The Spring 2013 issue of YALS is all about the association’s awards and lists. This blog post presents an edited conversation with Angela Carstensen, co-editor of SLJ’s Adult Books 4 Teens (AB4T) blog, editor of Outstanding Books for the College Bound [2011] and former Alex Award Committee member about brining the award to teens.
Q: We hear so much about Mock Printz, Newberry and Caldecott programs – why don’t we hear about a Mock Alex program?
In the spring 2013 issue of YALS, YALSA Past-President Sarah Flowers, writes about running for YALSA Board and why YOU – yes YOU – might be interested in taking the plunge. (Even if you think that you aren’t cut out for it.) In the article Sarah includes information on resources that are worth investigating for anyone considering a leadership position in the association. You might want to take a look at:
The spring 2013 issue of YALS is all about YALSA’s selected lists and awards. There are articles about the Odyssey Award and the Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award. There is information about all of YALSA’s annual selected lists. But, one thing is missing from the print version of the journal, that’s a full set of selected list reproducibles. But, no worries, they are right here on the YALS site, easily accessible for you to download and reproduce for teens and others in your community. There’s even a file that includes all of the lists in one. So, go for it. Reproduce away. (By the way, all files are in PDF.)
Of course you’ll want to read all of the articles in the spring issue and visit this site every week for content that connects to what’s in the print version of the publication.
If you are a YALSA member YALS is a perk of your membership dues. If not a member learn how to join, or learn how to subscribe.
In the spring 2013 issue of YALS an article by Marijke Visser and Chanitra Bishop covers the latest in the ins and outs of e-book publishing and libraries. The article includes an overview of the challenges libraries and publishers face when it comes to e-books and some of the differences between e-book and traditional print publishing and purchasing.
The article includes a very useful list of resources for keeping up and learning more about the world of e-books, libraries, and publishing. The list below is a one-stop-shop for accessing the resources mentioned. Keep in mind that the world of e-books and e-book publishing is moving and changing quickly. The best way to keep up is to keep reading and learning via blogs and other regularly updated resources.
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In just a few days the spring issue of YALS will be mailed to YALSA members and journal subscribers. The theme of the issue is Best of the Best and it’s full of information about:
In 2010 YALS published an article in the winter Teens & Tech issue on the Hennepin County Library’s Teen Tech Squad. Members of YALS Editorial Advisory Board asked Cynthia Matthias to update YALS readers on the Tech Squad. Find out what they’ve been up to below.
Our Teen Tech Squad has gone through some changes since the YALS article was published. In 2010, Hennepin County Library received a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Funds from this grant allowed the Teen Tech Squad to explore new tools for art and media creation. Since the beginning Teen Tech Squad workshops attracted many aspiring musicians, and while there were many free and open source applications available for the teens to use, none quite met attendee needs. The new grant funds enabled us to purchase MAC laptops, a cart of 10 iPads, midi controllers, studio monitors, and music and video production software and apps.
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By Laura Bishop, High School Librarian at Léman Manhattan Preparatory (New York NY)
(or Why You Want to Be a Part of Your Tech Department)
Note from YALS: The winter 2013 issue of YALS focuses on technology and teens. Read this article to learn about more ways that libraries are integrating technology in programs and services for adolescents.
Being a librarian in a new school offers numerous challenges. It also presents opportunities. One opportunity arose for me last year with the creation of vertical departments that bring together our lower (pre-K-4)and upper schools (5-12). There were numerous reasons for this: cohesion between divisions, creating departmental direction and goals, curriculum mapping for grades K through 12 and more continuity in curriculum. Naturally, the librarians were slightly apprehensive. We were concerned that our role as information specialists and purveyors of literature would be subsumed by technology initiatives We thought that we would be “swallowed up”.
Compounding this fear is the current trend of technologizing school libraries to the point that school librarians are being tossed out with the books in favor of iPads and “Technologists,” “Technology Coaches,” or “Technology Teachers.” Whatever the title, it seemed to us that administrators, more and more, fail to understand that the work we do as librarians is actually more vital than ever as our society moves forward. Also, what would being part of a blended department mean for the work we do teaching research skills and fostering literature appreciation? Would it mean we would spend less time involved with these important projects and tasks and be expected to solely teach tech skills out of the context of information gathering and knowledge building? Continue reading
by Rachel Goldberg, Media Specialist, East Middle School (Plymouth MI)
Note from YALS: The winter 2013 issue of YALS focuses on technology and teens. Read this article to learn about more ways that libraries are integrating technology in programs and services for adolescents.
Michigan Makers is a collaboration between several graduate students at the School of Information at the University of Michigan, a faculty member at that school (Kristin Fontichiaro), and me (a School of Information somewhat-recent alum). During the 2011-2012 school year, I started an after-school computer club at the request of several students who enjoyed coming to the library to play on computers. These students had once taken an ed tech class with me in which I introduced them to Alice. From Alice, I showed them Scratch, and from there, I started teaching them Python. That year, I also taught them about computing basics, like binary code and what it means to “debug.” In order to plan for each week’s computer club, I relied on books and online tutorials (thanks to Dr. Chuck Severance, who made his Python course freely available).
But my students wanted to program and I am not a programmer. I am, however, approximately twenty miles away from the School of Information. I reached out to graduate students interested in community informatics and eventually found a core group of future librarians who were curious about new, inexpensive technologies designed with budding computer programmers in mind. The graduate students and I began to talk about the possibilities that tools like the Raspberry Pi or the Arduino had the potential to afford my curious middle school students and, in short, Michigan Makers was born.
Now, almost one year later, we’re at a place where we can look back, thoughtfully, and see what worked, what didn’t work, and what we can do differently as we move forward.
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As mentioned in a previous post, the winter 2013 issue of YALS includes an article about the National Forum on Libraries and Teens that YALSA is sponsoring this year. The first part of the forum was a face-to-face summit that took place for two days just before ALA’s Midwinter Meetings for 2013. A small group of attendees were invited or accepted to that summit. But now, YALSA is sponsoring a series of virtual town halls to give more library staff and stakeholders the chance to talk about the future of teen library services.
The first virtual town hall is just a week away and will take place on March 19, from 2 to 3 PM eastern. The theme is partnerships and the conversation will focus on the following questions:
The winter 2013 issue of YALS focuses on teens and technology. YALSA has a lot of technology-based channels for connecting with library staff working with teens and with teens themselves. This includes two extremely active blogs. The YALSAblog and The Hub. Check out the video below to learn more about each blog, how you might get involved, and how you can use them as a part of your library teen services life.
You can contact The Hub Member Manager, Gretchen Kolderup, or the YALSAblog Member Manager, Wendy Stephens, to learn more about each publication.
If you are a YALSA member YALS is a perk of your membership dues. If not a member learn how to join, or learn how to subscribe.