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2022 ALSC National Institute Education Programs
All ALSC National Institute Education Programs are designed to meet the ongoing and topical professional development needs of individuals serving children and families in libraries. Attendees and potential attendees can review the ALSC Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Libraries to see which professional development competencies each education program meets.
Applying Improvisational Skills in Public Librarianship
Improv is generally understood to be for comedians, but the concept of "Yes, And!" or accepting and building on new information, is a valuable tool for public library staff! Presenters Chelsea Condren and Jessica Espejel from the Early Literacy Department at the New York Public Library will facilitate improv-inspired activities to demonstrate how improvisation skills can be useful in many aspects of librarianship, from engaging patrons in programs to reader's advisory.
Presenters: Chelsea Condren, New York Public Library; Jessica Espejel, New York Public Library
ALSC Competencies: 2.5, 3.6, 5.8
Beyond Storytime: Dynamic Library Literacy Programs that Snap, Crackle, and Pop!
With constantly changing communities, many public libraries are now offering dynamic programs and partnerships that go 'beyond storytime.' Join Library Director Michelle Willis (NJ) and Consultant Denise Lyons (NC/SC) who will share their experience in developing unique, community-centered library programs, such as Food Literacy (Snap), Nature Storywalks (Crackle) and Grandfamily Resource Centers (Pop) - and many more! Learn tips to assess and engage your community as well as receive resources for easy replication in your library.
Presenters: Denise Lyons, Consultant; Michelle Willis, Scotch Plains Public Library
ALSC Competencies: 1.3, 3.5, 3.9, 5.6, 7.2
Black Kids Camp Too, Don't They?
Several recent picture books portray Black children having immersive experiences in nature and loving the outdoors. When storytime providers acknowledge the importance of representation in these books, they can use them in more culturally responsive ways. Focusing on books like Bogan and Cooper's Where's Rodney and Mann's The Camping Trip, Martin and Mills have developed a literary framework that explores the commonalities among these books - features we will use to spark innovative programming ideas.
Presenters: Dr. Michelle H. Martin, University of Washington; Dr. J. Elizabeth Mills, Scholar
ALSC Competencies: 1.1, 1.3, 1.6, 3.1, 4.2
Considering Reconsideration
Join the ALSC Managing Children's Services Committee (2021-2022) for a roundtable discussion on managing material reconsiderations. Discuss trends in intellectual freedom, review ALA tools available to support defending materials, share ideas for training frontline youth services staff, and review a variety of policies and procedures that support and defend the freedom to read. Attendees are invited to bring their library's request for reconsideration forms and sample collection policies to highlight and discuss best practices.
Presenters: Katie Cerqua, Virginia Beach Public Library; Tanya DiMaggio, St. Tammany Parish Library; Kerrie Meirop, Calabasas Library; Diana Price, Alexandria Library; Kristin Williamson, Metropolitan Library System
ALSC Competencies: 1.1, 2.1, 4.3, 4.8, 5.4
Data, Development and Diversity (Oh My!)
You've done the hard work of the diversity audit and collected the data. What do you do with it next? This presentation will explore the ways that the children's literature department can use their data to assess collection development practices, create and participate in training, and develop initatives as staff work to create meaningful, long-lasting change for their community.
Presenters: Lisa Mulvenna, Clinton-Macomb Public Library; Brittany Wesner, Clinton-Macom Public Library
ALSC Competencies: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.5
Imagine That! Rethinking Play at the Library
Self-directed play is essential for child development and, unfortunately, increasingly replaced by adult-designed activities. In 2020, Madison Public Library opened its first PlayLab, designed for open-ended, flexible play. Now, MPL has taken on the task of re-thinking play spaces and encouraging child-led play in all its libraries. In this session, you'll learn what questions we asked, what challenges we faced, and how our current play spaces, filled with fresh, open-ended play materials, engage the community.
Presenters: Carissa Christner, Madison Public Library; Holly Storck-Post, Madison Public Library
ALSC Competencies: 1.4, 1.6, 1.7, 2.8, 3.2
Learning Beyond: The Urgency of Summer and the ALSC Toolkit for Summer and OST Programming
In response to the movement for deeper outcomes and multiple literacies in summer and OST programs, ALSC commissioned a Task Force to create a Toolkit for national adaptation. This session will focus on the components of this Toolkit and offer equity-based examples of how to deepen summer learning and OST programming to provide joyous, 21st century learning for all youth during COVID-19 recovery and beyond.
Presenters: Sue Abrahamson, Waupaca Public Library; Elizabeth McChesney, National Summer Learning Association
ALSC Competencies: 1.1, 1.4, 1.5
More Than a Checkbox: APALA's Evaluation Rubric for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Youth Literature
In 2020-2021, the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) created a comprehensive rubric for evaluating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) representation in youth literature, guided by the Council on Interracial Books for Children's "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Sexism and Racism." Our goal is to empower librarians, educators, and other stakeholders with tools and resources for critically assessing AAPI media representation, to combat misinformation, and to embrace the intersectionality of diverse readership as we work toward collective liberation.
Presenters: Amy Kyung-Eun Breslin, Lorain Public Library System; Sarah Park Dahlen, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Kristen Kwisnek, Independent Scholar and School Librarian; Becky Leathersich, SUNY Geneseo
ALSC Competencies: 1.1, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4
Namaste at the Library: Yoga Programs for Youth
Have you ever wanted to teach yoga at your library, but you don't know where to begin? Put on your stretchy pants for an interactive, fun session to learn easy ideas for basic yoga poses, games and songs, and other activities that can easily be incorporated into baby/toddler storytime, preschool storytime, and classes for school-aged kids! We'll also discuss tips for creating special themed events like "Harry Potter Yoga" and "Warrior Goddess Yoga." Participants may observe or relax and take a conference break while joining the group to learn sample poses and games. No prior yoga experience needed!
Presenters: Leigh Ramey, South Carolina State Library
ALSC Competencies: 1.4, 2.8, 3.1, 4.1, 7.2
Overwhelmed by Underserved Communities
Learn to connect with underserved communities at or outside your library with members of ALSC's Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers Committee. This workshop explores resources to connect with traditionally marginalized populations, best practices for community research, and everyday advocacy examples to empower all library staff to make positive, direct impacts.
Presenters: Tammie Benham, Southeast Kansas Library System; Melody Leung, Everett Public Library; Georgette Spratling, North Miami Public Library
ALSC Competencies: 1.7, 5.4, 6.10
Pen to Publishing to Promotion: Connecting Narrative Nonfiction with 21st Century Children
Attendees will be introduced to the life cycle of narrative nonfiction, beginning with the research and writing of a true story as well as the involvement of an editorial team. Attention will be then given to the librarian's role of assessing current nonfiction with a DEI lens and promoting this perennially overlooked genre to young audiences.
Presenters: Connie Hsu, Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; Angela Joy, Author; Todd Krueger, Baltimore County Public Library
ALSC Competencies: 1.7, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.5
Pivot! Adapting Programming for School-Aged Children in a Changing World
COVID-19 has taken its toll on children everywhere. What happens when children's lives are constantly interrupted by a pandemic and the ensuing trauma it brings? After witnessing the strain on children and their caregivers, these librarians modified their programming to specifically target the educational as well as social-emotional gaps their communities were experiencing. Learn how to evaluate the needs of your community and adapt them to meet this ongoing crisis.
Presenters: Samantha Eichelberger, Schaumburg Township District Library; Sarah Koncos, Glenside Public Library; Rosana M. Santana, Schaumburg Township District Library
ALSC Competencies: 1.3, 1.6, 3.1, 3.9, 5.3
Poverty and Privilege: Intersectionality of Race and Class in Young People's Literature - Cancelled
Rising to the Moment: Library Partnerships with Healthcare Systems During COVID_19
The COVID-19 pandemic has provided unique partnership opportunities for libraries to spread early literacy resources, like handing out books and talking with families about early literacy while receiving a COVID test. We'll talk about how to create innovative partnerships between libraries and local healthcare systems to reach families and how to continue these medical/library partnerships in a post-COVID world.
Presenters: Kari Kurjiaka, Reach Out and Read of Greater New York; Jessica Lizzio, Reach Out and Read of Greater New York; Rachel Payne, Brooklyn Public Library; Samantha Terrazas, New York Public Library
ALSC Competencies: 1.4, 1.7, 3.9, 5.4
Strengthening Community Through Collections: Satellite Collections for Schools and Beyond
Cuyahoga County Public Library initiated Satellite Community Collections in 2021 to support schools and other key partners by planting vibrant and diverse youth collections directly into the community. In this fast-paced, practical workshop, learn how to leverage physical and digital youth resources in conjunction with data from the 2020 Census to reach non-users, increase circulation, provide support for educators, parents, and community stakeholders, and promote the library's core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Presenters: Wendy Bartlett, Cuyahoga County Public Library; Mary Schreiber, Cuyahoga County Public Library
ALSC Competencies: 1.7, 2.1, 3.9, 4.2, 5.6
Wake Up Your Musicianship for More Inclusive Storytimes
This session fuses storytime and general music education best practices to prepare library workers to introduce more diverse and inclusive children's music for their communities. Music from childhood can be left unexamined, either erased of its racist origins or left intact because 'we've always sung them.' Anti-racist approaches to teaching and sharing children's music is at the forefront of the music education field, and that should be reflected in library programming for children. Music educators are at work now, rethinking how and why they choose music to teach. This program approaches that question from a library perspective: How can library professionals integrate anti-racist, diverse, and inclusive music into their programming? How can a reimagined repertoire of storytime songs better serve a community? This session answers these questions by engaging participants as musician skills, and small breakouts for resource sharing.
Presenters: Staff Sergeant Philip Espe, Librarian, "The President's Own" United States Marine Band
ALSC Competencies: 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 7.4, 7.5