Bits from Barb

No Fall SLP Preconference in 2010

The Youth Services Section (YSS) of the Wisconsin Library Association hoped to host an SLP preconference this fall as part of the WLA fall conference. However, the YSS Board has decided that YSS is unable to take on this project in 2010. Five of the seventeen regional systems were willing to contribute funding for a fall conference. The Liaisons from those Systems, the YSS President, and I were involved in an on-line discussion about the feasibility of offering a fall SLP workshop. All of the Liaisons and I have other demands on our time which prevent us from acting as coordinator for a statewide SLP workshop. Because we don't have a coordinator there will not be a 2010 fall SLP preconference. However, several of the systems do host their own fall SLP workshops and these are open to anyone who would care to attend. I will do my best to keep everyone aware of these opportunities.

DNR Fish Wildcards

The DNR Angler Education program's popular "Fish Wildcards" are now available. Librarians can print the whole set of 45 cards that include pictures of game fish, games, knots, basic fish anatomy, a common fish parasite, and a handy trick to estimate a fish's weight with a ruler! To download the cards go to http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/kidsparents/documents/MatchYourCatch.pdf.

If you host a Angler Educator program at the library or take a group fishing with Angler Educators, drop Theresa Stabo a note at thersa.stabo@wisconsin.gov and let her know how it went. I would love to have pictures for Channel.

Big Fish Stories

DNR's EEK! program encourages public librarians to ask children to write stories about the biggest fish they have caught, or that got away. Selected stories will be put on the EEK! web site. For information on how to send in the stories go to http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/cool/bigfish/.

Teen Tech Week

Teen Tech Week 2010 will take place March 7-13. It is a national initiative meant to encourage teens to take advantage of libraries' non-print resources. The theme, "Learn Create Share @ your library," fosters teen creativity and positions the library as a place for safe exploration of many types of technology. For more information go to www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teentechweek/ttw10/home10.cfm.

American Indian Youth Literature Award

The American Indian Library Association (AILA), an affiliate of the American Library Association, has selected the following titles as the recipients of the third American Indian Youth Literature Awards:
"A Coyote Solstice Tale" by Thomas King and illustrated by Gary Clement.
"Meet Christopher: An Osage Indian Boy from Oklahoma" by Genevieve Simermeyer.
"Between the Deep Blue Sea by Me: A Novel" by Lurline Wailana McGregor

National Library Week Free PSA, April 11-17, 2010

To promote National Library Week, April 11-17, 2010, a free customizable public service announcement (PSA) featuring award-winning author Neil Gaiman is now available. Gaiman, the 2009 Newberry Medal winner for "The Graveyard Book," will appear in both a print and a radio public service announcement (PSA). Gaiman's love of libraries and librarians is no secret, as his many fans and Twitter followers know..

The PSA can be downloaded for free at National Library Week web site. The PSA reminds library users of all the resources the library offer and how libraries are of key importance in tough economic times. To have the PSA customized with their library's logo, librarians are asked to send a print quality logo file, their library name and URL to ala@atigraphics.com. The PSA will be sent to the library in 1-2 weeks.

Other materials are currently available in both English and Spanish, focusing on the 2010 National Library Week theme "Communities thrive @ your library." They include a proclamation, sample press release and letter-to-the-editor, as well as scripts for use in radio public service announcements (PSAs). More information is available at www.ala.org/nlw.

Libraries planning to participate in .Communities thrive @ your library.-themed programming are encouraged to share their stories with the Campaign for America's Libraries, by sending an e-mail to: atyourlibrary@ala.org.

- System Youth Liaison Posting, Barb Huntington, DLTCL, January 2010