Category Archives: Children’s services

Children's services, Public, Services

P.E.I. public libraries eliminate overdue fines for children’s materials

Prince Edward Island map 1775

(From CBC, Prince Edward Island, By Nicole Williams, CBC News)

As of June 1, P.E.I.’s public libraries will be eliminating fines for any children’s material that is returned late.

Roseanne Gauthier, youth services librarian for P.E.I. provincial public libraries, said the decision to eliminate late fees for children’s materials was an easy one.

“Of course, as a librarian, I really want kids to take the books home, so anything that makes it easier for families to take stuff home, I’m happy about,” she said.

Gauthier said library fees can often act as a barrier for families wishing to book out material for their children.

“Sometimes you do see parents or caregivers who are hesitant about having kids take something home, worried that they might get an overdue fine,” she said.

Incentive to return

While overdue fines will be eliminated, borrowers will still have to pay for a book’s replacement if lost.

However, Gauthier said books can be lent out for several months before being considered lost, and hopes that won’t discourage families from lending material.

“I think that in the end, the benefit of having families feel more comfortable with taking things home and not feeling stressed about having to get them back on time to the day, I’m hoping the benefit of that will outweigh any of the books that get lost,” said Gauthier.

(Read the rest of this article here!)

Children's services, Conference, School Media Specialist

School library professionals invited to attend AASL’s virtual membership meeting

American Association of School Librarians

Contact:

Jennifer Habley
Manager, Web Communications
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
312-280-4383
jhabley@ala.org

 

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) will hold its annual virtual membership meeting at 5 p.m. Central (6 p.m. Eastern, 4 p.m. Mountain, 3 p.m. Pacific) on Sunday, June 4, 2017. The annual membership meeting provides AASL members with a “state of the association” update via reports from AASL leadership.

As the membership meeting requires no official vote of AASL membership, all members of the school library profession are invited to attend. RSVP here to receive an email with a link to the online meeting space. AASL leadership encourages active participation in the meeting and will be available for questions via the chatbox during the presentation.

In appreciation of their attendance at the meeting, three AASL members will be drawn at random from the attendee’s names and gifted with either a tour during the AASL National Conference & Exhibition, a year of AASL membership, or a copy of the new “National Standards for School Libraries” when it launches in November.

Continue reading School library professionals invited to attend AASL’s virtual membership meeting →

Children's services, Programs, Special

Adventures of a Funky Hat Librarian

Balloon Hats Abstract on the guys

(From the ALSC blog, by Emily Bayci)

“One of the best parts (maybe even the best part) of being a children’s librarian is getting to dress up and look ridiculous all of the time. No questions asked. My favorite way to express this? Funky hats.

It all started innocently enough. There were a few hats hanging around at my graduate school and I wore them while working at the help desk. People thought it  was fun and when I found a cool hat
at a store I would end up buying one.

This escalated into a full on obsession. My friend told me how much money you could save by buying a hat for a costume and working your way down. Continue reading Adventures of a Funky Hat Librarian →

Books, Children's services

Minnesota State University Moorhead’s (MSUM) Comstock-Gág Read Aloud Book Awards

It Came in the Mail, by Ben Clanton

“For the thirteenth year, children have chosen the best read aloud picture books in the Minnesota State University Moorhead’s (MSUM) Comstock-Gág Read Aloud Book Awards program.

The 2017 winner of the Wanda Gág Read Aloud Book Award for the preschool to eight-year-old category is It Came in the Mail written and illustrated by Ben Clanton and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. This humorous book reminds us that imagination is a powerful thing, especially when a child’s desire for some mail encourages him to think outside the “mail” box. The Wanda Gág Honor books are The Darkest Dark written by Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion and illustrated by Terry and Eric Fan, The Night Gardener written and illustrated by Terry and Eric Fan, and What to Do With a Box written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Chris Sheban. The Fan Brothers mark the first time that an illustrator team has won two Wanda Gág Read Aloud Honor awards in the same year.

Continue reading Minnesota State University Moorhead’s (MSUM) Comstock-Gág Read Aloud Book Awards →

Advocacy, Children's services, School Media Specialist

Woodbridge School Board President Explains Vote To Fire Librarians

Fired stamp

From the Woodbridge Patch By Carly Baldwin (Patch Staff)

“WOODBRIDGE, NJ — The president of the Woodbridge school board talked to Patch Wednesday and defended the board’s unanimous vote last week to eliminate the district’s remaining librarians.

“I will candidly admit I did not anticipate how much backlash there would be on this,” said school board president Daniel Harris. He said the board received “dozens” of emails from people upset with the library changes, many from Woodbridge residents but some from all over the country. About 15 parents attended last Tuesday’s Board of Ed. meeting, causing one Board member to remark that she’d never seen the room so packed.

There are only three librarians left in the Woodbridge school system, and all three are at the high school level. Two have teaching certificates and will be offered teaching jobs in the district, Harris said. At least one librarian will be kept as a traveling librarian between all three high schools, Colonia, JFK and Woodbridge High.

It’s part of dramatic changes ahead for Woodbridge school system’s libraries.

With the librarians gone, Woodbridge school libraries will be transitioned into “a more flexible space for the district,” Harris said. “I don’t want to use the word ‘lounge,’ but it will be a place where students can work on projects together. You’ll see it look more like a college library, with couches and a coffee-shop style set-up.”

“A lot of the books will be recycled or donated,” he said. “Especially the encyclopedias and atlases, those are very outdated. The more popular books will be sent to classrooms or kept. We’ll probably look into an electronic method of allowing students to borrow books.”

And expect these changes to be happening very soon: The library at Colonia Middle School will be converted into a computer lab this summer. The new look for the district’s libraries will be in place by the time students return in the fall.”

(Read the rest of this article here!)