at the Monarch Library System shared in her weekly email newsletter a great IA State Library archived webinar featuring Chelsea Price, a small library director sharing great practical ideas on  overcoming program burnout: When Programming Isn't Fun Anymore: Fighting Job Burnout and Relighting Your Programming Fire. Click here to access it.

• Also from Kim's newsletter, is a great piece from the Programming Librarian blog perfect for those doing indoor storytimes with masks. Kim writes:  "...this article gives some tips about how to keep the rich literacy experiences in storytime that could be hindered when your mouth is covered".

• Teen Services Underground shared some teen-planned virtual programs in a recent post.

Teens and Mental Health During the Pandemic

Image by Miroslava Chrienova from Pixabay

Anne Hamland, Public Library Services Consultant at the Wisconsin Valley Library Service (WVLS) recently shared this member library crowd-sourced document containing resources to help you help your teen patrons. We thank them for sharing this with us at the blog!

• Teens in Covid Isolation: ‘I Felt Like I Was Suffocating.’ NYTimes. Nov. 12 2020.

• Stress, Burnout, and Mental Health Resources. WI Department of Instruction. July 2020. 

• Self-Care for Stressful Times. Library Journal. June 1, 2021.

• Helping RevolTeens Fight the Mental Health Crisis. School Library Journal, Teel Librarian Toolbox. February 24, 2021.

• Support For Teens and Young Adults. CDC. May 5, 2021.

• Young Adults: care for yourself one small way each day. CDC.gov/coronavirus

• Students: care for yourself one small way each day. CDC.gov/coronavirus

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish, or Lifeline Crisis Chat

 

• The Trevor Project.

• Get Help Now: Text, Call, Chat crisis lines.

• How LGBTQ youth can cope with anxiety and stress during COVID-19. The Trevor Project. March 26, 2020.

• NAMI. National Alliance on Mental Illness

• Know the Warning Signs. 

• Teen and Young Adults. 

• How to Help a Friend.

• Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-NAMI, or in a crisis, text "NAMI" to 741741 

• What To Expect When The Virus Is Gone But COVID Trauma Goes On. Depresh Mode with John Moe. April 26, 2021.

• Topics A-Z. Child Mind Institute.

• Getting Help. American Academy of Child  Adolescent Psychiatry. 

• Teens' mental health claims skyrocket in pandemic. Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy,  University of Minnesota, March 3, 2021.

Outdoor Storytime Survival Kit, brought to you by ALSC

Summertime...and the reading is outdoors...

Ready to rock out some super sweet, SUPER HOT outdoor storytimes and other programs?  Check out this recent post from ALSC, written by Cassie Chenoweth, Youth Services Librarian II at Cobb County Public Library, on behalf of the ALSC Public Awareness and Advocacy Committee. 

Your library system has okayed outdoor storytime for the summer. You’ve read all the posts about best practices, planned a flexible program full of music, dancing, and big books and you’re ready to get started. Before you turn on your headset microphone, make sure you have these items packed in your go bag:

1. Water. Don’t forget to stay hydrated! You will want to bring your own water bottle, especially if the program is off site. 
2. Sun protection. It will be hot and if you live in the deep south like me, it will only get hotter. Bring sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen to protect yourself.  
3. Bug spray. Is your program at a park or nature preserve? Don’t forget your bug spray! You don’t want to be slapping away mosquitos while singing “If You’re Happy and You Know It”. 
4. Hair tie. You WILL sweat and if you’re a long haired individual like me, you won’t regret being able to pull it up. 
5. A great, flexible attitude! The kids will be so excited to be back at storytime you may need to be more flexible with your plans. Don’t worry about skipping a few pages in your book to sing another round of “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”. In person storytime has been gone for a while for them too. 

Good luck, and may the weather be ever in your favor!

To add to this list, I'd suggest bringing along a towel or cloth for your face, as well as--depending on how long you'll be outside--having a spare shirt on hand, should you go hog-wild with your Hokey Pokey and can't possibly fathom spending the rest of the day feeling like you've run a marathon in 100 degree heat.

What are your must-haves for staying cool and beating the heat?  Tell us in the comments!

Slowing Down

Many of us have been running at full-tilt during the pandemic. And, truth be told, some of us work at a pretty frantic pace even without a pandemic! It's easy to do when you are passionate about your work.

But is that sustainable for us, our co-workers and our library?

A recent ALSC Blog post by blogger Amy Steinbauer explores that passion, its consequences and the idea of adding mindfulness in a thoughtful post that all of us should take a few moments to read and reflect on. You can find the post here.

Additional links below shared by Tessa Michaelson Schmidt also can help us navigate our feelings as we continue to deal with feelings of stress, burnout and the ongoing challenges of meeting the pandemic - and our public and private lives - where we are at.

o     Feeling Blah During the Pandemic: It’s Called Languishing (New York Times)

o    The Other Side of Languishing is Flourishing (New York Times)

o    Late-Stage Pandemic Is Messing With Your Brain (The Atlantic): 

o    It’s Not Just You: Why Everyone is Super Exhausted Right Now (Salon): 

o     Brain Fog: How Trauma, Uncertainty, and Isolation Have Affected Our Minds and Memory (The Guardian)

o    4 Ways to Deal With Burnout (NPR)

Friday FAQs with Tessa for 3/12/21

Dear Library Staff Serving Youth, 

Happy Friday! Here is the latest installment of Friday FAQs for Youth Services. The slides used in the recording are attached as a PDF. Also, the FAQ Friday form is open for your input anytime. FAQs are published on the second Friday of each month. 

            FAQ Friday 3/12/2021 recording (5:34) 

FAQ Friday for Youth Services 2021 Form 

Question of the month: As we begin to re-emerge, reset, and return from the pandemic way of life, what can you say for certain? Is there anything you are sure about? Are there any changes you want to hold on to or let go?

 

For FAQ archives, visit the Youth Services Section blog 

Resources related to this week’s topics

• One Year Later
• Pandemic Reflections on Youth Librarianship: One Year Later (ALSC Blog)
• COVID Trauma Anniversary: It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (ALSC Blog)
• Planning Ahead
• Wisconsin Public Libraries Reopening Guide
• Racist Imagery
• Racist Imagery and Seuss (YSS Shout Out Blog) 
• CCBC Choices 2021
• CCBC Choices 2021, the latest edition of the CCBC’s annual best-of-the-year list, recommending 257 books for children and teens from birth- high-school age is available as pdf online: https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/literature-resources/ccbc-choices/ 
• All of the books in CCBC Choices 2021 are also searchable in the CCBC Recommended Books database.
• Check out the Upcoming Events for several online presentations in which the CCBC librarians will be featuring some of the books in CCBC Choices 2021.
• Beanstack
• Rebekah (Becky) Garrety rebekah@zoobean.com

 

Enjoy the signs of spring!

Sincerely,

 

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt (she/her/hers)

Youth and Inclusive Services Public Library Consultant

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction | Library Services

(608) 267-5077 Tessa.Schmidt@dpi.wi.gov

Friday FAQs with Tessa Michaelson Schmidt

• 6/18/21 recording

• 5/14/21 recording
• 4/9/21 recording
• 3/12/21 recording
• 2/12/21 recording
• 1/15/21 recording
• 12/11/20 recording
• 11/13/20 recording
• 10/9/20 recording
• 9/11/20 recording
• 8/14/20 recording
• 7/31/20 recording
• 7/17/20 recording
• 7/10/20 recording
• 6/26/20 recording
• 6/19/20 recording
• 6/11/20 recording
• 6/5/20 recording
• 5/29/20 recording
• 5/22/20 recording
• 5/15/20 recording
• 5/8/20 recording
• 5/1/20 recording
• 4/24/20 recording
• 4/17/20 recording
• 4/10/20 recording   

 

WISL PubLib - Treat Yo' Self (Self-Care in a Small Library) Recording

ICYMI:

Wisconsin's Small Library Section of WLA hosted a WISL PubLib 
session focusing on the topic of self-care.

Stay healthy, stay happy, and take of yourself!

Leaders, Leadership and Resilience in a Pandemic

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

We are all leaders even if we aren't in the position of a manager, director or administrator. The decisions we make as front-line staff and the ways we lead from our place in the organization are a vital piece or organizational culture.

As COVID cases continue to spike, we are looking at a long winter ahead. Our own leadership and resilience are sorely tested.

A recent blog post by a member of the ALSC Managing Children's Services Committee highlights skills and traits that can help in times of crisis like we are in. They write: "COVID-19 has been an extreme test of leadership across the country, causing even the strongest and most seasoned leaders to begin dreaming of early retirement. The library world is no exception. How can we be the kind of leader our teams need during so much uncertainty and change? What leadership skills and traits are most beneficial in these trying times?" Check out the blog post and see how these line up with your experience.

Another piece of leadership lies in our resilience and ability to cope in trying times. We are all experiencing fatigue and a depleted "surge capacity". This happens when a crisis has no definitive end but continues on a rolling basis. It affects our ability to roll with the punches, stay creative or find energy to continue to problem solve on a constant basis to meet the ongoing crisis. 

How can we work on our resilience? This article from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) has some key points to consider.

Compassion Resilience Webinar

 

On Tuesday Dec 8 from 1:00-2:00 pm the Department of Public Instruction is sponsoring a webinar to help you learn more about how to develop more resilience during trying times. The webinar will also explore the Compassion Resilience Toolkit developed by WiseWisconsin and Rogers Inhealth.

"Working for the public requires empathy and a desire to serve, and the past year has everyone running low. A focus on compassion resilience can guide you and your staff back to the core set of values and the drive for a sense of purpose that drew them to work in libraries in the first place."

To read the full article with more detailed description and register for the webinar, please stop at this WI Libraries for Everyone blog post.

Friday FAQs with Tessa 8/14/20

Dear Library Staff Serving Youth, 

Happy Friday! Here is the latest installment of Friday FAQs for Youth Services. The slides used in the recording are attached as a PDF. Also, the FAQ Friday form is open for your input on the next episode. FAQ Fridays are published on the second Friday of each month.

                FAQ Friday 8/14/2020 recording (5:14) https://youtu.be/EoXqkA3xl9w 

FAQ Friday form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcCCH0bDIXMTpzt4WBrfmJHvP-B7Vm_B5Ide6p0byioYwh9Q/viewform?usp=sf_link

 

(The next FAQ will air Friday Sept 11)

For FAQ archives, visit the Youth Services Section blog 

Resources related to this week’s topics

Beanstack Hour of Power for Wisconsin Public Libraries

• Recording https://zoobean.wistia.com/medias/p5md0xy6ep
• Upcoming sessions feedback form https://forms.gle/Rfr6r3K1ABFD5YWw7 
• Read Woke webinar featuring Cicely Lewis https://zoobean.wistia.com/medias/i66yhmduuz?fbclid=IwAR2p2cjv8ytyzkpgRqeVCM3uX83eS4P7d6JHns3_pc-KnLPR1ah1nS8w-j8  

Virtual Training Opportunity August 19: TeachingBooks' Diverse Books Toolkit
https://dpi.wi.gov/wilibrariesforeveryone/virtual-training-opportunity-august-19-teachingbooks-diversity-toolkit

Back to School Considerations for Wisconsin Public Libraries

https://dpi.wi.gov/wilibrariesforeveryone/back-school-considerations-wisconsin-public-libraries

 

Stress and Mental Health Resources

Compiled by System Staff and the Division for Libraries and Technology (DPI) 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13tn8PtrT2lp8y4-MMNfM4BTlO9C4FFxngM1tvR3_3vo/edit?usp=sharing 

 

Get Ready, Get Set, Go to Kindergarten
Submitted by Keiko Skow from the Racine Public Library, viewable until 8/18/20
https://sites.google.com/racinelibrary.info/getready 

 

 

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt

Public Library Consultant – Youth and Inclusive Services

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Division for Libraries and Technology

(608) 267-5077

Friday FAQs with Tessa Michaelson Schmidt

• 6/18/21 recording

• 5/14/21 recording
• 4/9/21 recording
• 3/12/21 recording
• 2/12/21 recording
• 1/15/21 recording
• 12/11/20 recording
• 11/13/20 recording
• 10/9/20 recording
• 9/11/20 recording
• 8/14/20 recording
• 7/31/20 recording
• 7/17/20 recording
• 7/10/20 recording
• 6/26/20 recording
• 6/19/20 recording
• 6/11/20 recording
• 6/5/20 recording
• 5/29/20 recording
• 5/22/20 recording
• 5/15/20 recording
• 5/8/20 recording
• 5/1/20 recording
• 4/24/20 recording
• 4/17/20 recording
• 4/10/20 recording