Tag Archives: Youth

Have some spare time this summer? Kansas wants you!

CMLE members, and other library fans:

  1. Do you have spare time on your hands this summer?
  2. Do you have good skills for summer reading planning??
  3. Would you like to hang around Kansas for a while???

I can’t imagine the answer to all of these questions would not be yes!

If your answers are yes, the State of Kansas is looking for someone to be their Summer Reading Regional Prsenter – and it might be  you! Check out all the details here: Continue reading Have some spare time this summer? Kansas wants you!

Be a Mentor for ALSC !

You have a lot to share!

As an experienced library person, you remember back to when you were new in libraries, or new in your job. Did someone help you? You can be that person who helps to make someone else’s journey easier and more fulfilling!

The Association of Library Service to Children is looking for mentors – and you may be just the person they need!!

You do not need to be a member of ALA or ALSC, or to have a library degree, to mentor someone. You just need to be willing to talk with someone who is new, and who could use a source for guidance in questions and support. I’ve been in CMLE libraries, so I know we have many people here who would just be great mentors!!

Apply today!! (Check in with us here at CMLE Headquarters if you want to talk about your application!) Continue reading Be a Mentor for ALSC !

Reluctant Reader Post Event Wrap-up

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On December 6th, CMLE hosted the Reaching Reluctant Readers Event with author-librarian Patrick Jones, in St. Cloud, MN.  The purpose of this event was to continue to support literacy within the CMLE region by providing additional insight as to why some youth are reluctant to read, along with potential tips and tricks to engage patrons/users. Thirty people registered for this event, and attendees included librarians, media specialists and paras, college professors, principals, reading teachers, and even some college students. The passion and buzz in the room was contagious; the goal was simple. We all wanted tips and best practices about how  to encourage the joy and wonder of reading!

Patrick  is considered a state-wide expert on teen reluctant readers. He presented from the perspectives of a librarian  and as an author and offered fantastic suggestions that attendees could easily implement immediately.  Jones identified why some youth elect not to read (aliteracy) even if reading was modeled by reader example(s.)  He suggested that the act of reading can be perceived as a barrier to engaging with other youth. Some view reading as an anti-social, solitary and a sedentary act that poorly competes with today’s electronics. As an author, he talked about the physical appearance of books that tend to capture a reluctant reader’s attention; including larger fonts, extensive open space on each page and eye-catching covers. Jones also referred to the best writing style for this type of reader as straightforward, minimal characters and action packed. His concluding thought was to remind us that people who don’t read well sometimes actually fear books, which can feel foreign to us as avid readers. Jones reminded us that the main thing we need to do is to use strategies to reduce the fear!

As a take-away from this event, CMLE asked attendees  about their personal reading experience and discussed favorite reluctant reader books during a round table rally. Topping the list were Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series) by Jeff Kinney, Speak by Laurie H. Anderson and American Born Chinese by Gene Yang.

If you attended this event, what  was your favorite takeaway or “aha moment” ? Please share in the  comments field!

Save the Date: Spotlight on Books is Coming

Image by Ed Yourdon. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by Ed Yourdon. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

A conference for adults focused on youth literature will be  on April 11-12th. It will be held at Sugar Lake Lodge, near Grand Rapids, MN. The featured speakers for the 26th annual conference include Will Alexander, Mary Logue, and Michael Hall. 

Check back with CMLE under Upcoming Events after the new year!

Teen Read Week

Image by goXunuReviews. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by goXunuReviews. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

How is your library engaging teen readers?

For the past 15 years, Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has sponsored Teen Read Week (TRW). It is a national adolescent literary initiative to sponsor continued readership. This year TRW will be held on October 13th-19th. The theme strives to encourage teens to discover the unknown and continue to explores mysteries, “Seek the Unknown @ Your Library.”

Click here for additional information about Teen Read Week from ALA.