One session that I really enjoyed was “Preparing Library Services 3.0 for Children and Young Adults.” This session included five presentations relating to the title. One duo, Marina Alexiusson from Sweden and Robin Gibsen from Ohio, talked about their Sister Library program, in which they exchanged programs and ideas for over the course of five years, leading to growth and improvements at both libraries. Sister Libraries are open for everyone to participate in, not only IFLA members. I hope to set up a Sister Library program for Pikes Peak Library District.

With librarians from 147 countries, language can be a barrier to many people getting an in-depth understanding of the event. Though the business language of IFLA is English, some of the sessions offered simultaneous translation in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Russian, and Spanish. This type of inclusion provides for greater understanding and opens up more opportunities for collaboration for librarians.

The week was an amazing and engaging experience. I met so many people from all over the world who are doing innovative and exciting programs and initiatives. As so many IFLA members said, I’ve been “bitten by the IFLA bug” and want to attend again!

The post An IFLA Congress Experience first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

At Pikes Peak Library District in Colorado Springs, Colo., we started using a Tough Topics for Teens bookmark to get the word out about the resources that we have to help teens on a variety of issues, including abusive relationships, acne, LGBT, and sex. We were inspired by a post on the ALA Think Tank Facebook page of a bookmark with a list of hotlines, and my colleagues and I were excited to make something similar!

We decided to have the bookmark be double-sided. One side has call numbers for difficult teen issues. The other side has local and national phone numbers for teens to use in a crisis. We include numbers for AA-teen, child abuse prevention, Colorado Crisis Service, eating disorders, El Paso County Department of Health, Inside Out Youth Services, Mental Health Crisis Hotline, National Runaway Switchboard, Suicide Prevention Hotline, and more.

At first, the teens did not take the bookmarks too rapidly. The bookmarks were mostly used by staff when helping a teen with a sensitive issue. Many of our teens are comfortable in our space and with our staff, so they open up to us. Our staff cares a lot and wants to help, but we are not trained counselors or medical professionals. This bookmark provides excellent resources to both staff and teens.

We’ve done a few different things to market this great resource to teens: adding bookmarks to book displays, placing them under glass table tops, and sharing them with volunteers during training.

• In the East Library teen center, we have café tables with glass tops. We decided to place these bookmarks under the glass. This is a great way to provide information without them having to approach the desk.
• We started adding the bookmarks to our book displays at our downtown location, and the books and bookmarks started flying off the shelves. The teens at our downtown library are socioeconomically diverse, and quite a few of them are dealing with difficult issues. The display put the bookmarks in front of our teen patrons and made the books even more discoverable! One of the unexpected outcomes of starting a Tough Topics display is that we were able to find gaps in our collection. Our collection development team purchased new books that deal with these issues.
• Last year, one of our staff noticed that a couple of teen volunteers had marks that appeared to be from self-harm. This broke her heart and propelled her to find out what action we could take to support the teens and prevent it from continuing. Legally, we cannot do very much, but we can tell volunteers that we are available to help them find resources and show them our bookmark. There are so many cases of invisible pain; we decided to provide the Tough Topics bookmark to all of our volunteers during training. We mention the resource but do not linger on it.

If you are interested in using our bookmark as a template, please contact me, and I’ll send it your way!

The post Tough Topics for Teens first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Pikes Peak Library District has fourteen locations and a very active mobile library service. The way each location participates varies. Some locations put comics on a table with a sign that talks about FCBD and to only take one. Other locations have passive programs like superhero coloring pages, Make Your Own Comics, or Cubeecrafts (super fun, but time-consuming!).

At one of our larger libraries, we have an annual event that brings in over four hundred people! For the event, we try new activities every year, but some things just work especially well! Our program takes over the teen center, and readers of all ages are welcome. During our three-hour celebration, we have stations with activities, or patrons can grab a comic and head out. This year we will have a professional face painter, cookie decorating, Cubeecrafts, Sphero, Make Your Own Comics, a superhero name generator, magnet-making, and games on the XBOX Kinect! That takes a lot of work from three staff members and five volunteers. Staff and volunteers take turns staffing the stations and making sure that everyone gets comics.

Do you want to get in on the action, but you want to do more or hear about different ideas? Never fear—there are other things that you can do! Try a photo booth with props for all kinds of comics, and when people take a picture, ask them to post it on Facebook or use Twitter and a hashtag. Stormtroopers from the 501^st Legion will visit in costume, but often require a long lead time. Many cosplayers are excited about sharing their knowledge and passion; ask them to share and lead a program. Panel discussions about superheroes, villains, and other comic book-related topics are really fun.

Getting the word out about events is always tricky. Fortunately, on the FCBD website, they have provided many marketing materials for print and social media. They will even provide generic press releases when asked.

Post your ideas below, and we’ll see you at FCBD 2016!

The post Free Comic Book Day in the Library! first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Teamwork
This author event was achieved with the help of a large number of people. Ally Condie’s visit was the first author event that I have planned. As the Teen Services Coordinator, I was in charge of the event, but I didn’t do it alone. Thirty-two staff members from the Teen Services Team, Community Engagement and Outreach Office (public relations), Facilities, and Security made this day go smoothly. We also had 20 teen volunteers.

Funding
The Kirkpatrick Family Fund sponsored Condie’s fee for the day with a very generous grant, which we applied for with the help of the PPLD Foundation. Once we received the grant we had one year to find an author and plan the event. Additional funding was donated by the PPLD Foundation to, in part, pay for buses so students from area schools could join us. One teacher commented in a survey, “Thanks so much for providing the transportation. Without that, my students could not have attended.”

Schedule and Statistics:
9 am student presentation: 281 students and adults

11 am student presentation: 311 students and adults

6 pm reception: 24 winners and guests

7 pm public presentation: 417 patrons

8 pm book signing only (just waited in line; didn’t see the presentation): 75 (many more people had their books signed!  Condie signed books for 2.5 hours!)

We had 1,108 people attend the five programs associated with the event!

Promotion:
School visits for booktalks and resource classes provided us with a captive audience to promote the author event.

Partnership with Barnes & Noble: They sold books at the event, so they were willing to put bookmarks and posters up. Independent book stores also helped us promote by putting up posters, but selling books at the event wasn’t something they could do.

One of the local newspapers (The Colorado Springs Independent) had an article about the event.

PPLD’s one book, one community program is called All Pikes Peak Reads. Matched was the teen selection. This synchronicity provided another way for the event to be promoted.

Word of mouth was very important. Staff members were excited, so it was easy for everyone to talk about it. We also used social media to get the word out on Facebook and twitter.

Feedback
I put together a survey for the teachers. The comments were wonderful! Here are a few:

“Great presentation, and very motivational and engaging.”

“The day went exceedingly well. Our students enjoyed the presentation very much. Condie was well prepared for all of the questions and gave many helpful tips to aspiring writers.”

“My students liked the personal nature of her remarks. Several of them talked about wanting to write books. I think hearing her, they realized that they could write too.”

When I started planning this author visit, I was quite intimidated. To prevent myself from having a nervous breakdown, I took a lot of deep breaths, created checklists for every aspect of the day, and got help from a lot of people. Amazing things are possible and, as Condie’s characters frequently remind each other in Matched, “Do not go gentle”[1].

The line at the Ally Condie book signing (Click to expand):

Photo by Tori Sparrow

Works Cited

[1] Thomas, Dylan, “Do not go gentle into that good night,” Poets.org, Nov. 29, 2014, http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/do-not-go-gentle-good-night.

Cover Photo Credit: Jeffrey Beall CC BY 3.0

The post Ally Condie Visits Pikes Peak Library District first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Preparing for an interview consists of a few elements:

• be ready to answer a range of questions
• research the organization and information relevant to the position
• wear clothes you feel confident in
• get enough sleep

I strongly believe that there are general questions we should all be prepared to answer honestly. They aren’t all that exciting, but help achieve a confident and focused mindset:

• What are your five top strengths?
  • Show off what you are good at—you are selling yourself at this interview.

• What are your five weakest areas?
  • This is a tricky question—some weaknesses can really be strengths. Choose weaknesses that can be improved upon.

• Why are you the best candidate for this position?
  • Be specific about the particular job.

• Tell me about yourself (not a question, but it is asked a lot!).
  • Use this question to make yourself multidimensional. Talk about interests outside of the library.

• When you were part of a successful team, what made it successful?
  • Be specific about the reason and what you contributed.

• When you have a disagreement with a coworker or boss, how do you address it?
  • Explain in detail, but do not speak negatively about previous employers.

Library specific questions may include:

• A patron wants a book to be removed from the library. How do you respond?
  • This question is addressing censorship.

• A patron asks for information about something you don’t agree with. How do you respond?
  • This question is addressing access to information.

• What technology are you familiar with?
  • In addition to general tech, include library specific software and resources.

• “What is your philosophy [of] librarianship?”
  • Address this question specifically.

One question that doesn’t seem like it will have much impact is: What questions do you have for us? The thoughtfulness of your response is appreciated and noticed. It shows that you took time to think through issues that might come up in the position. For more resources about questions, take a look at Mr. Librarian Dude’s list of library specific resources and interview questions.

Knowing information about the organization where you are interviewing is essential. Researching the company ensures that it is a place where you want to work. It also provides a good basis for developing questions about the organization. Asking questions about the position itself is important. Questions about programs and library initiatives will help you understand the direction of the department and library.

Confidence is a state of mind that can be built in a number of ways. How you look and feel will show through with non-verbal communication. Dress professionally: the clothes you wear for the interview are more professional than the clothes you will wear every day at the job. Take your time answering questions and make sure you fully understand what is being asked. Your confidence will show if you sit up straight and make eye contact with the members of the interview panel.

Being honest in an interview is essential. The interview goes both ways. You need to know if you like the organization and they need to know how you will fit in. The interview where I was most honest was for the job I got—and they offered it to me at the interview!

RESOURCES

1. 10 Job Interview Tips From A CEO Headhunter, Fast Company: Business + Innovation. Accessed April 16, 2014.
2. 99 Interview Tips That Will Actually Help You Get a Job, Passive Panda. Accessed April 16, 2014. .
3. Library Interview Questions. Mr. Library Dude. Accessed April 16, 2014.

The post Ace the Interview first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Ever read a book and wanted to learn more about the place, the event, the person, or the activities? Yes? Well, that happens for patrons, too! This is where readers’ advisory comes into play. Librarians are in a position to help patrons find that next good book. We use booklists, displays, and word of mouth to help patrons find materials they will enjoy. These great readers’ advisory tools are useful and necessary, but are limited in what they can offer.

To provide whole collection readers’ advisory, new tools are needed. One online tool that we are using at Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) is Reading Maps. A reading map is readers’ advisory on steroids! Reading maps provide suggestions for all formats found in a library: books, movies, music, photographs, electronic resources, and databases. They also delve into the many themes from the book: setting, people, and events. The possible topics are endless and can be addictive to play with!

In 2012, a co-worker, Krista Meier, read an article about reading maps and shared it with our team. The examples of reading maps provided in the article were inspiring, but on stagnant websites – they weren’t that interesting to view. But, we both thought reading maps were a great idea and we wanted to make them more dynamic. That got me thinking about Prezi — in Prezi we could create movement, add video, include images and, most importantly, make it look cool!

We teamed up and set to creating reading maps. Krista worked on The Night Circus and I started with Leviathan. We started from scratch: we needed to learn Prezi and learn how to create reading maps. The following are lessons we learned:

 Software:

• Use a platform that allows for: video, live links, images and text
  • Prezi or Pearltrees (we recently started favoring Pearltrees for functionality)
  • Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore (Pearltrees)
  • Local event: Mountain of Authors (Prezi)

Content:

• Create an outline with content and live links before using the software (see below for our guide)
• Include images, videos

Legal and technical issues:

• Accessibility
  • Prezi cannot be read by screen readers, so a PDF outline of content is a must
• Copyright
  • Cite your sources
  • Use images from databases or subscribe to a photo service (e.g. photos.com)
• Browsers and Apps
  • Test the reading map on as many internet browsers and apps as you can

Great topic ideas include:

• Library and community events
• National library initiatives (Summer Reading Program, Banned Books Week)
• High interest topics
  • Movies based on books
  • Television shows
  • Famous authors (dead or alive)

Creating reading maps does take some time, but after mastering the software, it will take just a couple of hours. Making sure that time creating reading maps is well spent is important. Fortunately, both Prezi and Pearltrees track how many views an entry has. Statistics are really useful to show supervisors!

Exploring all the possibilities that books have to offer through whole collection readers’ advisory is a great way to share the services libraries offer! But, more importantly, they are a ton of fun to create!

Our guide for building an outline:

• Title/Subject
• Book cover
• Author biography
• Reviews
• Book trailer
• Read-alikes
• Library resources
  • Databases
  • NoveList
  • Catalog
  • Recommended websites
  • Music recommendations
  • Movies recommendations
  • Historical (or current) figure/events re-enactments
• Genre info
  • Link to other reading maps that might be interesting
  • Link to library’s website
• Citation info
  • Self
  • Library
  • Section with references of sources used
• Social media
  • GoodReads
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
• Photos
  • Of author
  • Book
  • Subject matter
• Videos
  • Interviews
  • Book trailer
  • Subject matter
• Local information
  • events
  • people

Now, create your own and share it here!

The post Reading Maps: Readers’ Advisory on Steroids first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Not many books bring on peals of laughter and move me to cry big, fat tears. But recently, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell did just that. It is now a book I recommend that everyone read. Much to my dismay, I recently discovered that Eleanor & Park is being challenged and banned. The story, set in 1986, follows an unlikely pair of teenagers who are falling in love for the first time. Park and Eleanor are forced to sit next to each other on the school bus and slowly, silently form a friendship that develops into more over the course of a few months. Park comes from a stable, loving household. Eleanor’s family, on the other hand, is poor and she has a scary, abusive step-father. The story addresses bullying at school and home in a heart wrenching way.

In the Anoka-Hennepin school district in Minnesota, Eleanor & Park was on the optional summer reading list for high school students. Parents of a freshmen student did not agree with having the book in the library or on the suggested reading list. The parents brought it to the attention of the Parents Action League for the school district and asked for it to be removed from schools because they thought it was an obscene book because of the foul language and discussion about sex (BTW: they decided to wait)[1].  

As part of the celebration for the summer reading program the school district and the Anoka County Library arranged to have a visit from Rainbow Rowell. The Parents Action League did not want Rowell to visit with their children in any school sponsored event. The book was removed from the shelves of the school library and the author’s visit was cancelled.

The Parents Action League also asked that “appropriate disciplinary action be taken against the Media Center Specialists who reviewed and knowingly approved and promoted this book for use with our minor children. ”¹

After reading this book, I felt it had powerful messages for everyone. For those being bullied at school, it shows a way to deal with it. For those debating having sex, it shows that it is okay to wait. For every girl who doesn’t have the perfect body, it shows that they are attractive. For those dealing with abuse at home, it shows teens that they aren’t alone. For those who come from safe homes, it educates them about what it is like for people to be afraid in their own home. For me, this was one of the most powerful messages of Eleanor & Park. At night, I pray for children to feel safe – to have at least one night when they can feel safe. All of these are important lessons for everyone, no matter an individual’s background.

When I feel myself becoming upset about people removing this book (or any book) from libraries and schools, I just remind myself that, the more a book is challenged and banned, the more people hear about it and want to read it!

The post Eleanor & Park – In My Heart first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Hoot! Hoot! Hoot! Hoot! Would you ever expect to get great citation information from an OWL? No? Well, Purdue University has created the Online Writing Lab or OWL. It provides students and the general public with writing guides for APA, MLA and Chicago. These online writing guides are easy to use because they are fully keyword searchable (unlike a book!), provide great examples, and use language that writers at all levels can understand.

Everyone from middle school to graduate students will find helpful resources. Writers will find help on formatting documents, writing job applications, conducting research, and help for English as a Second Language students. Of course, the most popular use is for all those pesky citation formats!

Do you know how to write a citation for an online newspaper article in APA format? Me neither! Fortunately, navigating to that section in OWL is pretty straightforward: from the main site, click on APA Formatting and Style Guide; then click on Reference List: Electronic Sources; then scroll down to find the section Newspaper Article.  Not sure about what you are citing? OWL provides great definitions for all types of sources. Generally, two examples are provided for each source type. The first will show how to create the citation. Meaning that for the author, the example shows Author, A. A. and for the date it shows (Year, Month Day). The second example is of an actual source citation.

            If navigating doesn’t work to find the source type you need to cite, the search box is very helpful. Let’s use the example of citing a book with three authors in MLA format. On the main site, type “MLA book three authors” and click search. The results provide a nice preview for each option. The second result is the most helpful: MLA Works Cited Page: Books – Purdue Online Writing Lab. Under the section Books with More Than One Author, there are two examples of how to cite the source.

I sometimes get questions from students who have to write their papers in APA format. It is so specific and can be quite difficult to follow all the rules (I remember getting points off in college for this!). OWL provides great examples of the structure for all aspects of the paper. One example is the title page. The requirements for an APA title page are extensive; being able to see an example helps all writers learn the material.

OWL is a source that has saved me while writing for different projects; I have the rules for APA, MLA and Chicago at my fingertips! For a chapter I co-wrote in Revolutionizing the Development of Library and Information Professionals: Planning for the Future (October 2013) we were required to use APA. In another chapter I co-wrote for Library Youth Outreach (Spring 2014) we had to use Chicago. For a United Way project our library helps with, we use MLA. I also refer to OWL when writing for Public Libraries Online (Chicago)!

So, the next time you have to cite your sources or help someone, remember the OWL! Hoot! Hoot!

The post Online Writing Lab Provides Style Guidance first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Topics are organized logically for patrons who like to browse around: Adventure, Auto, Culture, Entertainment, Health, Home & Garden, Lifestyle, Money, Science or Tech. When I get questions about how something functions and can’t find a book that will explain it, HowStuffWorks comes to the rescue with detailed, well-researched and clear information.

Articles aren’t the only way that HowStuffWorks distributes information. They also have podcasts and videos. Ever wonder how a pinball machine is made? I hadn’t, but the process is extremely interesting, and you can watch it here. The podcasts are verbal reports on articles that the staff writers research and publish. Podcasts are factual, conversational and fun. Josh and Chuck host one popular podcast called Stuff You Should Know and have developed quite a following.

Quite a few ways exist for libraries to use the information on the website. Individual articles or HowStuffWorks.com can be featured on the library’s website. At Pikes Peak Library District’s (PPLD) we’ve added it to our Recommended Websites section. The Games section has a variety of games to feature for all patrons. At PPLD we have a Bored? section on our teen page; featuring the HowStuffWorks games is a great way to lead teens to safe and fun games. HowStuffWorks also offers a free widget that can be embedded on your website. Using widgets to attract attention to useful sources is a great way to help patrons stumble upon fascinating information.

Another great part of the website to feature is the Quizzes section. Ever notice how magazines, especially teen magazines, have a ton of quizzes? Some of the best quizzes for teens are Test Your Real Knowledge on Fake People, May the Force Be With You: A Striking Star Wars Quiz or the Mad Science Quiz of Doom.

With all this information about so much stuff, you want to know more now, don’t you? Well, take a look at 10 Stars Who Died During the Filming of a Movie, 5 Ridiculously Heavy Towing Jobs, 10 Best Snacks for a Road Trip or 5 Future Car Technologies That Truly Have a Chance to find out How Stuff Works!

The post Breakin’ It Down – How Does All That Stuff Work? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

We focus so much on new technologies in libraries. Sometimes I feel that we are in a rush to understand them all and stay on the cutting edge. But one effective way to connect with people is to remember the past together. With Tech of Ages, people of all ages are brought together by showing off those hot new gadgets and dusting off the old clunky technology.

The process we use starts with an email plea for help. We ask staff to be generous lending old technology that will really shock those young’uns! We typically define old as more than 10 years old (and that isn’t really that old!). Our staff has provided typewriters, Walkmans, Discmans, record players, cannon ball, ink and quill set, 1940s radio, Atari console, avocado green rotary phone, Super 8 video camera and floppy discs.

As far as new technology goes, PPLD is fortunate to have a very active information technology department with a Gadget Garage. The Gadget Garage is a traveling technology experience zone unto itself with a nook, Kindle, iPad and Android tablets, just to name a few. Patrons get to touch and develop a deeper understanding of new devices.

In addition to reserving the Gadget Garage and begging for people to clean out their basements to find their old technology to share, we also schedule at least two volunteers: one teen and one adult volunteer. These volunteers help make this a truly intergenerational program. They share their knowledge of the technology and chat with the patrons.

We have held this program twice at one of our main libraries, and each time more than 100 people have stopped to chat with us in the hour and a half we are set up. To make this program easy for other locations, we are working on creating a kit with old technology that can be transferred from location to location.

Encountering an avocado green phone that reminds you of your childhood, or seeing a rotary phone for the very first time sparks a variety of great reactions. Stories about how to use the devices pop up and are shared with staff, volunteers, and other patrons. Also, parents and grandparents have the chance to instruct their children and grandchildren about technology (for a nice change!).

The post Tech of Ages Features New Gadgets and Older Technology first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The World Factbook provides reliable information about countries and nations from around the world. The plethora of facts about each country are simply presented and are about “the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.”[1] They also provide visual data with maps (political, physical), flags and times zones.

For an example, let’s take a look at South Africa. On the World Factbook homepage, an interactive map guides us to find countries. After clicking on continent of Africa, we can choose from an alphabetical list of country names or select the country on a map.

Every country has sections based on the topics above. To read about a topic, just click on the title of the section you are interested in. For example, the geography section for South Africa has information about: area, climate, terrain, elevation extremes, natural resources, land use and more. It happens all the time; students come in and need information about a country only to find that the book is checked out. The CIA World Factbook is conveniently a few clicks away for immediate use.

The pictures available in the World Factbook are very useful!  They show famous locations, animals and satellite images of the country. These pictures are from United States government sources only¹ and are described in detail. The caption for an amazing satellite photo of the Kalahari Desert describes the sand dunes and land formations that are visible from space.

One of the common questions I’m asked on the reference desk is for a picture of a country’s flag and the history of it. The World Factbook provides the meanings of the colors and shapes on the flag. Finding reliable online sources with this information can be difficult, but The World Factbook has it all there.

The entirety of The World Factbook can be downloaded by anyone, anytime for free. If you don’t want everything, you can download specific sections. All the content on the site is “in the public domain and copyright free.”¹ They just ask that The World Factbook is cited as the source “as a courtesy.”¹ I don’t mind doing that – especially if I get credit for being one of the top ninja spies (A.K.A. librarians) out there! Who’s with me?!

The post A World of Information in the CIA Factbook first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg is not what I expected and won the Popular Paperbacks award. It seemed like it would be a recycled story about stuck up teens harassing a smart girl. While the storyline followed that pattern, it was crafted well and dealt with real issues in a relatable way! I would recommend it to girls who are excited about prom, but will not be elected the prom queen.

Listening to Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever was fun! It is a quick listen (only two CDs) that kept me wanting to know what would happen. I laughed out loud and snorted in disbelief. As with many books, I did have to suspend reality in some of the situations. This book won the Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults award.

One audiobook that I am struggling to listen to is Libba Bray’s The Diviners. It won the Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults and the Best Fiction for Young Adults awards. The voice actor, January LaVoy, is amazing; she has clear voices for all of the male and female characters. Usually a great reader is all I need to stay engaged with a book, but not this time.  The story is quite interesting: “Seventeen-year-old Evie O’Neill is thrilled when she is exiled from small-town Ohio to New York City in 1926, even when a rash of occult-based murders thrusts Evie and her uncle, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult, into the thick of the investigation.”[i] It could be that I’m just not in the mood for it right now.

The Margaret A. Edwards Award honors an author for his or her impact on teen literature. This year, Tamora Pierce won the award. I read one of her most popular series: The Song of the Lioness quartet. Pierce started this series in 1983 with a strong female character, Alanna. She is a small woman who has made her way in a man’s world through grit and determination.

Benjamin Alire Sáenz wrote Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and won two awards: Best Fiction for Young Adults and Printz Award. This book blew me away. It was funny, moving, surprising and powerful. The journey that Sáenz writes, places the reader in the shoes of the characters so that we can feel their doubts and joys. I think one of the challenges teen authors have is to write in a voice that is true to teens and, at the same time, is eloquent. Sáenz is able to do just that.

Of the 17 books I’ve read so far, I highly suggest: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Boy21 by Matthew Quick, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, and Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.

Thanks for following me on my journey of reading teen award winner

The post The Hub Reading Challenge Part 3 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Let’s get started with the Schneider Family Book Award.  This award has been administered by ALA since 2004.  It recognizes a book that encompasses “an artistic expression of the disability experience” for teens and children (Stonewall, 2013). The Schneider Family Book Award was initiated by Katherine Schneider, who is blind, and her parents, who both worked with people with disabilities.  This award honors their dedication to serving those with disabilities. It also recognizes how people with disabilities are thriving in society.

The Stonewall Book Award was the first award issued to books written for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) teens.  The inaugural award was presented in 1971 and currently has three distinct categories issued to books that acknowledge the GLBT experience.  The awards are: the Barbara Gittings Literature Award (for fiction), the Israel Fishman Non-Fiction Award, Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award.

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has many committees that recognize great teen books.  The committees are named for the award they issue and have quite an interesting past.  YALSA’s Amazing Audiobooks committee is charged with presenting a list of 25-30 audiobooks that have a range of appeal for teens 12 to 18.  This year there are 28 fiction titles and two non-fiction titles.  The Best Fiction list comes from the Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee, which started in the 1930s as the “Best Books for Young People” (Best Fiction, 2013).  They are charged with select the best books for teens and create a list for teachers and librarians to use when selecting books for a collection.

The Great Graphic Novels for Teens Committee reviews graphic novels for teens. In 2013 there were 93 titles submitted for review. Of those, 55 titles are on the honor list with the Top Ten listed here.  The Popular Paperbacks Committee has a slightly more difficult charge; they create lists to encourage teens to read for fun (Popular Paperbacks, 2013)!  Every year, Top Ten and theme based lists are created; this year’s lists are: Boarding Schools to Summer Camps: Leaving home to find; Gowns, Greasepaint and Guitars: Not the same old song and dance; I’m New Here Myself: A generation, caught between nations; and, More Books that Won’t Make You Blush: All of the excitement, none of the naughty.  The Quick Pick books are for any teen who “dislike[s] to read for whatever reason” (Quick Picks, 2013)

In my next post, I will discuss what my opinions about some of the books I have read for this challenge.  Stay tuned to find out more!

References

Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults 2013. American Library Association.  Accessed March 5, 2013. http://www.ala.org/yalsa/amazing-audiobooks/2013.

Amazing Audiobooks Policies and Procedures. American Library Association.  Accessed March 5, 2013.  http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklists/amazingaudiobooks/policies.

Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee Policies and Procedures. American Library Association.  Accessed March 5, 2013.  http://www.ala.org/yalsa/bfya/policies.

Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults. American Library Association.  Accessed March 5, 2013.  http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklists/popularpaperback/popularpaperbacksyoung.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. American Library Association.  Accessed March 5, 2013.  http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/quickpicks.

Stonewall Book Awards List. American Library Association.  Accessed March 5, 2013. http://www.ala.org/glbtrt/award/honored.

The post The Hub Reading Challenge – Part 2 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

When the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) suggested a reading challenge for current award winners, I jumped at the chance.  On January 28, 2013, The Hub (YALSA’s blog), presented the challenge:  “Read/listen to 25 of the 83 titles on our list of eligible titles [pdf] to finish the challenge” (Kolderup, 2013).  The three basic rules are: read 25 award winning books between February 3 and June 22.  The format is important, so the books must be read or listened to in the format the award was given.  Anyone who doesn’t work for the American Library Association (ALA) qualifies to participate.  The awards include award and honor books from the:  Alex Award, Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, Margaret A. Edwards Award, Michael L. Printz Award, Odyssey Award, William C.  Morris Award, Schneider Family Book Award, and the Stonewall Book Award.  Additional books can also be selected from YALSA’s 2013 Top Ten Amazing Audiobooks, Best Fiction, Great Graphic Novels, Popular Paperbacks, and Quick Picks.  This brings the total number of qualifying books to 83 (Kolderup, 2013).  That is quite a list to choose from!

I started putting titles on hold and am gobbling them up.  All this reading has got me wondering, what do these awards mean? So, this and my next post will cover a summary of each of the awards.

 The Alex Award grabs teens’ attention as it is given to books that were written for adults, and have great teen appeal.  This award was first offered in 1998 and in 2002 became ALA issued.  It is sponsored by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust; she was a groundbreaking teen librarian who inspired many librarians.  Another award that honors Margaret A. Edwards is the School Library Journal funded Edwards Award.  This award acknowledges when books and authors “have provided young adults with a window through which they can view their world and which help them to grow and to understand themselves and their role in society” (YALSA Board of Directors, 1996).

The Award for Excellence in Nonfiction is presented by YALSA and recognizes the best nonfiction book written for teens in the given year.  The Michael L. Printz Award only looks at the “literary merit” of teen fiction (The Michael L. Printz Award Policies and Procedures, 2013).  The Odyssey Award honors the best producer of an audiobook for children or teens.  Because it is for children or teens, it is “jointly given and administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and … YALSA” (Odyssey Award, 2013).  Both the Printz Award and the Odyssey Award are supported by Booklist.  The Morris Award was founded in 2009 and gives tribute to a debut author who writes for teens (Morris Award, 2013).

Watch for my next post where I’ll write about the awards I didn’t cover today and my thoughts about some of the books.

Bibliography
__________________________________

Alex Awards.  Young Adult Library Association.  February 17, 2013, http://www.ala.org/yalsa/alex-awards#current.

Kolderup, Gretchen, “YALSA’s 2013 Hub Reading Challenge Begins!,” The Hub (blog), February 3, 2013, http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2013/02/03/yalsas-2013-hub-reading-challenge-begins/.

Michael L.  Printz Award Policies and Procedures, The.  Young Adult Library Association.  February 17, 2013, http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/bookawards/printzaward/aboutprintz/criteria.

Morris Award.  Young Adult Library Association.  February 17, 2013.  http://www.ala.org/yalsa/morris-award.

Nonfiction Award.  Young Adult Library Association.  February 17, 2013, http://www.ala.org/yalsa/nonfiction-award#current.

Odyessy Award.  Young Adult Library Association.  February 17, 2013, http://www.ala.org/yalsa/odyssey-award#winners.

Printz Award.  Young Adult Library Association.  February 17, 2013, http://www.ala.org/yalsa/printz-award#current.

YALSA Board of Directors.  “Margaret A.  Edwards Award Policies and Procedures.” Young Adult Library Association.  1996.  February 17, 2013, http://www.ala.org/yalsa/bookawards/edwards/policies.

The post Award Reading Challenge first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Let’s get started by going to WolframAlpha.  First, notice all the images scattered about.  Click on one of them and it will show you results about the topic.  For example, the image for the Eiffel Tower brings you to a page that has calculated the height of the monument.  The data given is in feet, but the answer is also converted into different unit measurements.

One of my favorite queries to do with WolframAlpha is to search for first names.  For this example, try searching your name by following these steps:
1. Go to WolframAlpha.com
2.  Type in your name (e.g. Joanna)
3.  Click the equal sign
4.  Review your results

Using the example of a name search, the first box on the page tells what assumptions are being made to complete the calculation. We are also presented with assumptions that they are making, “Assuming “joanna” is a given name | Use as a city or a species specification instead” above the result (WolframAlpha, 2013).  The results for this calculation are: U.S. births, history of U.S. births (with a chart), population estimates, age distribution, alternate versions of the name, and famous people with the name.  Information on the page also includes definition of terms, related questions, and source citation.  That’s a lot of content to get from a simple search.  Now, you may be wondering, where do they get the information? Each page provides a citation from reliable sources.

WolframAlpha offers a plethora of information on: mathematics, weather, geography, people, history, music, physics, astronomy, food and nutrition, and health.  It’s amazing what can be done with calculus here!

Free personal accounts can also be created.  With this account one can create a favorites list of queries, access search history, set preferences and get personal Facebook analytics.  Paid accounts are available with WolframAlpha Pro and there are a lot more features including: image and spreadsheet input, interactivity with results, and downloadable results.  They even have mobile and PC apps, widgets and tool bars.

Next time you want calculated information, check out WolframAlpha.com!

Bibliography

“What is WolframAlpha?” WolframAlpha.com. Accessed February 4, 2013. http://www.wolframalpha.com/tour/what-is-wolframalpha.html.

“Joanna.” WolframAlpha.com. Accessed February 4, 2013. http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=joanna.

The post A Wolf or a Ram? What is Wolfram Alpha? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy was started in 1995. It is an online searchable encyclopedia with more than 2000 entries. These entries range from abduction to zombies (great for teens!). Every entry includes Author & Citation Info, Friends PDF Preview (members only), InPho Search and PhilPapers Bibliography. The Author & Citation Info provides a copy and paste citation and how to cite the article. The InPho Search is a philosophy project from Indiana University. PhilPapers Bibliography (beta) is a link to all of the articles that are cited in the entry. The entries are written by the Subject Editors (topic experts from universities) and are reviewed by Executive Editors.

Zombies are a hot topic right now and students need information about them for projects. It can be hard to find useful resources about zombies, but the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy takes the zombie article seriously, just as they do all other entries. Let’s take a look at it. It starts with a short summary followed by a hyperlinked contents page with topics ranging from the idea of zombies to the function of consciousness. The topic entries are deconstructed by examining just about all aspects of the subject providing a great depth and breadth of information. Not including the bibliography, the zombie entry is over 7,000 words long.

Nothing seems too probable, improbable, too big, or too small for their authors to take on. Some of my favorite topics are: The Liar Paradox, The Meaning of Life, Beauty, Intuition, and Chance versus Randomness. I think that teens will be interested in those, as well as: Zombies, Death, Risk, War, Happiness, and individual gods and goddesses.

In any reference interview discussion, (whether via chat or in person), when I send someone to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy they are always extremely grateful. The information provided is complete, reliable and very informative. The entries give clarity to complex and confusing ideas. Take some time to explore the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, but don’t get lost in vastness of it! And, how cool is it to cite Stanford University in a paper about zombies?!

The post Stanford University and Zombies! Oh, my! first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

One of the most extensive programs I participated in is coordinated by the Colorado Association of Libraries Leadership Development Committee — the Leadership Institute (CALLI) for Colorado librarians. About twenty library workers from around the state are selected for this year-long program. Over the course of the year, participants meet online once a month and in person three times. Each of the meetings focuses on a different topic including change management, ethics, and communication. I was part of the 2010-11 cohort and am now a co-chair of the committee.

Now, what is leadership? This is a tricky question because leaders are found in all levels of organizations, and some have titles and others don’t. Leadership and management often are confused to be the same thing. A manager can be a leader and excel at management. But, being a good manager does not mean that someone is a leader. A leader inspires her team by being visionary (planning 5 to 10 years out), taking risks, and being influential. Good managers are necessary and provide a different role. They grow people, coordinate, determine resource allocation and plan for the immediate future (2 years out). This distinction is an important one to make.

How are we meant to learn about leadership and management? There are a variety of options to support all types of learning styles and that can be overwhelming.  To get started, pick just one: read books, read blogs, observe leaders you do and don’t admire, and participate in workshops. Some of my favorite books are: Leading from the Front by Courtney Lynch and Angie Morgan, Fun is Good by Mike Veeck, and Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni.

Blogs can also be a great place to get information about leadership and management. LeadStar has great information for women leaders (as managers or as a peer leader). Ask A Manager also has excellent information. Allison Green bases her blog posts on questions from her followers. Green replies to the questions and then followers post their ideas as well.

I believe that everyone who comes into my life is there to teach me something. These encounters can vary in length. Supervisors are generally there for the long haul and provide great opportunity for observational learning. Notice how they treat you and others during times of achievement and times of challenge. Start practicing the behavior you like in them and notice when you are mirroring negative behavior. As with any skill, excellent leadership takes practice. Be a peer leader and start practicing now. Learn from everyone you meet along the way.

Workshops really recharge my batteries and inspire me to do more. The workshops can be anything from an hour session on social networking or a multi-day state-wide conference. CALLI is a long-term leadership learning experience, but short-term quick workshops will also inspire and motivate.

What steps are you going to take to become an inspirational leader? And, what are your favorite resources about leadership?

The post Excellent Leadership Takes Practice first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

If you have never Shmoop-ed before, here’s a quick overview.  Shmoop.com contains information about literature, mythology, music, math, biology and more. They also have a test prep section, but that has a cost.  Instead, direct teens to library resources (e.g., BrainFuse, Testing and Education Reference Center or Learning Express) for that type of help.

My favorite Shmoop area to use is the Literature section. In that section, teens will find great analysis of books presented in a way that is focused and relatable. Each book has sections about the summary, themes, quotes, characters, questions and quizzes. On the first page of an entry, you will find a section titled, “Why Should I Care?” This tells the teens why the book was and is important. The Shmoop authors share the importance in a very fun and relatable way. For example, with The Giver by Lois Lowry they talk about the main point of the book. Do we choose freedom and the chaos that comes with it, or do we choose safety and predictability of it? Here is how they talk about it: “What does “freedom” mean, anyway? How far do you want to push this idea? How many risks do you want to take? You might rebel against the idea of having to wear a uniform to school–but does that mean everyone should be allowed to come to class naked?” (Shmoop Editorial Team 2008).

You can see that they pull in humor to get their point across and, it works. When I show this to teens (and parents) there is a big sigh of relief and then a smile (that smile means that they can do it!).  Makes you wonder, who writes these sections? Shmoop articles are authored by teachers (high school or college level), Ph.D. and master’s students (e.g., Stanford, Harvard, and Yale).  They base the articles on “credible academic sources” and then cite the source. Shmoop also provides citations for students (Shmoop Editorial Team 2011).

All I can say is, if I had this when I was a student, I would have used it all the time for my assignments!

References

Shmoop Editorial Team. “The Giver” Shmoop University, Inc..11 November 2008. http://www.shmoop.com/the-giver/ (accessed December 10, 2012).

Shmoop Editorial Team. “How We Cite Our Sources” Shmoop University, Inc.. 2011 http://www.shmoop.com/public/cite-our-sources/ (accessed December 10, 2012).

The post To Shmoop or Not to Shmoop? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.