Upcoming Opportunities
These opportunities are available for free unless otherwise noted. Descriptions are provided by host organizations.
Eclipse Information
Updates as of April 14, 2023
STAR Net’s Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries (SEAL) project is creating hands-on activity guides, science resources, and giving away free solar viewing glasses for the annular solar eclipse in 2023 and the total solar eclipse in 2024. To get your library or library system ready for these awesome solar events they’re hosting a series of virtual trainings to let you know all about the great resources available through SEAL. For more information, visit theGetting started with SEAL blog post.
2023 Accessibility Summer Camp
June 2, 2023, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Central Time
The Accessibility Summer Camp is a FREE annual conference with the goal of connecting professionals and educators with best practices in accessibility with individuals who have a desire to learn. For more information, visit the event website.
Setting the Trend | School Libraries
June 14, 2023, 7:45 AM – 2:45 PM Central Time
Please join us Wednesday, June 14, 2023 in Clear Creek Independent School District (Houston, Tx) from 8:30 AM to 2:45 PM with registration from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. Various professional learning sessions will be offered that will allow you to explore, collaborate, and learn about trending topics. This will be a FREE blended learning experience with a vendor fair, presentations, and special event speakers. For more information, visit the event website.
TLA Annual Conference Call for Proposals
Deadline: June 26, 2023
The Texas Library Association (TLA) is seeking proposals for the TLA 2024 Annual Conference being held in San Antonio on April 16-19, 2024! Deadline to submit is June 26, 2023. For detailed information about applying, please visit the association’s Presentation Opportunities webpage
Power Up Conference Call for Proposals
Deadline: August 6, 2023
The Power Up Conference Committee is seeking program proposals for Power Up 2024 being held in Madison, Wisconsin on March 21-22, 2024. Every selected session will receive one complimentary conference registration.
Submit your idea by August 6th, 2023.
The Conference Committee is also excited to announce the keynotes for the conference. The opening keynote will be Past President of the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC) and REFORMA and award-winning author Lucia Gonzalez. Closing out the conference will be Mimi Ito, author of eight books, including Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Youth Living and Learning with New Media.
Visit the conference website to learn more about the conference and these fantastic keynotes!
CLELCON Call for Proposals
Deadline: June 10, 2023
The Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL) is seeking presenters for the 2023 Virtual Conference, scheduled for September 21-22, 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM. This virtual conference offers two different opportunities to share your knowledge and experience: Break Out Session Presenters and Discussion Facilitators. All presentations will be delivered live virtually via Hopin. Presentations and discussions will be 50 minutes long. Examples of topics are available via the proposal application. Major areas of focus include Early Literacy Foundations, Early Literacy Leadership, and News in this field. Break Out Session Presenters will prepare and lead a virtual presentation related to the field of early literacy. Discussion Facilitators will lead a casual sharing of knowledge and resources while helping build connections. Proposals will be accepted April 3 – June 10 and applicants will be notified by July 31st. For more information, visit the conference website.
Ongoing Tools
These tools are available for free unless otherwise noted. Descriptions are provided by host organizations.
Futures Thinking Toolkit
To help library staff better understand futures thinking and how they might use the concepts in their library, the Special Projects Library Action Team (SPLAT) has created a Futures Thinking Toolkit. The toolkit is the result of three years’ worth of futures thinking, investigation and experimentation. SPLAT members know one size does not fit all, so they developed three different ways that libraries can consider using futures thinking: by developing programs designed for teens, with book displays, and within staff development.
Texas Talking Book Program’s Youth Services
The Texas Talking Book Program (TBP) is excited to share their new youth services program and website with you!
TBP serves book access to Texans of any age that have a print related disability. We have over 140,000 audio titles as well as braille and large print.
The youth program began around a year ago and now has a monthly newsletter and virtual book clubs for kids.We would love for you to visit our website, get more information, and tell everyone you know about it!
TED-Ed | School Libraries
TED-Ed—TED’s youth and education initiative—aims to spark and celebrate the ideas and knowledge-sharing of teachers and students around the world. Everything TED-Ed does supports learning—whether it’s producing a growing video library of original animated lessons, providing an international platform for teachers to create their own interactive lesson plans, helping curious students around the globe bring TED to their schools and gain presentation literacy skills, or celebrating innovative leadership within TED-Ed’s global network of over 250,000 teachers. TED-Ed has grown from an idea worth spreading into an award-winning education platform that serves millions of teachers and students around the world. For more information, visit the program website.
This is Just to Say
In this National Public Radio podcast, poet Carrie Fountain talks with poets about their writings as well as examining others’. For more information, visit the podcast directory.
Circle Round
Created and produced by parents of young children, WBUR’s Circle Round adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 4 to 10. Each 10- to 20-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity. And each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups. For more information, visit the podcast directory.
Need more support?
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.
