*FYI,* * * *We know that many ALSC members have been laid off, furloughed, or otherwise find themselves unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has disproportionately affected people who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or People of Color). *Friends of ALSC will fund 50 ALA and ALSC membership renewals to BIPOC members who find themselves in this position and have been active ALA/ALSC members in the last year. In funding these memberships, ALSC's goal is to honor BIPOC members' commitment and to increa ...Continue Reading

Please excuse cross-postings   FYI,   If you need something to lighten your day, please check out the CSLP winning videos from this past summer’s Teen Video Challenge! The passion and hopefulness of these young people pops off the screen!: https://www.cslpreads.org/2020-teen-video-challenge-winners-and-honorable-mentions/  The list of winning libraries are: The Places I Can Go by Molly Graiff; North Greenbush Public Library, New York Bookish Tales: Rapunzel's Library Adventure by Shamika Kanitkar; S ...Continue Reading

Please excuse cross postings * * *FYI, * * * *YALSA’s 2020 Teens’ Top Ten Announced**//*The official titles of YALSA’s 2020 Teens’ Top Ten have been announced. Voting by teens began in in mid-August and ended mid-October. View and download the full list with annotations on the Teens’ Top Ten webpage. Teens aged 12-18 can nominate their favorite titles to be considered as a 2021 Teens’ Top Ten nominee via the public nomination form by Dec. 31. For books to be eligible for consideration for 2021, they must be p ...Continue Reading

FYI,   Just passing this great news along from the NJ Association of School Librarians (NJASL). If anyone’s interested in attending the JLG webinar with Wil on October 29th at 3:00 pm, here’s the link: https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&referrer=&eventid=2789480&sessionid=1&key=76BBD2676E9BCB7864DAA07724901398®Tag=&sourcepage=register   ~Sharon   All the best,   Sharon Rawlins, MLS, she/her/hers Youth Services Specialist for Lifelong Learning NJ State Lib ...Continue Reading

FYI,   Just passing this along. We are preparing a study about accessibility in public library makerspaces. This study will help to inform public librarians how to make their spaces more accessible for all, creating more inclusive libraries. We want to know about your experiences in public libraries and in makerspaces. We will be conducting a series of focus groups with disability self-advocates and public librarians across the United States. We would like to invite you to take part in this process ...Continue Reading

*FYI, * * * *Upcoming Events of Possible Interest:* * * The Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) celebrates Media Literacy Week with the Claudia Kishi Club on Monday, 10/26, 5 p.m. Pacific, 8 p.m. Eastern Join Sue Ding, director of the Netflix short documentary film, The Claudia Kishi Club, and the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) for this virtual event as we view clips of the film and have a discussion about the portrayal of the iconic Japanese-American charac ...Continue Reading

FYI,   I’m forwarding Baker & Taylor’s TitleTalks upcoming webinars of forthcoming books from Winter/Spring 2021 for children and teens. ~Sharon   All the best,   Sharon Rawlins, MLS, she/her/hers Youth Services Specialist for Lifelong Learning NJ State Library 185 West State St. P.O. Box 520 Trenton, NJ 08625-0520 sraw...@njstatelib.org 609-278-2640 ext. 116 609-278-2650 – fax / / *From:* Baker & Taylor <rep...@e.baker-taylor.com> *Sent:* Friday, October 23, 2020 10:01 AM*To:* Sharo ...Continue Reading

FYI,   VOICES BEHIND CHARLESBRIDGE PUBLISHER’S STORYTELLING MATH Join us on October 24th from 1 pm to 5 pm EST to celebrate math, diversity, and the power of story. Storytelling Math books combine joyful stories, characters of color, and rich math to empower young children. Developed by Charlesbridge in partnership with TERC and the Heising-Simons Foundation. *Click here for the event program!* Hosted by *Executive Editor Alyssa Mito Pusey* and *Senior Scientist Ma ...Continue Reading

Please excuse cross postings   FYI,   The Latinx KidLit Book Festival is a virtual celebration of Latinx KidLit authors, illustrators, and books for all readers and educators. The festival will open its virtual doors from December 4-5, 2020, and present two free days of keynote sessions, Q&A events, and panels with your favorite Latinx authors and illustrators of picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novel, and poetry. The sessions are geared towards readers and educators everywhere. Everyone is w ...Continue Reading

Please excuse cross postings   FYI, *SLJ Summit 2020: Culture Shift* Join us Saturday, October 24 for the SLJ Summit: Culture Shift. Now in its 16th year, this national convening will focus on creating a culture that promotes an equitable world and closes the opportunity gap for all children. In this free, day-long event, you’ll gain skills, ideas, and support in leading the change you want to see in your library, school, and community. The day will host three concurrent tracks, with sessi ...Continue Reading