
ALSC Blog
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Coverage of time sensitive news in children's librarianship, current issues in the field, and programs, conferences, initiatives, resources, and activities. The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is a network of more than 4,000 children's and youth librarians, children's literature experts, publishers, education and library school faculty members, and other adults..
ALSC Blog
3h ago
Have you ever found yourself in a rut after being creative nonstop in our job? As librarians, we’re constantly brainstorming new programs, crafts, and storytime themes. But sometimes, the well runs dry. It’s tough to keep coming up with fresh ideas, and that’s okay! Here’s what I do when I find myself with idea fatigue. Take Some Time to Breathe Sometimes it’s okay to take a break from planning brand-new programs and stick with your library’s tried-and-true annual events. Changing up the theme or tweaking the format can make these programs feel fresh for patrons while giving you a break from s ..read more
ALSC Blog
15h ago
It’s been just under two weeks since the 2025 Youth Media Awards (YMAs) announcements and the library world (and beyond!) is still buzzing with excitement. As you review and celebrate this year’s list of winners and honorees, don’t forget about one of the newer awards, the Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media (EELDM) award. Some Background The Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media recognizes the producer of the most distinguished digital media created for an early learning audience (ages 2-8). Past winners include television series, apps, and podcasts. The committee also considers w ..read more
ALSC Blog
3d ago
The 2025 Talk Story Grant is now open for applications! Talk Story: Sharing Stories, Sharing Culture is a family literacy initiative that connects Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI),and American Indigenous or Alaskan Native (AIAN) communities across generations. The Talk Story micro-grant celebrates and explores AANHPI and AIAN stories through books, oral traditions, and cultural arts to provide interactive and enriching experiences for all ages. Eligibility: Libraries and community organizations that serve AANHPI or AIAN children and their families are eligible to appl ..read more
ALSC Blog
4d ago
As we look forward to the celebratory events of ALA Annual, the topic on many people’s minds will soon be trip planning. And for many of you, this also means planning outfits and considering tickets and tables for the Newbery-Caldecott-Legacy Awards Banquet. We all love celebrating the authors, illustrators, and publishing folks who were awarded so many shiny medals at the Youth Media Awards. I know I do! We know the Newbery-Caldecott-Legacy Awards Banquet is an integral part of ALSC’s organizational identity, and it is an event that many members look forward to each year. But what you ma ..read more
ALSC Blog
5d ago
Hello Wonderful ALSC members, These are strange times, and it can often feel like we’ve gone two steps forward, and now ten steps back. And in some cases, it’s true. I don’t want to start on a negative note, but I have always leaned more towards a realist perspective, and in this moment, we are going to need to stick together more than ever. But let’s begin with something that was positive, though bittersweet: LibLearnX 2025. It was so great to see many of you in Phoenix at the final LLX. I will remember and cherish the time there for many years to come. I had the opportunity to visit exhibito ..read more
ALSC Blog
6d ago
As an ALA/ALSC member since 2016, I’ve had the opportunity to work on both processing and award committees. Through that work I’ve been given the chance to gain technical skills such as learning how to post blogs to WordPress for the public awareness committee and sharpen my ability to evaluate children’s literature using the notable children’s book award committee’s metrics. As a current member of the ALSC membership committee we want to highlight the benefits of participating on our committees to members who haven’t had the opportunity to serve yet. Our goal is to cre ..read more
ALSC Blog
1w ago
Have you ever felt stuck in storytime planning? Sometimes, no matter how great a theme or the books, I find myself stuck in a proverbial storytime rut. While it’s great to share favorite stories, I also want to evaluate everything we share to find titles that resonate with our community. This month, I’m borrowing an idea from a colleague and sharing a few tried and tested, some true-to-life, and a few new titles around one of our upcoming storytime themes: Home. Tried and Tested Books in this category are stories that we’ve tried and loved. Think of them as your go-to storytime favorites, the ..read more
ALSC Blog
1w ago
New (and not so new) librarians often struggle with outreach and community engagement. Even when it’s taught in LIS programs, it does not always come with real, hands-on experience developing and maintaining partnerships. This isn’t surprising since building relationships in communities takes time and trust and can’t be rushed to fit a fifteen week semester. Through their own research and practice, LIS faculty can build a network of community connections for students to tap into during their time in graduate school. LIS faculty may have existing partnerships with schools, including day cares a ..read more
ALSC Blog
1w ago
The toughest thing about working with kids can often be setting expectations and managing behaviors. Most articles available to librarians about “classroom management” include advice such as follow the rules of the institution you work for or build rapport with patrons/students. While this is good advice, it does not leave room for questions, especially from those who may not have an educational background. As someone with this background, what kind of librarian would I be to not help others build their background knowledge? To any librarians who might be searching for the answers to their man ..read more
ALSC Blog
1w ago
2024 was a VERY busy year for the ALSC Blog! In looking at the analytics, we saw increases in several key metrics over the course of the year: As of December 31, 2024, 6898 posts have been published on our blog, with 367 unique posts published in 2024. This number includes pieces written by our regular team of ALSC Bloggers, posts by guest bloggers and posts by guest contributors at national conferences. Thank you all! Here are some of the most viewed blog posts for each month in the last year: January 2024 February 2024 March 2024 April 2024 May 2024 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024 September ..read more