Reminder:  Youth Services Check-In, November 29 at 2 pm

Topic:  Beyond Readers Advisory.  We’ll talk about resources and ideas for recommending games, toys, kits, videos, music, apps and more.  What resources do you like?  What kind of questions stump you?  How do you let people know about these materials, and how do you incorporate them into your usual recommendations?  How do you stay on top of what is popular, or do you even try?  Let Leah know if you need the log-in!

Indigenous Reads Rising:  a new resource!

Thanks to Kathy Larson from River Falls for sending this to me.  Indigenous Reads Rising is a new resource from We Need Diverse Books.  There is a wealth of great stuff on here, including a wonderful collection of booklists of recent and upcoming releases for Young Adults, Middle Grade, and Picture Books, including books divided by subject/genre (graphic novels, adventures, speculative, family stories, and more).  You can also find some excellent resources for teachers and librarians, including best practices, learning about Land Acknowledgements, state-by-state resources, and an excellent FAQ section.

Collaborative Summer Library Program Resources and Reminders

• Hopefully, you all received a notice from our state Youth Services Consultant at DPI, Jeni Schomber, about the Virtual CSLP Summer Symposium on December 7 from 10-3:30.
  •  You can register to attend live
  •  You can also sign up to receive a notice when recordings are posted (FYI:  there is also a WI Libraries Talk about Race webinar that day, Understanding and Challenging Implicit Bias in Decision Making).
  • If you didn’t get that notice from Jeni, please let me know, we can get you on the statewide list!
• I received 10 copies of the 2024 Product Catalog for CSLP (you can also do your CSLP shopping at https://shop.cslpreads.org) Let me know if you want a paper copy (first come, first serve)
• If you are starting planning for the summer, especially if you plan to use the Adventure Begins at Your Library theme, remember that the 2024 Manual is an excellent resource for you!  I’ve attached the instructions for accessing that manual.  You might need to check with a colleague to find out what your library’s access code is.

Scholarships for Power Up and PLA

• Power Up:  A Leadership Conference for Youth Services Managers and Staff happens every other year in Madison.  It’s a national conference, but is very focused and relatively small (I think 200 or so attendees).   The IFLS-area folks who have attended in the past (including me!) have found it to be one of the best and most relevant professional experiences they’ve had.  IFLS has some scholarship funding (thanks to an LSTA grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services).  Learn more about the scholarships and how to apply.
• Public Library Association Conference is a BIG National Conference that happens every other year (in 2024 in Columbus, OH).  LOTS of people, LOTS of things like exhibits and famous authors and other presenters, LOTS of choices of things to do, with plenty of options for folks serving youth.  I went once and it was very exciting and cool.  Learn more about the scholarship options and how to apply.