youth services – North Country Library System

Youth Services Roundup

January 25, 2022

YOUTH MEDIA AWARDS

ALA’s Youth Media awards have been announced! You can find the full list of winners here, and a selection of current and previous winners in our OverDrive collection here.

DROP-IN PROGRAMMING

From the ALSC blog: “Connect & Play is a program we have been doing for many years. Here’s the play-by-play I’ve found makes for a successful experience for families in our current environment… A 2-3 hour period where children 0-5 years old and their caregiver/s can drop in for as long as they like. Each week, participants engage with 4-5 stations that support different aspects of early literacy & learning…”

GAME TIME

From Teen Librarian Toolbox: “One fun way to incorporate programming with teens into your library is to play games. Yes, good old fashioned board games. We review them regularly here at TLT. Today I am sharing with you 3 board games that I want to try with teens…”

STORYTIME FAVORITES

Jbrary shares their annual year-end list of favorite storytime picture books. Enjoy!

Youth Services Roundup – All Summer Edition!

January 18, 2022

SUMMER READING WORKSHOP

Just a reminder, the first part of our summer reading workshop will be held on Friday, February 4 from 11am-noon. During this virtual workshop, participants will get a chance to meet our new Youth Services Consultant and review the basics of what goes into a summer reading program. All attendees will receive promotional gear from CSLP, so sign up today!

CSLP MANUALS

If your library reported that they used the Collaborative Summer Library Program manual in 2021, you’ll be getting the flash drive and online code automatically in your delivery very soon. If you did not use the manual last summer but would like one this year, please let me know, and I’ll send one your way.

New for 2022: Schools and school libraries working with local public libraries to collaborate on Summer Reading can get the code to access the materials in the 2022 online manual, so please feel free to share with your school library partners.

READSQUARED 101

The NYS Library is hosting a webinar about how to get started with READsquared, the online reading program solution provided at no cost to public libraries statewide. This introductory webinar will be offered by the state library on February 22 and March 3 and is open to any library getting started with READsquared or needing a refresher on navigating the control room before summer reading. No registration required – find more information about READsquared here.

LAST CALL FOR STORYWALKS

Just a reminder, the deadline for NCLS’s StoryWalk mini-grant is next Friday, January 28. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Youth Services Roundup

January 10, 2022

CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY

From YSS: “Apply today for one of the scholarships to attend the 47th Annual YSS Spring Conference on Friday, April 8, 2022, at the Rivers Casino in Schenectady, NY. There are two scholarships available. Each of the scholarships is designed to cover registration fees and up to $250 reimbursement.” For more information, and to apply, visit the YSS Spring Conference scholarship page.

STORYWALK WEBINAR

In case you missed it live, the recording, slides, and handouts from the webinar DLD held in November are now available! Includes: Options for producing a StoryWalk® and their associated costs, finding StoryWalk® partners and thinking creatively about locations, how to choose the best titles for StoryWalks® (and why some great picture books aren’t good StoryWalk® choices), essentials of StoryWalk® production & presentation, and StoryWalks® for different age groups. (And just a reminder that the deadline for NCLS’s StoryWalk mini-grant is Friday, January 28…)

SEEDLING PROGRAM

From the DEC: “Planting and caring for tree seedlings can help young people learn about ecosystems and the valuable role trees play. Schools and youth organizations are eligible to receive 30-50 free trees or shrubs by participating in this educational program.” Applications must be submitted by March 31st – apply today!

FOR YOUR RADAR

Goodreads shares 68 highly anticipated YA titles for 2022. Check it out!

Youth Services Roundup

December 21, 2021

LET’S TALK ABOUT… HEALTHY HABITS

The latest bundle from Talking is Teaching is all about healthy habits! Check out posters, parent tip sheets, social media content, and more in this shared folder.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

From Youth Services Shout-Out: “Free Comic Book Day isn’t until May 7, 2022 BUT here is an opportunity to register as a library to receive free comics for your event if you don’t have a local comic book shop. If you qualify, you can enroll in their FCBD Library Program. But you need to hurry. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2022.”

CRAFTY TIME

From the ALSC Blog: “Our Children’s Services department always provides some type of make-and-take craft for these types of events. Part of me loves the process of creating several hundred craft stick stars for kids to decorate with sequins and pom poms but other than a fun craft, I do not think kids get much out of these types of programs. I think that creativity is an important skill children need and we, as children’s librarians, can help foster that creativity. This is why I regularly offer process art programming at my library…”

#BOOKTOK TRENDS

From Teen Librarian Toolbox: “BookTok has surged lately with many books and trends showing up in both public and school libraries. To find many of these, all you need is a TikTok account and appropriate hashtags to search for. Some of these include #BookTok, #LibraryTok, #LibraryTikTok, and #LibrariansofTikTok. We recently ventured into the land of Tok a few weeks ago at my library. It was reasonably easy to learn the basics, and now we are moving on to some “fancier” tricks and transitions…”

Youth Services Roundup

December 16, 2021

READSQUARED YEAR-ROUND

New year, new books, new reading programs at your library! You can keep patrons engaged year-round using programs in READsquared. This is a great time to start new reading challenges for the year as well. If you need banner and badge graphics, or entire program sets, there are many you can import from your control room. Detailed instructions available in your knowledge base.

BOOK CHALLENGES

From the ALSC blog: “The ALSC Intellectual Freedom committee is keenly aware that it’s part of our mission to ‘promote in-service and continuing education programs in the area of intellectual freedom for those who select library materials for children.’ We are working at developing information that can be helpful to the ALSC community. In the meantime, here are resources that can be immediately helpful..”

PRE-K COOKIE CRAFT

From No Time for Flash Cards: “We have been working on scissor skills in my classroom and have progressed to cutting lines on curves. So as we were learning more about cookies and Christmas this week (remember I teach at a church preschool so we go all out for Christmas) I decided to combine all three things and make some cookies with my students, this time with glue and sequins instead of flour and butter…”

FOR YOUR RADAR

School Library Journal takes a look at middle grade and young adult titles coming in soon in 2022 – check them out!

Youth Services Roundup

November 30, 2021

PREPARING FOR CHALLENGES

From the Youth Services Shout-Out blog: “With ever more sophisticated non-localized group efforts to remove and ban books, it’s always good to be prepared when requests to remove books come your way. Some recent blog posts and an additional few thoughts can help guide you and prepare you…”

SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

From the ALSC blog: “Our department’s end goal was to reach more kids through partnerships with teachers. We visit 60 classes a month and reach 1100 students. Most of the visits are to preschool through 3rd grade classes. Upper elementary students are difficult to schedule time with. In order to get into the classrooms we needed to connect with the teachers. That is where the idea of a Teacher’s Brunch was born…”

BUILDING TOWERS

From Teen Services Underground: “This is a program I did for ZERO DOLLARS using supplies we already had. It took very little prep, and went over really well…”

RESOURCE ALERT

There’s a new storytime blog for your radar – Storytime Solidarity. Check it out!

Youth Services Roundup

November 18, 2021

LITERARY CELEBRATIONS

Programming is an increasingly important part of library service, and literacy-themed programs and events are a great place to make an impact. Join NCLS on December 21 from 2-3pm for an overview of these celebrations and programming ideas to promote them at your library. Sign up today!

LET’S TALK ABOUT…CARING FOR THE EARTH

The latest bundle from Talking is Teaching is all about caring for the earth! Check out posters, parent tip sheets, social media content, and more in this shared folder.

NOT A BOX

From No Time for Flash Cards: “Not A Box by Antoinette Portis is a wonderful book for children, and it celebrates imagination and absolutely encourages drawing… Earlier in the day, I had prepped paper with rectangles glued onto them. Each student chose the color they wanted. These were waiting for my students in our art area, along with markers…”

PERFORMERS DATABASE

From DLD: The recent webinar on the Performers and Programs database has now been posted. You can find the video and the slides here.

Youth Services Roundup

November 15, 2021

GIVEAWAY!

The second edition of Out and About in the North Country is out, and I have a copy to give away! (Hat tip to the North Country Children’s Museum for hooking me up.) Just email me with the subject line “OUT AND ABOUT” by Thursday at 4pm for your chance to add this to your library’s local interest section!

(Also, congratulations to Lowville Free Library, the winner of the COLOR ME HAPPY giveaway. Look for that in your delivery soon…)

CORE VALUE: INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM

There’s been a lot in the news lately about efforts to remove books from school libraries, so I thought this would be a good time to highlight one of librarianship’s core values: Intellectual Freedom. In a nutshell (and quoting directly from the ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Manual, Ninth Edition, please enjoy), intellectual freedom is “the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction.” It’s why we protect patron privacy and build diverse collections. It’s why we craft collection development policies that incorporate the ALA’s Freedom to Read statement. Check out this short video (and longer ones!) from the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom to take a deeper dive.

SEMI-PERMANENT STORYWALKS

From the ALSC blog: “We launched a big addition to our library collection last month: eleven podiums that make up our new Trail Tales! Trail Tales is based on StoryWalk®. This project was long in the planning. My colleague had tried to find funding to create a literacy/walking experience at the outset of the pandemic, but was unable to secure a source for us. However, we didn’t give up our dream of a StoryWalk® of some sort! We kept our eyes open for potential partners…”

CRAYON TIME

From Jbrary: “A few months ago I shared the amazing work of libraries who created displays, scavenger hunts, and contests around the book The Day the Crayons Quit. Awhile later I heard from Sarah Viviani, a youth services librarian in central Florida, who took those ideas and ran with it! Here is how she created a virtual event for families that included a crayon-making activity and science experiments. Firstly, she created her own set of giant crayons. I would pay money for these!”

Youth Services Roundup

November 8, 2021

GIVEAWAY!

We may not be officially in the holiday season yet (or maybe we are? I heard Christmas music over the weekend…) but I’m kicking this week off with a present. I’ve got one set of Build-a-Word crayon boxes from Lakeshore Learning to give away – just email me by Wednesday (11/10) at noon with the subject line “COLOR ME HAPPY” for your chance to win!

PROGRAMS FOR GRATITUDE

The ALSC blog shares two low-cost, self-directed programs highlighting thankfulness and gratitude that can be done with minimal staff involvement. Check it out!

ABC &123 STORYTIME

Adventures in Storytime highlights a new counting book for ABC/123 storytime and shares a song to use with bubbles. (Doing a counting storytime? NCLS has Talking is Teaching bookmarks that feature number-themed picture books. Give a shout if you’d like some to share with patrons!)

FANDOM PROGRAMMING

From Teen Librarian Toolbox: “I love fandom programming. I find fandoms to be a great source of programming inspiration and it is always so much fun to have a theme. It can make marketing easier as well! Here are three popular fandoms with upcoming releases that would make great springboards for upcoming tween or teen programs…”

Youth Services Roundup

October 27, 2021

NEXT YS MEETUP

Just a reminder, the next YS meetup(s) will take place on Wednesday, November 10. Sign up for the morning or afternoon session today!

SUMMER READING SYMPOSIUM

Registration is now open for the first ever CSLP Summer Programming Symposium on December 2! All library staff that are interested in summer programming should consider attending this free, online event that will cover programming ideas, outreach/partnerships, and promotion/marketing. You can find more information, including the day’s schedule, on the CSLP website.

EXTREME WEEDING TIPS

From Teen Services Underground: “I don’t have a huge YA section, but I have kept books that haven’t gone out because I loved them 20 years ago, or maybe because they fit a themed display (that obviously wasn’t very popular.) But by not weeding our collections, even if we technically have room for everything, we are doing the collection a disservice. Here are a few tips I have learned over the years that have helped me…”

SNAKES STORYTIME

From Adventures in Storytime: “The whole snake thing has been a running joke for a couple of months now, and it was a theme I had not done before, so I figured why not, plus I found a couple of cute songs/rhymes to go with it…”

JOB OPPORTUNITIES