Upcoming Opportunities
These opportunities are available for free unless otherwise noted. Descriptions are provided by host organizations.
FAMILY PLACE LIBRARIES GRANT
Applications Open November 1, 2022
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) is pleased to announce that the 2023 Family Place Libraries Project grant application will open on Monday, November 1, 2022! TSLAC is looking for qualified libraries to attend an in-state Family Place Libraries Training Institute and implement the program in their libraries. The purpose of this grant is to create a welcoming, family-centered environment that empowers caregivers of young children as they become their child’s first teachers. This grant will provide funding for the start-up equipment and training for new locations. Furthermore, in addition to offering this opportunity to new libraries interested in the program, TSLAC is also offering established, qualified, Family Place Libraries the opportunity to apply for funding to expand the Family Place program into an additional branch in their library system. For more information, visit TSLAC’s Family Place Libraries Project website.
PICTURE BOOK MONTH
November 1 – 30 | Annually
November is Picture Book Month, a tribute to the enduring importance of the picture book form. Author and storyteller Dianne de Las Casas (author & storyteller) and her team co-founded the month-long celebration to champion the power and beauty of picture books in an increasingly digital age. For more information, visit the the explainer on the Children’s Book Council website.
2022 CRITICAL LIBRARIANSHIP & PEDAGOGY SYMPOSIUM
November 2 – 4, 2022
Join us for an online symposium that will bring together critical pedagogy discourse among academic librarians, critical pedagogy scholars, and teaching faculty. This biennial event has been hosted by the University of Arizona Libraries since 2016. For more information, visit the event website.
GRIEF AND LOSS WEBINAR SERIES
Beginning November 3, 2022 | 10:00 AM CT
Grief and loss are experienced by everyone. How can we as library staff better understand grief and loss so that we can support our communities as well as each other? Please join the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) for this special three-part series presented by Erin Spalding, Director of Clinical Education at The Christi Center. Attendees will be invited to a follow-up session in January 2023 that is intended to allow participants additional time to explore and process their learning. Sessions are scheduled for the first three Thursdays in November from 10-11:30 AM Central, and each session is eligible for 1.5 TSLAC CE hours (CPE-eligible for Texas educators). For more information, visit: register.gotowebinar.com/register/6932537787556152079
2022 MARY CALLETTO RIFE YOUTH LITERATURE SEMINAR
November 4, 2022 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM ET
The annual Mary Calletto Rife Youth Literature Seminar celebrates activism and taking a stand through children’s literature. This year’s event features Kyle Lukoff, Ruth Forman, and Ruta Sepetys this year! The day will include author keynotes and multiple breakout sessions. Celebrate activism, advocacy, and history through youth literature together in this day-long seminar geared towards educators, students, and anyone with an interest in youth literature. The Mary Calletto Rife Youth Literature Seminar is a long-standing tradition at Kalamazoo Public Library. The seminar is named after Kalamazoo Children’s Librarian, Mary Calletto Rife. Mary created a legacy of sharing books with children and the library celebrates her work every November by bringing award-winning authors to Kalamazoo. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the event webpage.
2022 TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL
November 5-6, 2022
The 27th annual Texas Book Festival Weekend will take place on November 5–6 in and around the State Capitol in downtown Austin. The Festival Weekend is FREE and open to the public, featuring nearly 300 authors of the year’s best books across all ages and genres. For more information, visit the festival website.
PARENT AND COMMUNITY SURVEY ON SCHOOL LIBRARIES School Libraries
Deadline November 5, 2022
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission is working to better understand how school district library programs can strengthen community involvement and support. The Parent and Community Survey on School Libraries seeks input from parents and community members about what areas of school library activities they wish to learn more about, how they wish to be informed, and how they would like to provide feedback and become involved. The survey deadline is November 5, 2022; link to survey.
STEM Tales Project Applications are Open!
Application Deadline is November 7, 2022
Enhance your Storytime and STEM programs with media read-alouds from thrilling places such as the International Space Station, mountains, forests, and the sea! The STAR Library Network is looking for 21 libraries in the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, and the Northeast regions of the U.S. to take part in STEM Tales – an exciting new project designed to engage children, ages 4-8, and their families in media read-alouds, STEM activities, and take-home kits. To learn more about applying, visit the application webpage and reach out to Claire Ratcliffe Adams for questions at cratcliffe@spacescience.org.
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION (ALA) TRAVELING EXHIBITS
Beginning November 7, 2022
Exploring Human Origins: ALA in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s (NMNH) Human Origins Program, invites applications from public libraries interested in hosting the traveling exhibition Exploring Human Origins: Promoting a National Conversation on Human Evolution. The exhibition will travel the U.S. from May 2023 through May 2026. Six public libraries will be selected to present the exhibition in their communities for a period of six to nine weeks each, with library host periods available each summer and winter. Experts from the NMNH Human Origins Program will present in-person or virtual programming at the participating libraries. Application deadline is November 7, 2022. For more information, the application website.
World on the Move: In partnership with the American Anthropological Association (AAA), the ALA Public Programs Office is seeking sites to host World on the Move: 250,000 Years of Human Migration, a national exhibition that aims to help people appreciate migration histories — their own and those of others — by drawing on a wealth of case studies from across human history and the breadth of cultures. World on the Move will tour from March 2023 through August 2025 to 15 selected sites. Public libraries located in the United States and territories are invited to apply. Application deadline is November 14, 2022. For more information, the application website.
CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK
November 7 – 13, 2022
Children’s Book Week is the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading. Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. Every year, young people across the country participate by attending events at schools, libraries, bookstores, celebrating at home, and engaging with book creators both online and in person. The 2022 Children’s Book Week will take place during two dedicated weeks of celebration, May 2-8 and November 7-13! For more information, visit the Every Child a Reader website
Ongoing Tools
These tools are available for free unless otherwise noted. Descriptions are provided by host organizations.
ALA GRAPHIC NOVEL AND COMICS ROUND TABLE’S CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The ALA Graphic Novel and Comics Round Table’s Libcomix Online has opened the 22-23 proposal form. Libcomix Online is an on-going virtual programming project that hosts webinars, panel discussions, and more. Libcomix Online is currently accepting program proposals for content that is diverse, innovative, and informative. For more information, visit the submission site.
CRASH COURSE
At Crash Course, we believe that high quality educational videos should be available to everyone for free. The Crash Course team has produced more than 45 courses to date, and these videos accompany high school and college level classes ranging from the humanities to the sciences. Crash Course transforms the traditional textbook model by presenting information in a fast-paced format, enhancing the learning experience. While the show is an immensely helpful tool for students and teachers, it also has a large viewership of casual learners who seek out online educational content independently. For more information, visit the Crash Course website.
EXPLORE.ORG
Connect students to nature with free lesson plans! Explore Series is produced by explore.org, a philanthropic media organization and a multi-media division of the Annenberg Foundation. Created by filmmaker and philanthropist Charles Annenberg Weingarten to champion the selfless acts of others, inspire lifelong learning and help people fall in love with the world again, explore.org is home to more than 300 original films and a massive library of world-class photography from all over the globe. For more information, visit the organization’s education webpage.
GOOGLE ARTS & CULTURE
Google Arts & Culture is a non-commercial initiative. We work with cultural institutions and artists around the world. Together, our mission is to preserve and bring the world’s art and culture online so it’s accessible to anyone, anywhere. For more information, visit the Google Arts & Culture website.
National Student Poets Program
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers partner to present the National Student Poets Program (NSPP), the country’s highest honor for youth poets presenting original work. Five outstanding high school poets whose work exhibits exceptional creativity, dedication to craft, and promise are selected annually for a year of service as national poetry ambassadors. Texas’s 2022 National Student Poet is Jesse Begay who represents the Southwest Region. For more information about this student poet, the Class of 2022, and their potential for teen services programming in our state, visit the announcement page on Newsroom.
YOUTH SERVICES BASICS ONLINE COURSE
This course is designed as an introduction to library services for public library staff working with youth. Whether you are already working in a library or just starting out in a new youth services position, this content will help you consider why library services focusing specifically on youth are important, how to collect appropriate materials, the types of services and programs you can provide to your patrons, and the importance of outreach services. This course is available via the Indiana State Library and worth 4 continuing education credits. For more information, visit the Indiana State Library’s professional development website.
Need more resources?
Resource Archive
Wish you had access to a repository of all the tools that have been featured in the monthly Youth Services Updates? Check out our Resource Archive for more information.
Training Catalog
In addition, be sure to peruse our Training Catalog for webinars that focus on Youth Services. Our holdings are constantly updated, so check back often.
Questions?
For more information, visit our youth services page, contact Christina Taylor at ld@tsl.texas.gov, or call 512-463-5465.
