Bits from Barb

Newest Alexander Study Highlights the Importance of Summer Library Use

Karl Alexander, Johns Hopkins University, has written several reports highlighting the importance of reading over the summer, especially for disadvantaged children. In a recent interview he indicated that unlike children in more affluent families, children living in poverty are less likely to have a computer at home, have books and magazines in the home, and less likely to visit the public library, museums and theater, and less likely to take music lessons and participate in organized sports. He said that these types of activities make a difference in terms of the level of learning children do over the summer, "with visiting the library being the most discriminating factor of all."
--"ODE," April 2009 http://www.odemagazine.com/

"WE ALL" Multicultural Poster Set

The Retired Peace Corp Volunteers (RPCV) of Madison have used their personal photos to create a set of multicultural posters. These posters would be excellent resources for the 2011 SLP theme, "One World, Many Stories" or the then theme, "You Are Here." The order form for the poster set is available at http://www.rpcvmadison.org/weall_order.php. The images for the posters can be viewed at http://www.rpcvmadison.org/weall_resources.php. RPCV also offers a multicultural calendar. Information is available for that at http://www.rpcvcalendar.org/. It appears RPCV creates the posters and calendar annually.

Teen Read Week, October 18-24, 2009

Teen Read Week 2009 will be celebrated October 18-24. Whether you work with kids, teens, or kids, tweens, AND teens, the ALSC Public Awareness committee has some ideas for you! For tried and true library activities, look no further than the Kids @ Your Library® online toolkit: www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/initiatives/kidscampaign/libraryactivities.cfm

National Library Week Grant

All types of U.S. libraries are invited to apply for the Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant. The $3,000 grant will be awarded to a single library for the best public awareness campaign incorporating the 2010 National Library Week theme, "Communities thrive @ your library®." The grant is sponsored by Scholastic Library Publishing, a division of Scholastic. It is administered by the Public Awareness Committee of the American Library Association (ALA). This year's application deadline is October 16, 2009. National Library Week is April 11-17, 2010.

All proposals must use the "Communities thrive @ your library" theme, which incorporates The Campaign for America's Libraries' "@ your library" brand, on any and all promotional and publicity material supporting National Library Week activities. Guidelines for using the brand are available on the campaign Web site at under the "download logos" section at http://www.ala.org/@yourlibrary/logos.

An electronic grant application form and guidelines are available on the Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant Web site at http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/pio/natlibraryweek/nlwgrant.cfm. Information also is available from the ALA Public Information Office. Telephone: 800-545-2433, ext. 2148. E-mail: mmcfarlane@ala.org.

Systems Youth Services Liaison Posting, Barbara Huntington, DLTCL, September 2009