ALA Editions/Neal-Schuman

AASL’s guide to social and emotional learning for picture book readers

CHICAGO — Published by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and ALA Editions, Maureen Schlosser’s book “Social and Emotional Learning for Picture Book Readers” spotlights 24 compelling picture books with ready-to-go lesson plans that support social and emotional learning (SEL) through the National School Library Standards. Each chapter focuses on one SEL theme to help learners practice targeted social-emotional skills.

ALA Editions Special Report examines Black and African Americans’ experiences in libraries

CHICAGO — Still a predominantly white profession, librarianship has a legacy of racial discrimination, and it is essential that we face the ways that race impacts how we meet the needs of diverse user communities. Identifying and acknowledging implicit and learned bias is a necessary step toward transforming not only our professional practice but also our scholarship, assessment, and evaluation practices.

Outcome-based planning and evaluation for youth services

CHICAGO — Outcome-based planning and evaluation (OBPE), with its straightforward approach built on a flexible framework, is the perfect model to enable youth services professionals to deliver effective services regardless of uncertainties. An outcome-based approach can help youth services stay grounded in producing desired outcomes with and for youth through responsive programs, services, and processes that can adapt to changing conditions.

Life skills programs and activities at the library

CHICAGO — Between making financial decisions, maintaining a healthy work–life balance, and juggling health, family, friends, and other responsibilities, life can feel overwhelming. Place these same responsibilities on an individual just entering adulthood who has less real-life experience and it can feel even more overwhelming. So why not make sure our teens and young adults are more prepared to face the world before they go out on their own? How can we also reinforce these skills for adults who may never have learned them or who may need a refresher?

ALA Store at 2022 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition

Located in the Library Marketplace at Booth #1833, the ALA Store will offer a wide range of promotional, continuing education, professional development, and gift items during the 2022 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition. You can also get free shipping on all book orders placed and prepaid in the ALA Store (posters, bookmarks, and other gift-type items are not eligible for free shipping). Store hours are:

A comprehensive HR toolkit for public library managers

CHICAGO — Human resources is an area of leadership that requires its own specialized knowledge, but many library managers and directors assume their roles without any background knowledge of HR or adequate training. “The Public Library Director's HR Toolkit,” published by ALA Editions, is here to fill those gaps. Vetted by HR professionals as well as an attorney who specializes in employment law, this resource by Kate Hall and Kathy Parker provides a framework of knowledge to develop one’s skills and confidence. Readers will learn:

The Newbery Practitioner’s Guide

CHICAGO — Just in time to celebrate a century of the Newbery Medal, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and ALA Editions present “The Newbery Practitioner’s Guide: Making the Most of the Award in Your Work.” Edited by Laura Schulte-Cooper, this book digs in and explores where the distinguished award intersects with library work in a range of areas such as collection policy, advocacy, programming, EDI efforts, and censorship.

Vnuk’s updated weeding handbook

CHICAGO — Filled with field-tested strategies and adaptable collection development policies, the new second edition of Rebecca Vnuk’s “The Weeding Handbook: A Shelf-by-Shelf Guide,” published by ALA Editions, will enable libraries to bloom by maintaining a collection that users actually use. Vnuk has revised and updated her acclaimed text to keep pace with libraries’ longer-term shifts in collection development and access, such as a growing emphasis on digital collections and managing duplicate physical materials.

Managing data for patron privacy

CHICAGO — Libraries are not exempt from the financial costs of data breaches or leaks, no matter the size. Whether from a library worker unwittingly sharing a patron’s address with a perpetrator of domestic violence to leaving sensitive patron data unprotected, patrons can also pay a hefty price when libraries fail to manage patron data securely and ethically.