We Are ALSC Chats

We Are ALSC Chats were created to build community within children's librarianship. Led by ALSC Committees, these informal chats that are typically about an hour in length are held on Zoom and are open to members and non-members.

Chats are designed to be online networking sessions for resource sharing and discussion around timely topics in children's services because of the casual nature of these sessions, they are not recorded or archived. 

We Are ALSC Chats provide an informal forum to chat with and share resources with peers also working in children’s librarianship. While they revolve around a specific topic, there is not a formal presentation or speaker (though there may be a representative from a specific ALA department to answer questions on a topic, i.e., intellectual freedom or book awards). Instead, everyone is encouraged to share their knowledge and talk.

We Are ALSC Chats should:

• Engage members and non-members in conversation around a timely topic in the field of library service to children
• Be informal
• Allow members and non-members to feel engaged with ALSC and others in the field

Recent topics for We Are ALSC Chats include:

• YMA predictions
• Summer reading prep
• Intellectual freedom and book bans
• Forming community partnerships

Scheduling, promoting, and holding a We Are ALSC Chat takes around 6-7 hours in total. This includes:

• Creating a topic, title, and description for your Chat
• Finding a time that works for members of your committee to attend
• Submitting the request form and coordinating with ALSC staff
• Prepping for the Chat
• Promoting your Chat
• Attending and moderating the Chat
• Completing the debrief form
• Completing any follow-up with attendees that is needed

1. Check the current schedule of We Are ALSC Chats at the top of this page – we try to limit chats to once per month, so please select a month that you do not see listed.
2. Decide on a topic with your committee – the topic should be timely and of interest to professionals working in the field of library service to children.
3. Decide on a date and time. We recommend finding a time where at least 3 members of your committee can attend and that is during “lunch hour” (11am-1pm).
4. Submit the request form with as much detail as possible – this includes a title and description for your chat. The more specific and catchy you can be, the better!
5. A member of ALSC staff will respond to you within 5 business days to let you know whether we can move forward and gather any additional information needed.

Promoting your Chat is vital to ensuring good attendance!

While ALSC staff will post your Chat to ALSC’s social media channels and website, as well as include it in the ALSC email update, your committee should also promote the Chat to your network. This can include:

• Posting to ALSC’s Connect Space
• Posting to your own professional social media accounts such as LinkedIn, Bluesky, etc.
• Encouraging friends and colleagues to attend

It’s a good idea to meet with members of your committee who will be in attendance at the Chat ahead of time. Even though it is informal, having a loose plan is important. You should prepare:

• An overview of your committee
• Introducing committee members
• 5-10 leading questions to start conversation at the beginning of the Chat and during quiet moments

You should also review the ALA Code of Ethics prior to your Chat so you can prepare to moderate the conversation.

Plan to log onto the Chat 15-20 minutes early to make sure everything is set up and technology is working correctly.

At the beginning of the Chat, an ALSC staff member will introduce ALSC. After that, someone from your committee should introduce your committee and its work (a short one minute pitch), and committee members should introduce themselves.

Kick off the social portion by asking a question to get the conversation started. Sometimes people are hesitant to talk at first, so it can be helpful to have committee members provide answers to prompt others.

From there, let the conversation flow and go where it does! If things get quiet, ask another question to prompt attendees.

Remember that the conversation should stay professional and respectful - as members of an official ALSC committee, all of your work represents ALSC and should meet the goals of the association. Topics discussed or questions asked should not compromise the integrity of ALA/ALSC - note the ALA Bill of Rights and the ALA Code of Ethics.

An ALSC staff member will be in attendance to assist with moderating.

After your Chat, please fill out this debrief form so we know how it went! Also be sure to debrief about the Chat at your next committee meeting to understand what worked, what didn’t, and if doing another Chat makes sense for your committee.

In addition, please follow up with any attendees who asked for more information/joining your committee/joining ALSC/etc. You can ask the ALSC staff member moderating for attendees’ contact information if you aren’t able to obtain it during the Chat, as well as direct any questions you aren't sure about to them.

If you have questions about We Are ALSC Chats, please contact Membership and Marketing Specialist Gavin Damore at gdamore@ala.org.