ASCLA Announces 'Using Comics to Promote Literacy' institute at the 2015 Midwinter Meeting

CHICAGO — The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) will host a noteworthy institute, "Using Comics to Promote Literacy," at the 2015 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Chicago.

The event will be held from noon – 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, at a location to be determined. This event requires advance ticket purchase, but registration for the 2015 Midwinter Meeting is not required in order to purchase a ticket. Membership in ASCLA is not required in order to participate, but ASCLA members receive the best registration rates on all of these events; learn more about ASCLA and join today.  All Institute attendees will receive two TOON Books, one of which is a recipient of the 2010 ALA Geisel Award!

This topic is important and timely in today's increasingly visual culture. Participants in “Using Comics to Promote Literacy” will learn how to use comics to promote both verbal and visual literacy for emerging and struggling readers, as well as learn how comics are used to teach the common core state standards in reading and writing. Our speakers will address the academic legitimacy of the comics genre, with examples of how and why comics are so effective in teaching reading and writing. Our speakers will also discuss how images imply rather than illustrate, so readers learn to make connections and provide narrative between events, leading to the ability to visualize and make "mental maps."  Attendees will gain an appreciation of the depth and nuances found in comics, learn why comics are not just fun to read, but an incredibly rich resource to capture and fuel a young reader's imagination.

ASCLA, a small, mighty and growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), is a diverse organization of librarians and support staff who work in academic and public libraries, state agencies, specialized libraries and cooperatives, as well as those who are self-employed. Our division’s work centers on member-driven interest groups that represent the diversity and important work of our engaged and active members. Learn more about ASCLA and how to join this innovative division.