Webinars and Virtual Events

Join us for an engaging panel discussion on fostering Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion among library staff. Designed for children's services managers, this session will offer actionable insights and real-world examples of successful EDI initiatives in libraries.

Our panelists will share strategies on how to:

• Collaborate with library employees to reflect their voices and needs in policies and services.
• Train staff in culturally responsive practices to better serve diverse communities.
• Launch low-cost, resource-efficient EDI efforts within your team.

Panelists: Ashley Bieber, Jennifer Gibson, April Roy | Moderator: Brandy Sanchez

Advocacy for Everyone

Join library advocates from various states as they share their case studies of advocating for libraries on the local, state, and national level. Our guests will discuss their top advocacy tips that you can implement into your daily work practice. This webinar is geared toward library staff who want to more effectively advocate and communicate their library’s value to stakeholders, but aren’t sure where to start. Panelists will include managers and non-managers. This webinar will not review legislation.

Instructors: Gretchen Caserotti, Kristy Cooper, Brian Hart, Constance Moore

Advocacy from A to Z 

Let’s face it: one of the trends in the library industry is having to do more with less. How can you achieve your goals without sacrificing service when budgets and time are stretched thin? The key is advocacy. Join ALSC’s Advocacy and Legislation committee for an exploration of advocacy as it relates to children and children’s library services. You’ll get concrete tips on how to advocate for the patrons you serve, regardless of whether your advocacy happens at a local, state, or federal level. A&L will consider, too, the impact your advocacy can have on your community and profession.

Championing Children’s Services: Discover the Instruments Your Advocacy Tool Belt Needs 

Join ALSC’s Public Awareness Committee for an exploration of the new Championing Children’s Services toolkit. Get an in depth look at the many resources available to you in your quest to do more for the youth you serve. Some highlights of the toolkit include new Because statements to jump start your advocacy conversations, a resource list, promotional items such as a PowerPoint template and one-pager, and a brand new video featuring a special guest.

Please note, due to recording issues, only 21 minutes of this webinar was captured. Please visit our Championing Children's Services toolkit webpage to download these resources! 

Advocating for K-12 Resources During Covid-19

Children's librarians are experts in supporting K-12 learning and work side-by-side with schools to support youth and families. Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, however, school partners are now challenged by a lack of staffing, resources, time and attention. What can your library do to support educators more effectively, locally and state-wide? Dakota County Library's Youth Services Manager Renee Grassi will share strategies and ideas you can utilize to help advocate for K-12 learning resources to school librarians, teachers and other education professionals to more equitably serve youth and families in your communities.

Instructor: Renee Grassi

Dispatches from the Field: Advocacy Best Practices with Jeremy Johannesen and Megan Cusick

You’re just about there: you have your toolkit in hand and a solid introduction to advocacy. But where do you go from here? Don’t worry - this is no fear advocacy!

Jeremy Johannesen, Executive Director of the New York Library Association, and Megan Cusick, ALA PPA, Assistant Director for State Advocacy, share practical tips for advocates of all experience levels. Based on their extensive knowledge in the field, Johannesen and Cusick regale viewers with real-life examples of advocacy at its best.

Instructors: Megan Cusick and Jeremy Johannesen

The Baldwin, The Bechtel & Bereavement: Researching Death & Grief in a Historical Children's Literature Library

The Bechtel Fellowship funds a children's librarian to research a topic of their choice at the University of Florida's Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature. In this webinar, ALSC members will meet the curator of the Baldwin Library, Ramona Caponegro, and the 2022 Bechtel fellow, Joe Prince, and learn about the Baldwin's collection, the benefits of being a Bechtel fellow, and both the process and the findings on death and grief in literature from the 1800s, the topic Prince researched as the Bechtel fellow.

Instructors: Ramona Caponegro, Joe Prince

Everything You Wanted to Know about the CSK Award (But Didn't Know to Ask)

You know the Coretta Scott King Medal-winning books. You read them every year when the awards are announced. But how are the awards chosen? How do members of the jury go from reading picture books to young adult novels? And what is the difference between the CSK Book Jury and the CSK Committee? Get answers to these questions and many more with former CSK Jury members Kacie Armstrong and Alan Bailey.

Instructors: Kacie Armstrong, Alan Bailey

Translated Books For Youth: Celebrating the Batchelder Award--Past, Present, and Future

What gives a translated book that je ne sais quoi? Is it the act of reading a book that could be read by someone else on the other side of the globe? Or is it the exciting flavor of a book that was originally written in a language other than English, for an audience other than children in America? Or is it that special quality that allows a reader to have a window, mirror, or sliding door to a global peer?  The Mildred L. Batchelder Award is a citation awarded to an United States publisher for a children’s book considered to be the most outstanding translated book of the year. This award was conceived in 1966 and honors Mildred L. Batchelder, a former executive director of the Association for Library Service to Children, a believer in the importance of good books for children in translation from all parts of the world. Her life's work was "to eliminate barriers to understanding between people of different cultures, races, nations, and languages." After decades of steady, but small numbers of submissions for this award, the ALSC Board commission a task force in 2017 to evaluate the evolution of the award. Approved recommendations resulted in modest but critical changes to the criteria that better reflect modern publishing practices and alignment with ALSC Core Values. This webinar, led by the 2019 Batchelder Chair and Member of the Batchelder Evolution Task Force, will provide a brief overview of current publishing practices, a review of the criteria changes, a look at Batchelder winners, and a sampling of ways in which a brighter spotlight can be shone on these special titles.

Instructor: Tessa Schmidt

Exploring Similarity, Embracing Difference: How to Evaluate and Identify Literature Portraying Individuals with Disabilities
Gaining empathy for characters with disabilities in different cultural settings can help readers become better global citizens by increasing their understanding of disability-related challenges worldwide. Yet, discussions on diversifying collections tend to focus on race/ethnicity, and do not always include this aspect of diversity. A novelist, librarian and educator will team up to present suggestions on ways to create a welcoming library environment for readers with disabilities; evaluating the authenticity of books with characters with disabilities; building up collections that include books featuring characters with disabilities; going beyond tropes.
Instructors: Carrie Banks, Padma Venkatraman

Introducing the Notable Books for a Global Society Collection: Promoting Understanding of Diversity
Readers need books by and about all people to teach us about who we are and who we might become. The Notable Books for a Global Society strives to brings books by and about all people to students readers. Librarians are instrumental in making that happen. We invite you to explore the newly awarded 2018 NBGS collection in this webinar.
Instructors: Dr. Renita Schmidt, Fran Wilson

Beyond Awareness: Strategies for Demonstrating Cultural Competence in Library Services to Children

Diversity isn’t just about race and ethnicity! Diversity pertains to ability levels, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and more. This webinar will focus on increasing participants' level of understanding of the value of providing culturally competent library service in order to meet the information needs of an increasingly diverse group: children.

Instructors: Nicole Cooke, Renee Hill

Closing the Word Gap: How a Museum/Library/Research Partnership Created Community Impact through Parent Education

How can collaborations between researchers, museums, and libraries create impact in the community? How can libraries serve as effective sites for parent education? Staff from Chicago Children's Museum and the Thirty Million Words Initiative will illustrate how they partnered with the Chicago Public Library to translate research-based messaging into a public exhibit (The 3T's: Tune In, Talk More, Take Turns) aimed at empowering parents and closing the word gap. Participants will gather insights on how to build effective partnerships, how to effectively reach parents, and how to strike a balance between providing information and hands-on interaction.

Instructors: Natalie Bortoli, Elizabeth Hanson-McChesney, Jennifer Farrington, Beth Suskind

Firing on All Cylinders: Making Reading Matter

"I hate reading." "Reading is boring". Being seen in the library is social suicide". are some direct quotes from young reluctant readers. How librarians, both school and public, can effectively engage with hard-to-shift children of all ages and develop strategies for firing them up is what this webinar is all about. When the demands of the curriculum, staff shortages, budget management, access and the day-to-day management of a busy library leave increasingly less time for reader development it's even more important to create stimulating, positive reading opportunities and make the most of your lending collections.

Instructor: Alison Brumwell

It's Not Your Imagination... Identity Conversations Really Are Different Today

Language and understanding of identity are quickly changing. Not long ago if we admitted we had bias it was quickly linked to being discriminatory causing a complete rejection of the conversation often worded as "But I am a good person so I can't be biased". We are now understanding that because we are people we are biased.

At the same time, what is normal for kids today is not the same as it was for most adults. Most middle schoolers do not remember before it was legal to be gay or lesbian and be married, before we had a black president, or before black lives matter. Most elementary schoolers do not remember a time before the resurgence of the women's movement, 'transgender' was a commonly used word, and before commercials and all forms of media cast people of multiple races, ethnicities, family constellations, and more. This course will explore all of these frameworks and more!

Instructor: Jen Cort

Supporting Healthy Racial Identity Development for All Children

While most white educators would never describe themselves as being prejudiced, studies show that unconscious (implicit) bias is alive and well in educational settings. How can white educators, including librarians in school and public libraries, learn to not only notice their bias, but also act in ways that will promote and support racial equity? Join us for this important, and sometimes uncomfortable, conversation on how to address white racial bias and discrimination to create healthy, equitable learning environments.

Instructor: Elizabeth Denevi

Child Care is Everywhere: How Libraries Can Develop, Strengthen, and Support Child Care Part I: Introduction to Child Care & Bringing Literacy to Child Care

More than half of children under 5 years attend child care and high quality programs can have lasting positive effects, including improved cognitive and social abilities. Learn about several different library programs that develop and support high-quality child care, such as Growing Providers, BPL’s initiative to support community members in opening their own home-based child care centers, BPL’ss "Nanny and Me,” a certificate-bearing child/caregiver program in early literacy practices, NYPL’s targeted nanny family literacy workshops for caregivers to network and support each other while learning new skills, and the Free Library of Philadelphia’s “Literacy in Early Learning Spaces” program for family and licensed child care centers.

Child Care is Everywhere: How Libraries Can Develop, Strengthen, and Support Child Care Part II: Programs for Nannies and Informal Providers Child Care
At this session, we will focus on informal providers and nannies, an audience who are often already actively using the library. We discuss some of the needs informal child care providers and nannies as well as learn about some easy-to-implement programs to support these caregivers from Brooklyn Public Library and New York Public Library. 
Instructors: Christina Ferrari, Rachel Payne, Cynthia Pearson, Eva Shapiro

Child Care is Everywhere: How Libraries Can Develop, Strengthen, and Support Child Care Part III: Developing and Supporting Child Care Programs

In our final sessions, we will discuss several programs and services that exist in many communities that support and develop child, many of which are ready and willing to partner with libraries. Cynthia Pearson will discuss her IMLS funded project “Growing Providers,” a library-based program to help individuals navigate the process to becoming a licensed home-based child care program.

Early Childhood Expertise Beyond Libraryland: Early Childhood Development
The way children learn and develop affects everything we do in the library. From collection development to program planning, it is vital that we understand how our children learn and grow in order to provide the best possible programs and services for them.  Attendees will learn about the different stages and phases of early childhood development from an expert and then explore ways to put that knowledge into practice.
Instructor: Helen Frazier; Co-instructors: Stephanie Prato, Katie Scherrer

Early Childhood Expertise Beyond Libraryland: Reading Life Between the Lines: Using Children's Literature for Tough Conversations About Diversity 
We all know that diversity and inclusion are vital topics for our libraries and our democracy, but it can be hard to know how to approach this topic with young children and their families. In this workshop, Dr. Michelle H. Martin will provide attendees with strategies for using children’s literature to engage readers of all ages with questions of identity and difference. Dr. Martin will help participants increase their cultural competence for work with young people. 
Instructors: Dr. Michelle H. Martin, J. Elizabeth Mills

Early Childhood Expertise Beyond Libraryland: Serving Refugee and Immigrant Families
Librarians and early childhood educators are always looking ahead and responding to the current needs of their communities, including the provision of meaningful programming and services to our refugee and immigrant families. Join Jessica Dym Bartlett, Ph.D and Maria A. Ramos-Olazagasti, Ph.D to learn more about the challenges young children and their families face when leaving their home countries, including the trauma associated with family separations and strategies to support them.
Instructors: Dr. Jessica Dym Bartlett, Dr. Maria A. Ramos-Olazagasti; Co-instructors: Stephanie Smallwood, Susan Spicer

Early Childhood Expertise Beyond Libraryland: Spaces & Behavior Management
Hear from an expert on sensory experiences, behavior management and programming environment set up about ways to improve your room setups to create a more welcoming, engaging, and inclusive environment, and how to relate to either one over-excited or upset child or a room full of them -- without completely interrupting your regularly scheduled programming.
Instructors: Kristen Rocha Aldrich, Tommaso Lana, Tori Ogawa

Honoring Infancy: Growing the Garden - Nurturing a Play and Early Learning Space
“Let’s Do It” you proclaim. As a youth professional you have established the importance of play.  But how do you get there and create a space supported by the library and your community? Join members from ALSC’s Early Childhood Programs & Services committee as we explore library play and learning spaces for the youngest of patrons. Whether you’re working with a small budget or looking to redesign your space you can create a play and learning space.
Instructors: Tori Ogawa, Mike Rogalla

Honoring Infancy: Libraries Welcoming Babies
“Can I take my baby to the library?” Even though many libraries are working to encourage families with infants by planning infant-friendly programs and spaces, families with babies still sometimes don’t realize that the library can be a destination for them. Join members of ALSC’s Early Childhood Programs and Services Committee as we share ideas and tips for developing a baby-friendly library experience. Topics will include marketing strategies, family-friendly policies and areas and helping non-youth staff understand babies.
Instructors: Jo Caisse, Kristen Rocha Aldrich, Stephanie Smallwood

Honoring Infancy: Beyond Baby Storytime
From sign language to dancing and everything in between, libraries are finding ways to engage babies with words, music, and sensory activities that not only entertain them, but provide much-needed mental stimulation. In this webinar, members of the Early Childhood Programs and Services Committee with talk about what makes a program appropriate for babies and share some tried and true ideas that are doable at any library.
Instructors: Kim Alberts, Eiyana Favers

New Media and Preschool Services
New media is everywhere and children are using it. This webinar will focus on real best practices of incorporating new media into preschool services. What are some specific apps that are age appropriate for preschoolers?; How much time should be devoted to using an iPad or other tablets in a preschool storytime?; What are the pros and cons of leading a digital-focused preschool storytime versus a traditional preschool storytime? i.e. Should you devote the last 10 minutes of your traditional storytime to sharing apps with children and parents OR spend 25 minutes in a "digital storytime" using mostly apps and ebooks instead of traditional books and activities; How can digital resources be incorporated into preschool outreach programming?
Instructors: Claudia Haines, Laura Jenkins, Melissa Ronning

New Media and Preschool Services - Practical Applications
In our first webinar, we covered the research behind new media and preschool services - screen time, co-viewing, and evaluation of media for preschoolers. In this follow-up, we’ll focus on practical application: what do digital storytimes look and sound like? how are other libraries implementing their digital storytimes and other media programs for preschool? what apps, tools, and other resources are libraries using? Three public libraries will share their format, tools, and resources for facilitating digital storytimes, with sample plans and tech suggestions. After this webinar, you will be prepared to plan, promote, and present your own digital storytime for preschool audiences.
Instructors: Carissa Christner, Francesca de Freitas, Laura Jenkins

Where the Wild Things Learn and Play
Are you trying to build a world of imagination without inciting a wild rumpus? Does your play environment foster skills for early literacy or for the monkey bars? Four Youth Services departments will lead a discussion of play space design and management. Bring your hits, your misses, and your burning questions to this informative exchange of ideas. A list of recommended vendors and play items will be provided.
Instructors: Jen Abler, Ellen Fitzgerald, Christy Kepler, Anne Luzeniecki

Basic Storytime Development 

Not all storytime presenters have the opportunity get professional instruction in developing and implementing storytimes. This webinar will focus on developing a basic preschool storytime (ages 3-5) from deciding on a theme or no theme, choosing books, choosing extension activities, and developing early literacy messaging for caregivers. Get the basics so you can feel confident in creating storytimes!

Instructors: Sarah Wethern Youth Librarian, Douglas County Library

Building Literacy in Every Library: How to Develop Fun Programs that Support Reading for School Age Children Pt One - Comprehension Basics: Developing Critical Thinking to Discover Meaning

In this webinar, learn how to implement programs and services that will provide literacy support for early readers ages 5-9.  An expert in the field of elementary education will speak about the key concept of why it’s essential for children to develop critical thinking skills as they learn how to read.  We will discuss how important it is to know the parts of a story and how to develop knowledge of new words in order to gain a greater understanding of the text.  We’ll share ideas for programs, book recommendations and reader’s advisory that will help connect with children and caregivers on the subject of literacy.

Instructors: Shelley M. Diaz, Kimberly Grad, Connie Hollin, Mollie Welsh Kruger, Cynthia Zervos 

Building Literacy in Every Library: How to Develop Fun Programs that Support Reading for School Age Children Pt Two - Making Connections: How Does Background Knowledge Contribute to Comprehension?

In this webinar, learn how to implement programs and services that will provide literacy support for early readers ages 5-9.  An expert in the field of elementary education will speak about how our personal experiences and prior knowledge help us to understand what we are reading.  We will discuss the many ways readers connect with texts.  This can include relating the text to themselves, comparing similar texts or making connections between the text and the wider world around them.  We’ll share ideas for programs, book recommendations and reader’s advisory that will help connect with children and caregivers on the subject of literacy.

Instructors: Krista Aronson, Heather Beverly, Emily Nichols, Stephanie Prato

Building Literacy in Every Library: How to Develop Programs that Support Reading for School Age Children Pt Three - Curious Readers: Celebrating the Joy of Reading

In this webinar, learn how to implement programs and services that will provide literacy support for early readers ages 5-9.  An expert in the field of elementary education will speak about how our personal experiences and prior knowledge help us to understand what we are reading.  We will discuss the many ways readers connect with texts.  This can include relating the text to themselves, comparing similar texts or making connections between the text and the wider world around them.  We’ll share ideas for programs, book recommendations and reader’s advisory that will help connect with children and caregivers on the subject of literacy. 

Instructors: Jed Dearybury, Valerie Byrd Fort, Laura Lutz, Sierra Mckenzie

Making the Move from Summer Reading to Summer Learning

Summer is a critical time for children, and according to research from the National Summer Learning Association, children can lose up to 3 months of their school year learning during this time. Libraries have long embraced their role in the summer learning landscape, and more and more are adding in critical out of school time learning that align to 21st Century Learning Skills, Common Core State Standards or even Next Generation Science Standards. Additionally, NSLA has embraced libraries as valuable community hubs of summer learning and this webinar will talk about the ways in which NSLA can support libraries in the summertime. Participants will gain an awareness of best practices in making the shift from summer reading to summer learning and examine outcomes based evaluation as a way to measure program success and communicate their programs’ impact.

Instructors: Liesl Jacobson, Elizabeth McChesney

Out-of-School Time:  How to Plan STEAM Programming in Your Library

Want to engage school-age kids through exciting STEAM programming in your library but don’t know where to start? Three recipients of the Strengthening Communities Through Libraries grant are ready to share tips and tricks for partnering with others, selecting materials, outreach to build participation, measuring outcomes, and documenting success. Many libraries struggle with STEAM programming; this webinar will give you the confidence to start tomorrow.

Instructors: Maryann Brickey, Melissa Harrison, Krystal Lancaster

Virtual Programming Development

Not all of your library program ideas and best practices transfer over perfectly to the virtual world. However, more do than you think! This webinar will focus on best practices for virtual programming, modifying your in-person programs to go virtual, and innovations to make virtual programming more personal and interactive. Get the basics so you can feel more confident in formulating ideas and presenting virtual programs.

Instructor: Emiily Mrozcek (Bayci)

Work Hard, Play Harder: An Insider’s Guide to Not So Passive Programs

Passive programs can be a librarian’s dream or nightmare- less work during the program, but limited interaction with customers. A successful program can also prove difficult to track participation. Join a panel of experienced youth services librarians as they tackle the definition of a passive program, how to track participation and share fun examples of ways to engage staff, customers, and children.

Instructors: Kerry Bailey, Emily Mroczek (Bayci), Jessica Rodrigues, Tina Ruszala

Inclusive Technology for Babies to Teens in the Library

An easy-to-understand overview of accessibility software/online programs, (free) adapted book sites, and assistive technology aids (adaptive mice, etc.) for youth of all abilities, including an overview of current apps geared to developing vital skills. Participants will also learn about adaptive technology for babies and toddlers that will make your play programs more inclusive of children with mobile disabilities.

Instructor: Jennifer Taggart

New Media and Preschool Services

New media is everywhere and children are using it. This webinar will focus on real best practices of incorporating new media into preschool services. What are some specific apps that are age appropriate for preschoolers?; How much time should be devoted to using an iPad or other tablets in a preschool storytime?; What are the pros and cons of leading a digital-focused preschool storytime versus a traditional preschool storytime? i.e. Should you devote the last 10 minutes of your traditional storytime to sharing apps with children and parents OR spend 25 minutes in a "digital storytime" using mostly apps and ebooks instead of traditional books and activities; How can digital resources be incorporated into preschool outreach programming?

Instructors: Claudia Haines, Laura Jenkins, Melissa Ronning



New Media and Preschool Services - Practical Applications

In our first webinar, we covered the research behind new media and preschool services - screen time, co-viewing, and evaluation of media for preschoolers. In this follow-up, we’ll focus on practical application: what do digital storytimes look and sound like? how are other libraries implementing their digital storytimes and other media programs for preschool? what apps, tools, and other resources are libraries using? Three public libraries will share their format, tools, and resources for facilitating digital storytimes, with sample plans and tech suggestions. After this webinar, you will be prepared to plan, promote, and present your own digital storytime for preschool audiences.

Instructors: Carissa Christner, Francesca de Freitas, Laura Jenkins

Podcast Playground - Part 1 - Discovery of Kids Podcasts

Come play in our Podcast Playground where we’ll listen, explore, and play with the evolving world of kids podcasting. In Part 1, we’ll play with various ways to discover and find great podcasts for kids; we’ll share ways to access, search, and play kids podcasts and we’ll also share where to find podcast recommendations/reviews for high-quality audio.

Instructors: Anne Bensfield, Pamela Rogers

Podcast Playground - Part 2 - Programming with Kids Podcasts

Come play in our Podcast Playground where we’ll listen, explore, and play with the evolving world of kids podcasting. In Part 2, we’ll play with how podcasts can connect with library collections, as well as share ideas for incorporating kids podcasts into programming to inspire curiosity and learning.

Instructors: Anne Bensfield, Pamela Rogers