Services to Preschool Children and Their Caregivers Meeting Highlights

ALA Midwinter Meeting 2007, Seattle, WA

Committee members present:  Penny Neef, West Bloomfield Township Public Library – chair, Pamela Martin-Diaz, Allen County Public Library, Anne Robert, Jacksonville Public Library, Rhonda Putney, Lakeshores Library System, Betsy Diamant-Cohen, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Nell Colburn – ALSC representative, Multnomah County Library

Committee member absent:  Gudrun Priemer, Skokie Public Library

Visitors: Sharon Deeds – past committee member, DeKalb County Public Library, Nobuko Wilson, New York Public Library, Silvana Mazo, Highpoint Public Library, Cathy Sanford – PLA liaison, Contra Costa County Library

Committee membership update-
Rhonda Putney would like to resign from the committee.  The committee welcomes Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen to the committee.

Colburn reported that ALSC has formed an Early Literacy Task Force that will be discussing evaluation of the Every Child Ready to Read program and the Born to Read program.  Gretchen Wronka, Hennepin County Library, will chair this task force. Their first official meeting is Monday, January 22, although they will be attending an informal meeting with this committee and the ALSC Early Childhood Programs and Services Committee on January 21.

Martin-Diaz reported on the program the committee sponsored in New Orleans, “Caregivers and Librarians as Partners:  Helping Every Child Become Ready to Read”. She shared the many positive evaluations from this program.

Robert reported on the survey she conducted of PUBYAC and the response she received when she posted information from the committee’s program, “Leave No Baby or Toddle Behind:  Summer Reading Programs for Our Youngest Patrons”. Sharon Deeds and the staff of DeKalb County Public Library created this information.  This was an attempt by the committee to disseminate information from past programs that could be used by librarians who are unable to attend national conferences. Robert received positive responses from this posting.  Deeds felt we needed to include contact information so that people could ask for more information.

Colburn reported that every committee in ALSC would have their own wiki to share information and ideas. There was discussion that the Every Child Ready to Read wikki could be the central place to post early literacy information for librarians.  Roberts will investigate this wikki and find out if there can be links to Power Point presentations, handouts and summaries of programs posted to it. The committee may also have members who are willing to write journal articles based on information from past programs.

Diamant-Cohen shared her doctoral work, which involved constructing an online “wizard” for developing early literacy programs for both libraries and daycare providers.

Neef summarized the upcoming program for ALA-2007 in Washington, D.C. entitled “Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tales:  Every BOY Ready to Read @ your Library”.  Dr. Leonard Sax, author of Why Gender Matters, will be presenting the latest research on the male brain, how this research may change the way librarians do story times for boys and how this research can be communicated to parents and caregivers. Dr. Sax will present and there will be a question/answer forum.

Neef summarized the committee’s program proposal for PLA-2008 in Minneapolis.  The committee has asked Lillian Duran, a doctoral candidate from the University of Minnesota, to speak about the “language of the heart”. She will present research showing why it is important to nurture and celebrate a child’s home language.  This program will also include a panel of two librarians from Hennepin County who are using Ms. Duran’s research to implement library programs.

The committee discussed ideas for ALA-2008 Annual Conference in Anaheim.  The committee may pursue the idea of using writing in early literacy library programs.  A possible title is: “Every Child Ready to Read and Write @ your Library”.  The committee will investigate possible speakers from the southern California area.

ALA Annual 2006, New Orleans, LA

Committee Members Present:    Penny Neef, West Bloomfield Township Public Library – chair, Pamela Martin-Diaz, Allen County Public Library, Sharon Deeds, DeKalb County Public Library, Ann Robert, Jacksonville Public Library, Rhonda Putney, Lakeshores Library System

Committee Members Absent:   Gudrun Priemer, Skokie Public Library, Nell Colburn – ALSC representative, Multnomah County Library

1. Committee roster updated

Deeds will be resigning from the committee when her term is up. Cornelia Van Aken and Cathy Ormsby are no longer members of the committee. The committee roster has not been updated on the PLA website.   Neef will communicate with PLA and have the roster updated.

2. Old business

Martin-Diaz reported on a very successful program at PLA in Boston, sponsored by the committee, “Leave No Pre-schooler or Toddler Behind:   Summer Reading Programs and Our Youngest Patrons”. Martin-Diaz also reported on an excellent program in New Orleans, “Care-givers and Librarians as Partners:   Helping Every Child Become Ready to Read”.

3. New business

Program proposal for ALA, 2007 in Washington D.C. –

The committee has submitted a program proposal for ALA, 2007 entitled “Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails:   Every BOY Ready to Read @ your Library” This program will inform librarians about the latest research on male brains and how this research affects boys learning styles.   This information will help librarians plan more effective early literacy story times.  It will also give librarians information about boys that they can pass on to parents and other caregivers.

Dr. Leonard Sax, author of Why Gender Matters will be the speaker. Dr. Sax is a family physician and a psychologist.   He speaks around the world about brain research and gender differences.  Neef reported that he has agreed to an $800 honorarium with no travel expenses for the conference in Washington D.C.  The committee hopes to have their program proposal approved in the next month.

Disseminating information

The committee has previously discussed ways to disseminate information about early literacy, the great ideas that have come from the past programs the committee has sponsored, and Every Child Ready to Read to the general public as well as to librarians and other professionals who are not able to attend the large, national conferences. For example, Martin-Diaz provided some many practical answers to the question, “My baby can’t read, why should I read to my baby?” at PLA in Boston. The discussion about communicating this type of information continued at this meeting with the committee members agreeing to the following-

·        Putney and Deeds will investigate posting information with the CSLP (Cooperative Summer Library Programs).

·        Robert will investigate posting information to listserves that librarians use.

·        Martin-Diaz will investigate posting information to state association youth services areas.

·        Neef will investigate posting speaker’s notes to the PLA website.

ALA Midwinter 2006, San Antonio, TX

Committee Members Present:   Penny Neef - chair, Pamela Martin-Diaz, Sharon Deeds, Ann Robert – new member, Nell Colburn – ALSC representative, Sari Feldman – library services cluster liaison

Committee Members Absent:   Rhonda Putney, Cathy Ormsby

Observers:   Marcia Sandowski

1. Meeting agenda distributed

2. Committee roster updated

Anne Robert would like to join the committee.   Anne is a children’s librarian at the South Mandarin Regional Library (Jacksonville Public Library), 12125 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville, Florida.  Her email address is: arobert@coj.net.  The committee welcomes her.

3. Old business -

The committee had proposed and was approved to sponsor two upcoming programs:   “Leave No Pre-schooler or Toddler Behind:   Summer Reading Programs and Our Youngest Patrons” to be presented at PLA, 2006 in Boston by Pamela Martin-Diaz, Sharon Deeds, and Deb Noggle, and “Care-providers and Librarians as Partners:  Helping Every Child Become Ready to Read” to be presented at ALA, 2006 in Washington D.C. by a panel including Roseanne Russo, Renea Arnold, and other youth librarians. 

4. New business –

Discussion of inter-committee relationship with ALSC –

Our program times/dates should not conflict since they are often on similar topics.   Nell Colburn is ALSC representative on this committee. Should we have a representative on the corresponding ALSC committee (Early Childhood Services and Programs)?   Nell and Sari Feldman will look into the possibilities.  It was suggested that Penny Neef and Linda Ernst, chair of ALSC Early Childhood Services and Programs Committee meet informally, possibly in Boston.

Discussion of possible programs/sessions for ALA, 2007 in Washington D.C. –

This committee would like to sponsor a preconference session based on Pamela Martin-Diaz and Saroj Nadkarni Ghoting’s book, Early Literacy Storytimes @ your library. There was discussion that this should be a program cosponsored by PLA and ALSC, but Sari Feldman felt it could only be submitted by PLA.   Pamela will write up the program proposal.

Discussion of other regular session ideas for Washington D.C. –

Two possibilities were discussed.   The first was a panel discussion that would focus on how participation in Every Child Ready to Read can have major impact on many different aspects of youth services including the library environment, storytimes, programs, materials, outreach, and daily one on one patron interactions.   Another program possibility discussed was a program based on the brain research that has been done on the differences between boys and girls from birth.  How does this research affect boys learning as it relates to the six literacy skills?  How can librarians use this information to make their storytimes and other literacy initiatives more effective for boys?

After much discussion, the committee agreed that the program, tentatively titled “Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails:   Every Boy Ready to Read @ your library” would offer new material and promote Every Child Ready to Read in the most effective manner.   Penny Neef will begin searching for a main speaker who can discuss the latest brain research on boys.  She will contact the NICHD in Washington, D.C. and Johns Hopkins for possible speakers.  There may also be a panel of librarians who could discuss how they develop effective literacy programs for boys.  The committee would love to find a male librarian who does great storytimes.

Penny will write up the program proposal for submission.

Discussion of possible articles –

The committee has previously discussed publishing article/s about the role of public libraries in promoting literacy, specifically the six Every Child Ready to Read skills. The committee would like to see these articles published in non-library journals to raise literacy awareness among parents and/or daycare providers.   There was discussion that if a basic template for an article was provided to libraries around the country, it could be submitted to local publications, such as daycare associations, parent newsletters, etc.   Pamela Martin-Diaz agreed to take on the task of writing such an article.

ALA Midwinter 2005, Boston, MA

Pamela Martin-Diaz, Chair

Small but efficient and effective group. Request more members.
Programs planeed or proposed through ALA 2006. 
Proposing articles on early literacy & libraries.
Program proposal to address providing care to day care providers, outreach and early literacy support.
Who is carrying on the work of the Early lit Task Force? getting word out to non-library communities.

Members present: Sharon Deeds, Susan Erickson

Members absent: Cathy Ormsby, Rhone Puntney, Cornelia Van Aken, Wendy Wilcox

Visitors: Kristine Cooper

ALA Annual Conference 2004, Orlando, FL

Wendy Wilcox, Chair
6/27/04

1. 1. Review of ALA 2005 program proposal, "Kindergarten: The New First Grade?" Will submit request for info on publib & preschool Liservs to find more panelists.

2. Will complete article "Kindergarten Readiness" by September 15 so can be submitted to PL, AL, ALSC by end of year 2004.

3. 2 programs proposed for ALA 2006 and PLA 2006.

   • PLA2006 "What Libraries can do to Support Continuing Education of Child Care Providers."

   • ALA2006 "Summer Reading Programs for Birth thru Age 5." Exploring partnering with ALSC.

4. Article on Summer Reading for Birth thru Age 5 to submit by December 2005.

Members present: Sharon Deeds, Wendy Wilcox-chair, Pamela Martin-Diaz-incoming chair

Members absent: Nanci Byers, Maralite Freeny, Cathy Ormsby
Kelly Shepherd and Cornelia van Aken, did not hear from

Visitors: Carol Simmons, LS Cluster Liasion

ALA Midwinter Conference 2004, San Diego, CA

Wendy Wilcox, Chair
1/11/04

This is a very active and energetic committee-although they did not have their last program accepted for the PLA conference in February, they are working on a program tentatively named "Kindergarden in a Box", which would deal with early childhood literacy for ALA 05. They intend to partner with the Chicago Public Library on this program and also possibly with the American Pediatric Association loated in Chicago. Their program would be a combination of the exisiting "Kindergarden in a Box" program and a program Wendy has created for her library.

They are also excited about the publication of a "best practices" article about early childhood library programs in non-library journals and public services announcements that would support this initiative. They plan to creat brochures and bookmarks to go along with the pr program.

Members present: Wendy Wilcox, Elizabeth Acerra, Maralita Freeny, Pamela Martin-Diaz

Members absent: Nanci Byers, Sharon Deeds, Cathy Ormsby, Kelly Shepherd, Cornelia Van Aken

Visitors: Susan Erickson, ALSC liaison

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