Hear Ye! Hear Ye! | August 2025

Jessica Smith, children’s services manager, Woodridge (IL) Public Library (WPL), is the recipient of the 2025 Illinois Library Association's Youth Services Librarian of the Year Award. Smith has been recognized for her leadership and mentorship and training of library associates and librarians across WPL. According to ILA's press release, "Smith says 'yes' and shares her materials, tips, guides, and advice with every parent, teacher, or organization that reaches out for help in recreating the magical moments Smith’s programs generate." Congratulations, Jessica! (Photo credit: Abigail Smith. Used with permission.)

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Get back to school yourself this fall with a professional development opportunity from ALSC!

Webinar: Should It Stay or Should It Go? | Thursday, September 18, 2025 | 1:00-2:00pm CT

Ever feel like you're wasting time putting together programming no one attends? This webinar will help prepare attendees for the difficult conversations that come with a program overhaul—and demonstrate how to get past program fails and reframe them for success. Get the tools to objectively analyze existing programming, discuss program effectiveness with colleagues and stakeholders, and consider whether or not program resources can be better utilized—or canceled altogether. Learn more!

Webinar: Creating Interactive Storytimes with Play, Music, and More | Thursday, October 2, 2025 | 1:30-3:00pm CT

Get kids moving during your program events, regardless of your level of experience with music or movement activities! Music and movement storytimes encourage children to embody concepts and interact with others. Join expert children’s programmer Alyssa Jewell who will demonstrate how to develop interactive learning experiences filled with movement, music, and story drama. Learn more!

An ALSC & YALSA Member Exclusive! | Webinar: Creative Writing Workshops for Library Kids: From New York, NY to Norwalk, IA
Thursday, October 23, 2025 | 11:00am-12:00pm CT

Libraries can be a great space for children to express themselves—and creative writing an excellent form of self-expression! Librarians Joy Hariprasad, New York Public Library, and Catherine Shook, Norwalk (Iowa) Easter Public Library will share best practices for developing writing programming for young patrons. The webinar will guide participants through the process of setting up creative writing programs for their libraries, from determining program structure to designing curriculum.  -- *This webinar is free to ALSC and YALSA members as a benefit of their membership.  Learn more!

eCourse: Bilingual Storytime Beyond the Basics | November 3 - December 21, 2025

Does your storytime offer the linguistic and cultural components necessary to connect with your Latinx and Spanish-speaking community? This 6-week course will discuss: concepts from pedagogy and Latinx critical theory that create the foundation of bilingual and bicultural storytime programming that is intentional and inclusive; and the nuts and bolts of assembling a multifaceted bilingual storytime program. Learn more!

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Applications are now open for several ALSC Professional Recognition Awards. Find the opportunity that's right for you and go for it!

Do you love children’s literature and research? The Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship could be for you. Selected fellows receive up to $7,500 to visit and study at the Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature of the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville. Applications are due October 15, 2025. 

New to the field of children’s librarianship and want to attend your first ALA Annual Conference next June in Chicago? The Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award may be just the ticket. Two librarians will be chosen to attend and given $1,200 to help offset costs. Applications are due November 15, 2025.

Do you know an ALSC individual member who has made a significant contribution to the field of children’s librarianship and/or to ALSC? Help us celebrate their achievements! ALA members, nominate that coworker, friend, or mentor who has made a difference for the Distinguished Service Award. Nominations are due December 15, 2025.

Learn more about these and other ALSC awards by visiting the Professional Awards & Grants webpages.

Questions? Contact the ALSC Professional Recognition and Scholarships committee co-chairs Gwen Vanderhage and Jenny Rosenoff.

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 The 2026 ALSC National Institute Call for Program Proposals opens Wednesday, September 24 and runs to Friday, October 31, 2025.

The Institute, which will convene in Buffalo, New York, in fall 2026, is an intimate, intensive professional education experience geared to those serving children and families in libraries; children's literature experts; education and library school faculty; and other interested professionals.

Complete details will be posted on the Institute website when the proposal period opens. If you have questions, please contact us at alsc at ala dot org. 

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ALSC recently announced the six recipients of its academic scholarships for 2025-26.

Recipients of the Bound to Stay Bound Scholarship, made possible by Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc., will be awarded $8,000 each and include: Allison Alcena, reading interventionist, College Achieve Public Schools, New Jersey; Ruadhan Hettrich, early literacy coordinator, Boonton (NJ) Holmes Public Library; Haley Neil, part-time youth services librarian, Wayland (MA) Public Library, Children’s Department library assistant, Goodnow Library, Sudbury, MA, and an author for Sourcebooks and Bloomsbury; and Amber O'Brien-VerHulst, library assistant II, Stanislaus County Library, Modesto, CA.

The Melcher Scholarship recipients will receive $8,000 each and are Yasmin Teja, library specialist, Broward County (FL) Libraries, and Legna Rios, after school leader, Free Library of Philadelphia. The Melcher Scholarship is made possible by contributions from librarians, professionals, and others associated with the field of children’s literature.

ALSC scholarships help advance the profession of children’s librarianship. Recipients must complete their academic work at an ALA-accredited institution and demonstrate a commitment to library service to children.

Many thanks to the members of the Professional Recognition and Scholarships committee who selected this year’s scholars: Jenny M. Rosenoff and Gwen Vanderhage (co-chairs), Heather Love Beverley, Brenda Dales, Grace Enriquez, Bethni D. King, Maria Xochitl Peterson, Sylvia G. Tag, and Katie Marie Cerqua. 

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ALA invites library users nationwide to submit nominations for the I Love My Librarian Award! Ten librarians will each receive $5,000 in recognition of their outstanding achievements and will be honored at an award ceremony at the 2026 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, with free conference registration and a travel stipend to attend.

Nominations for the I Love My Librarian Award will open September 1 through December 15. Full eligibility criteria and tips for writing a strong nomination are currently available on the award website, and updated promotional tools will be available when the nomination period opens.

Since the award was established in 2008, library users nationwide have submitted nearly 24,000 nominations detailing how librarians transformed their communities through innovative programs, increasing access to resources and services, and promoting literacy. 170 librarians have received this distinguished honor! 

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This summer, the American Library Association launched its new ALA Learning Library. Hosted on the ALA eLearning site, the library provides quick, free, and exclusive access for ALA members to a large and growing collection of eLearning opportunities, including courses, webinars, and on-demand training.

ALA members can take advantage of this benefit and learn more at https://elearning.ala.org/. 

Not an ALA member? Join now and take advantage of valuable eLearning and many other membership benefits.

Please note: ALSC has a series of webinars that are exclusive to division members, separate from the Learning Library offerings that are member-exclusive for all ALA members.

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To kick off the 2025-26 school year, the National Education Association (NEA) released a list of recommended children’s and young adult books as part of its #ReadAcrossAmerica campaign. The 36 chosen titles are presented in a Read Across America digital calendar. 

Each month, three titles—one each for young, middle grade, and young adult readers—are featured that address a topic related to diversity and inclusion and paired with activity ideas, discussion questions, resources, and other similarly themed books to check out. For more information, visit the NEA website.

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Every Child a Reader is currently accepting proposal submissions from school and public libraries, schools, and other community organizations interested in hosting an official event in 2026 with Mac Barnett, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.  

Proposals will be accepted until September 22. The proposal webpage provides detailed information and a submission checklist to facilitate the data collection and submission process.

Although Barnett's platform is focused on picture books, he is looking forward to visiting with students of all ages during his National Ambassador events. Proposals from elementary, middle, and high schools are encouraged.
 

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