Adolescent Literacy Workshop to be Held March 18!

This March, I will not be planning a "Teen Summer Swap," as NFLS will be hosting an Adolescent Literacy Workshop on Wednesday, March 18! This initiative is partially funded by the DPI.

Here are the speakers for the full-day workshop with their corresponding topics:

Adolescent Brain Development: Nicole Strang, University of Wisconsin - Madison Doctorate Student
Academic Success Issues Panel:
Connie Abert, Waupaca County UW-Extension Youth Development Educator
Jill Sharp, At-Risk Coordinator and Assoc. Principal, Shawano School District
Bill Fitzgerald, Superintendent, School District of New London (tentative)
Video Games, Literacy, and 21st Century Skills: Kym Buchanan, UWSP professor
Action Planning Session Facilitator: Connie Abert

As it states on the DLTCL site:
Statewide assessments of reading achievement show that the proportion of students proficient in reading declines as they move from elementary and middle school to high school.

In May 2008, the Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning launched a multi-year initiative that will champion high-quality teen services and build momentum behind Wisconsin's drive to create the most literate, well-educated citizenry and workforce in the nation.

This Initiative began with a leadership conference on May 15, 2008. The Leadership Conference included system and resource library directors, system youth services liaisons, and teen services librarians, as well as DPI staff and other invited guests.

Invitations will be going out soon! Hope to see you there!

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

Be Creative/Express Yourself Sites

Great Conversations in Music

This site presents video interviews with distinguished musicians and composers. Hosted by Eugene Istomin (1925-2003), one of the world's most admired classical musicians, the series includes conversations with Mstislav Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma, Milton Babbitt, and others. Topics include piano performance technique, modern contemporary music, the essence of the string quartet, the influence of master teachers, and lessons from the great virtuosos of the past. (Free Ed posting, 12/2/08, http://www.free.ed.gov/)

Exploring Leonardo

Focuses on the intersection between art and science, exploring how Leonardo daVinci applied the scientific method creatively in every aspect of life including art and music. The site was designed by the Boston Museum of Science for grades 4 -8, students and teachers.

The Renaissance Connection

From the Allentown Art Museum, explores Renaissance visual arts and innovations and their role in the making of the modern world. Integrate art with social studies, science and language arts with these interactive activities for middle school students.

Art Safari

Use art as a writing prompt for elementary aged kids with Art Safari from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). This site's simple design and questions make it appropriate for younger elementary students.

MOMA’s Destination Modern Art

MoMA's Destination Modern Art, designed for 5-8 year-olds, guides children to explore works of art using activities that include music, math, reading and more.

SmARTKids

SmARTKids from the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago combines learning about art with reading and writing. Student must read a lot and write in an online journal to complete the games and activities at the site. Appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students.

The Visual Dictionary

The Visual Dictionary can be used by teachers and students as a quick reference. It would be especially useful for ESL students for mastery of the language. The terms are categorized into six thematic topics: vegetal biology, animal biology, human body, music, transport, and clothing. The site uses images to explain objects and each of the objects defined on the site provides annotations that identify details of the object and a short description of each part at the bottom of the page. Visitors will find information on everything from the detailed structure of a tree to the description of a police officer’s uniform. Additionally, a few tips for using the site in an educational setting are offered in the help section. (Education World Site Reviews, 12/3/08)

CEO

Issue 326, January 13, 2009

C

SRP Workshop Coming Soon!

The invites for the annual SRP Planning Workshop on February 12th went out last week, and 25 people are already signed up!

It's going to be a fun-filled day, jam packed with speakers, activities, crafts and more!

Live music will be played during registration, and a backstage tour of the Weidner Center will be offered at the end of the day for those wishing to stay.

Sign up while there is still room!

Karla's Reviews

The Chicken Dance
by Jacques Couvillon

I never knew chickens could be so interesting...or at least Don, the 11-year-old protagonist of the story, makes them interesting. Don's mother is a self-absorbed former Vegas showgirl who hates living on a chicken farm in a po-dunk town on Horse Island. Don's father is mostly absent. Neither pays Don any attention until he becomes the youngest person to win the local chicken judging contest. Suddenly, he is a minor celebrity. Don is such a charming, funny, sincere boy that you just find yourself rooting for him to be valued by his family and community. A funny, poignant read with surprising twists for middle grade readers.

The Looking Glass Wars (Book 1)
by Frank Beddor
Oooo, I am always intrigued when a book has such mixed reviews. Some people just hated it! I really enjoyed the premise and thought it was a rather clever twist on the traditional "Alice in Wonderland." I liked the character of Alice when she was a little girl with so much imagination, and I loved Hatter Madigan's portrayal. But now I want to re-read the original books, and re-read this one in the light of the comments made by other readers. Looking forward for number two!

~ Karla Giraldéz, BCL, East Branch

Theme Ideas Needed for 2011 & 2012!

Barb is again asking for suggestions for a 2011 CSLP theme. The general concept for 2011 is World Culture/World Travel.

We also need to send in suggestions for a general concept for 2012.  As a reminder, the concepts in recent past years have been:
2011 World Cultures/World Travel
2010 Water (Make a Splash/Make Waves)
2009 Arts (Be Creative/Express Yourself)
2008 Bugs (Catch the Reading Bug)
2007 Mysteries (Get a Clue)
2006 Pets (Paw, Claws, Scales, and Tales)
2005 Medieval (Dragons, Dreams, and Daring Deeds)

Please submit to me by Feb. 16th!:
1) Your top three themes for 2011 for children.
2) Your top three themes for 2011 for teens.
3) Your top three general concept ideas for 2012.

I will take the top themes submitted and send them to Barb on behalf of NFLS.