Friday, January 16, 2009

Bits from Barb

New Performers

Performers who were added to the Wisconsin Directory of Children's Performers during 2008 and January 2009 are highlighted. This is just a reminder that the Directory has headings to help find appropriate performers such as "Musicians," "Dancers," etc. And remember, too, that there is a map to help find the home locations of performers.


New Fabric May Have Potential for Youth Librarians

(Editor's Note: Contact Jamie if you're interested in seeing a sample!)

I recently became aware of a remarkable new fabric that may have the potential to be very useful for youth librarians. It is available from Postal Products Unlimited (www.easytackboards.com) and Mr. Anderson's Company. (www.misterandersons.com)

The product now is now being used on bulletin boards. These boards may be real time savers for librarians making flannel board sets. Any lightweight paper, card stock, vinyl, etc., will stick to the fabric without felt, tape, etc. The objects can be removed without any sticky residue. Librarians could run a flannel board pattern on the copier, cut it out, and use it immediately on the board as is. Of course, this would also work perfectly with die-cut shapes such as Ellison and Accu-Cut.

The fabric is double sided--both sides are tacky. Pictures of characters in a story could be put on one side and the other side would stick to children's shirts. This would make the fabric very handy for audience participation in a story. Another nice feature of the fabric is that is much more sanitary than a flannel board because it can be washed. When the fabric surface loses its tackiness, it can be restored by wiping it off with a damp cloth.

The fabric could be placed on the library's existing display boards. No more pins, tacks, stapling, taping, etc. It could be used on the ends of book stacks. It could be used as a teen poetry board, etc. I just want to make sure that libraries know about fabric because I think it really has the potential to be a very useful tool for librarians.


Adolescent Literacy workshops

(Editor's Note: See post for more information on the NFLS Adolescent Literacy Workshop!)

Be sure to check out the updated schedule of Adolescent Literacy workshops at www.dpi.wi.gov/pld/adolit.html. We hope all youth services librarians attend one of these sessions.


Teen Tech Week, March 8-14

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association (ALA) is sponsoring Teen Tech Week, March 7-14. The 2009 theme is "Press Play @ Your Library." Press Play @ the library can be interpreted broadly to make it work for you in your own library. One way to interpret the theme is to emphasize the word "play." Play can be about teens creating and sharing their own content for the fun of it, like videos, music, and digital artwork. Play through games can be encouraged with tournaments, tech trivia contests, and video games. The theme can also take a more educational direction. Teens can "press play" on various digital devices to learn more about the world around them. They can press play to watch film documentaries, listen to an audiobook, get online homework help, learn a new language, and more. YALSA encourages librarians and educators to be creative and take the theme in a direction that works for them and their teens!

Click here for more information about this celebration!


YALSA Offers Teen Services Courses

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), opened registration for three online courses in Winter 2009: "Booktalks Quick and Simple" (Nancy Keane); "Boys and Books: Encouraging Early Teen and Tween Boys to Read" (Jenine Lillian) and "Power Programming for Teens" (Amy Alessio). All of YALSA's Winter 2009 courses meet for four weeks and begin February 9.

Click here to read course descriptions.

Registration for YALSA's online courses is available. Four-week courses cost $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members and $195 for nonmembers. Discounts are available for groups of ten or more, and all YALSA e-courses are available for licensing. Contact Beth Yoke at byoke@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4391, for more information.


New Consumer Product Safety Law

There is a new law called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) that will go into effect in February 2009. Many librarians have been discussing the potential impact of the law on public libraries in regard to the toys they may be circulating and in relation to book sales. Recent indicators are that resale situations will not be affected by the new law. ALA has suggested that librarians wait to give them a chance to look into possible implications for public libraries, but at this time ALA does not anticipate a significant impact.

Click here to read the memo.


Free DVD on Bullying Coming to All Public Libraries from ALA

The American Library Association (ALA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the U.S. Department of Education's Safe and Drug Free Schools are pleased to announce a campaign partnership that provides all public libraries with a copy of the Stop Bullying Now! DVD Took Kit, the latest resource from the Stop Bullying Now! Campaign. The Tool Kit will be mailed to all public libraries in December 2008.

Bullying is a significant issue for many young people. The Stop Bullying Now! Campaign was launched by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in 2004 to raise awareness about bullying and to encourage bullying prevention for youth ages 9-13 and the adults who influence them.

More than 80 organizations, such as the American Medical Association, YMCA of the USA, and National Parent Teacher Association, have become campaign partners in the Stop Bullying Now! Campaign.

"HRSA's Stop Bullying Now! Campaign is pleased that as students, teachers, families and others turn to local libraries for educational resources, they will find the Stop Bullying Now! Campaign materials," said Elizabeth M. Duke, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). "This important partnership with the American Library Association makes the materials more accessible for anyone who wants to do something about the serious issue of bullying."

For additional material and bullying prevention resources, visit the Stop Bullying Now! Campaign Web site, http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov.


System Youth Services Liaison Posting

Barb Huntington, DLTCL

January 2009


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