Take Part in the First Virtual Wyoming Education Summit
The first Wyoming Education Summit, “Pursuing Excellence Together,” will be held on September 21-22, 2020 via Zoom. This conference will bring together Wyoming professionals in education to share knowledge and expertise on education leadership, instruction, virtual learning, and early childhood.
Fifth Round of REALM Project Testing Under Way
Battelle began testing on a fifth round of materials on August 29, 2020. For Test 5, four fabrics and leather bookbinding were selected for Battelle lab testing to examine the length of time the COVID-19 virus may live on materials commonly used in archives, libraries, and museums.
Register now for Free, Online SLJ Summit: Culture Shift
The School Library Journal Summit: Culture Shift is a free, online event to be held Saturday, October 24. Now in its 16th year, this national convening will focus on creating a culture that promotes an equitable world and closes the opportunity gap for all children. Attend this free, day-long event to gain skills, ideas, and support in leading the change you want to see in your library, school, and community. Events will be recorded for later viewing.
Find Resources for National Friends of Libraries Week
United for Libraries will coordinate the 15th annual National Friends of Libraries Week Oct. 18-24, 2020. Find promotional resources including free graphics, flyers, sample press releases, and more on the The celebration offers a two-fold opportunity to celebrate Friends. Use the time to creatively promote your group in the community, to raise awareness, and to promote membership.
Sprocket Offers Free Digital Education Resource Guide
Sprocket Inc., a nonprofit innovation lab in Paducah, Kentucky, recently released a Digital Education Resource Guide. The guide is a resource for educator,s regardless of their digital literacy. It has how-to guides for novices, general traits for the experienced, and for the pros, it can be used for quick reference or as a source of collaboration.
Free, Student-Safe Video Clips and More Available from Videvo
Looking for multimedia content for your students to use? Videvo offers free educational content that’s a great online teaching resource for students and teachers. The site has an extensive collection of free video clips, as well as motion graphics, music, and sound effects. There is no need for students to login to download clips and all the content is safe for students to use.
Can Employers Require Employees to Get Vaccines?
When a vaccine for COVID-19 does become available, can an employer require it of their employees as a condition of employment? What if employees do not want to take the vaccine? Perhaps they are worried because they think pharmaceutical companies rushed through the process. Do they have a right to refuse the vaccine and keep their jobs? Find answers on this article from the Library Worklife newsletter from ALA-APA.
Help ALA Track COVID-19 Exposure Closures
Has your library had to close temporarily or adjust services due to a known COVID-19 exposure, or positive contact of a staff member or patron? The American Library Association (ALA) is tracking this information; share any information or or links to news reports with Mariel Colbert of ALA’s Chapter Relations Office at mcolbert@ala.org.
I Love My Librarian Award Nominations Open Through November 9
Has a librarian made a difference in your life or gone above and beyond to serve your community? The I Love My Librarian Award invites library users to recognize the accomplishments of exceptional public, school, college, community college, or university librarians. Each year, 10 librarians are selected to receive a $5,000 cash award in recognition of their outstanding public service. Nominations will be accepted through November 9.
AASL Partners with the Human Rights Campaign to Help LGBTQ Students THRIVE
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is partnering with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation on its Project THRIVE, a multi-year national campaign to create more equitable, inclusive support systems and help families and youth-serving professionals become better equipped to affirm, support, and care for LGBTQ youth. Project THRIVE’s goals include reducing the significant disparities in mental and physical health outcomes and improving school safety and inclusion so LGBTQ students succeed academically and socially.
Registration Open for YALSA’s Virtual 2020 YA Services Symposium
Registration for YALSA’s 2020 YA Services Symposium, which takes place virtually November 6-8, is now open. Early bird registration ends September 15. Programs cover the entire spectrum of topics related to providing services for and with young adults. This year’s theme is Biggest Little Spaces: How Libraries Serve the Expanding Worlds of Teens. New this year and included in registration is the Edwards Luncheon. Registration is open to anyone with an interest in young adult services and literature.
ALA Midwinter Going Virtual
The American Library Association’s Executive Board has announced that the 2021 ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits scheduled for January 22-26 in Indianapolis will take place virtually. The preliminary roster of speakers, which is set to include some of today’s most highly regarded keynoters and authors, will be announced early this fall along with ongoing announcements of programs, sessions, meetings, and exhibits. Registration will open in November.
ALSC 2020 Virtual Institute Opens for Registration
Registration for the 2020 ALSC Virtual Institute, “Dive In: Engage, Amplify, Activate,” is now open. This year’s Virtual Institute will convene October 2-3, 2020, in lieu of the originally planned in-person event in Minneapolis, Minnesota. General session panels will include authors Minh Lê, Carole Lindstrom, Bao Phi, Kao Kalia Yang, and 2020 Stonewall Children’s and Youth Adult Literature winner Kyle Lukoff, as well as illustrator Michaela Goade. The event will also feature a full slate of education sessions, networking opportunities and live discussions about issues in children’s librarianship and children’s literacy.
Nominations Now Open for IMLS National Medal for Museum and Library Service
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now accepting nominations for the 2021 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor awarded to libraries and museums for service to their communities. Anyone — an employee, a board member, a volunteer, a member of the public, or a government official — is invited to nominate an institution. Nominations are due by 9:59 pm MST on November 2, 2020.
Facilitator Guide: Group Learning in a Self-Paced Course
Courses that are designed to be self-paced often pose challenges for the learner, especially around feelings of isolation and lack of motivation. This guide provides a framework for organizing, structuring and leading a group of learners through self-paced courses on any topic.
2020 Teens’ Top Ten Voting Now Open
Voting is open for YALSA’s 2020 Teens’ Top Ten now through October 15. Teens aged 12-18 can vote for up to three titles from the 25 nominees. Every April, the Teens’ Top Ten nominees are posted on the Thursday of National Library Week, and readers vote online August 15-October 15. To learn more about the Teens’ Top Ten and voting, visit the Teens’ Top Ten website.
DPLA Launches Black Women’s Suffrage Digital Collection
Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) has launched its new Black Women’s Suffrage Digital Collection. The collection makes freely accessible nearly 200,000 artifacts, including images, videos, letters, diaries, speeches, maps, diaries, and oral histories, from DPLA’s more than 4,000 partner institutions that document the contributions and experiences of Black women during the women’s suffrage movement as well as Black women’s activism from the 1850s to the 1960s.