Wyoming Author Online Book Discussion: Public Waters
Wyoming author Anne MacKinnon is offering a series of online book discussions beginning May 6 for her book, Public Waters: Lessons from Wyoming for the American West. The book is about the history of water and water law in Wyoming, and what that can teach about handling the challenges of water in the West. Additional online events are also listed.
Skills for Community-Centered Libraries: A Webinar Series
WebJunction has partnered with the Free Library of Philadelphia on a series of three webinars this summer on the Community-Centered Libraries project, highlighting facets of the curriculum, and featuring staff with reflections on their learning, the impacts on their professional practices and the shifts in mindset toward a common goal of community engagement for their communities as defined by their communities.
Jason Reynolds Named Inaugural Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week
Jason Reynolds has been named the inaugural Honorary Chair for Banned Books Week 2021. The New York Times bestselling author will headline the annual celebration of the right to read, which takes place September 26 – October 2, 2021. Two of Reynolds’ books — All American Boys (with Brendan Kiely) and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (with Ibram X. Kendi) — were among the ALA’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020. This year’s theme is the theme, “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.”.
United for Libraries Virtual Conference Program Proposals Open
United for Libraries is accepting proposals for its upcoming online conference “United for Libraries Virtual: Trustees – Friends – Foundations,” scheduled to be held Aug. 3-5, 2021. Program proposals on topics of interest to library trustees, friends, foundations, and staff who work with them. The call for proposals is open through Monday, May 17. Those who submit proposals by the deadline will receive an acceptance decision on June 1.
AASL Releases Guide to Inspire Future Generations of Explorers
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has released a new resource guide to support school librarians inspiring future generations of explorers. “Developing Reflective Explorers and Innovators” contains activities, resources, and professional development based on the Explore Shared Foundation in the AASL “National School Library Standards.” The guide, along with supporting materials, can be downloaded at standards.aasl.org/project/explorers.
TeachEngineering Offers STEM Resources for K-12
TeachEngineering is a digital library comprised of standards-aligned engineering curricula for K-12 educators to make applied science and math come alive through engineering design. Educators have free access to the ever-growing collection of activities, lessons, units, maker challenges, sprinkles, and living labs.
Toolkit for Children with Print Disabilities
The Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers committee is devoting the 2020-2021 calendar year to creating vibrant, dynamic toolkits with up-to-date resources for working with marginalized populations. This month, their focus is on serving children with print disabilities. Print disabilities commonly affect students with blindness, visual impairments, learning disabilities or other physical conditions that make it difficult to hold or manipulate educational materials.
New Website Helps You Find the Best Kids’ Books
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has just launched their Book & Media Awards Shelf, a one-stop shop for finding world-class content for youth. The website lists almost 2,000 titles that have won ALSC awards over the past century. Selections include content for kids aged 0 to 14, reflecting a diverse array of authors, styles, and themes. Book & Media Awards Shelf database lets you filter by genre, format, release date, and more, so that families and educators can find exactly what they’re looking for.
Catalog Undercover with the U.S. National Archives
Fascinating stories of coded messages, espionage, and intelligence are found in the historical records of the U.S. National Archives. Explore stories of spies, camouflage, and cryptography in their catalog!