ALA and YALSA Elections
Thursday, January 11, 2007
"In order to be able to cast your vote for ALA and YALSA President-Elects and other candidates, you need to be a current member of ALA/YALSA as of 1/31/07. The election opens March 15 and closes April 24. Voting will take place online." View this post for more information and who the candidates are here.
posted by Kelly @ 7:11 PM,
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Texas native is leading the way!
Sunday, January 07, 2007
by Melinda Johnston, The Charlotte Observer, 1/7/07
"The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County has launched a new effort to reach adolescents, and Texas native Michele Gorman is leading the way." Read more here.
posted by Kelly @ 4:57 PM,
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PLCMC Teen Services Predictions?
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
It's hard not to come across reading about predictions for the new year as far as trends, movement towards, or movement away from something. I think sometimes predictions can have no other purpose than something fun to guess at and see if we're correct three months from now. I also think it might show us we're we are headed because we made it that way-things don't just 'happen' even if sometimes they seem like it.
Any ideas for what you think might be on the horizon for Teen Services this year? I'll start out with three. Feel free to add on.
1. Serving teens will continue to be highly regarded as an important service to the library and Charlotte community
2. We'll use each other as resources because we have the opportunity to get to know each other more through working on projects while on teams
3. We'll use technology in new and different ways to reach out to teens (digital cameras, Flickr, gaming, blogs, wifi, etc.)
posted by Kelly @ 10:19 PM,
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Tango Makes School Library Journal
Monday, January 01, 2007
by School Library Journal 1/01/07
"A review committee will reconsider a decision by the Charlotte schools superintendent to remove a picture book about two male penguins that raise an adopted hatchling together." Article here.
When I read the article in VOYA this month, How Can We Help? The School Library as Sanctuary by media specialist, Lynn Everts, it reminded me of the local controversy surrounding, And Tango Makes Three by Richardson (Simon & Schuster 2005).
"Books are our stock in trade, but the teens are really why we’re here. When we remember that, we’ll do our best to create those safe spaces that all teens so desperately need."
No matter what CMS' decision is, and even though this is a picture book, I still hope that teens will find our libraries to be a safe space.
PLCMC owns over twenty copies of Tango. They are all currently checked out or on hold.
posted by Kelly @ 3:41 PM,
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Book controversy in CMS schools
Thursday, December 21, 2006
On Wednesday, December 20, the Charlotte Observer reported that the book, and Tango makes three by Justin Richardson was ordered to be removed from school libraries by Superintendent, Peter Gorman. On Thursday, December 21, the Observer reported that the book was back in schools because it was 'an error to ban without panel review.'
Even though this is a children's picture book, and obviously, most teens aren't going to be interested in reading this particular book, I think it's important to be aware of censorship in the community that we serve, especially when CMS hasn't banned a library book in more than a decade.
The American Library Association commented on the 12/20 article:
"One parent's decision shouldn't dictate whether or not the book is available to all the other families in the community," said Deborah Caldwell-Stone of the American Library Association. "Any challenge to a book is ultimately an attempt to remove an idea from public discourse."
posted by Kelly @ 6:13 AM,
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Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
July 22-24, 2007
Developed by Jenny Levine, author of The Shifted Librarian blog and Gaming and Libraries: An Intersection of Services.
Details for location and registration will be announced, but will probably be in Chicago.
posted by Kelly @ 7:41 AM,
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New YALSA Discussion list - YA MUSIC
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
From YALSA Program Officer, Nichole Gilbert, “The purpose of this discussion list, which is open to both members and non-members, is to discuss how libraries can use music in all its forms to serve the teens in their communities. Librarians are encouraged to discuss recommended practices in collections and programming, as well as specific media, including CDs, MP3s, and new emerging technologies. People wishing to subscribe may do so online at: http://lists.ala.org/wws/info/ya-music." For other YALSA discussion lists, see the electronic resources section of the YALSA site at www.ala.org/yalsa
posted by Kelly @ 9:43 AM,
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