Upcoming Events and Training Opportunities
Summer Symposium
Registration for the Collaborative Summer Library Program’s annual virtual Summer Symposium is now OPEN! The Summer Symposium will be Thursday, December 5, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. central. There is no cost to attend! It will be recorded. Register today!
Highlights:
10:00 a.m. – Welcome and Keynote: “You Belong in Libraries” with Mycal Threets!
11:45 p.m. – “From Planning to Palette to Posting: Summer Reading Marketing with Cari Hillman (OH) and Katie Rothley (MI)
1:00 p.m. – “A Rainbow of Opportunities for Creative Programming” with Katie Brunner (CO) and Amanda Raiche (ND)
2:30 p.m. – “Coloring Our World Green: Sustainability and Summer Reading” with Keturah Cappdonia (NY) and Haleigh Mikolajczky (NY)
Have a question you would like to ask Mycal? Submit one by November 13th!
Artful Connections with Stephanie Haines
Another professional development opportunity from CSLP this month is Artful Connections with Stephanie Haines on November 20th at 1:00 p.m. central. Stephanie Haines is the Arts Education and Accessibility Program Manager at the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC). This webinar will focus on the fundamentals of accessibility through the lens of creative arts activities. Register today!
News You Can Use
This will be a roundup of information you might find useful.
Early Literacy
Understanding Brain Development in Babies and Toddlers – This article from Zero to Three is short but packed with wonderful information. Wow your storytime caregivers with your developmental knowledge!
School Age
Turn on the Subtitles is a movement to help improve children’s literacy through media subtitles. When subtitles are on, the brain automatically focuses on them and they “evoke efforts to read”. Subtitles help build vocabulary and comprehension. So the next time a caregiver complains about screentime, give them something positive to focus on.
Tween
Wonder Media: Ask the Questions is a website dedicated to teaching media literacy through online games and videos for youth ages 10 and up. This project was from a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Library of Michigan. Share this resource with your ISD, teachers, and homeschool groups!
Teen
The Teen Librarian Toolbox recently created a helpful infographic on a Snapshot of Youth in the United States in 2024.
Six Months From Now…
It may be November right now, but those of us working with youth always are planning for the future. Six months from now it will be April where we can celebrate Earth Day, National Poetry Month, National Library Week, and Children’s Day, Book Day – El día de los niños, El día de los libros! Be watching the Texas Center for the Book page of the TSLAC website for activities and resources to celebrate Lone Star Día!
Sustainable Crafts and Activities
In honor of Earth Day, let’s focus on sustainability! This craft can be found on page 93 in the Fiber Art and Wearables Chapter of the 2025 Summer Program Manual made available to Texas public libraries by TSLAC each year. The code to access the program manual is shared in our Summer Library Program Newsletter. Reach out if you missed it!
Darn it! Clothing Mending Circle
Practice sustainability by showing tweens, teens and adults how to mend their own clothing! Visible mending techniques are beautiful, fun and easy for beginners to learn. Participants can bring their own clothing to repair or embellish. The program manual gives instructions for how to patch a hole in denim. There are lots of tutorials for other techniques online.
Summer 2025
Ordering materials for Summer 2025 closes this Friday, November 15th!
So get those orders in now! The designated individuals at your library have been given your library’s budget, ordering code, and detailed instructions. Unsure about the status of your library’s order? Reach out to Katelyn.
If you have questions about the process or are having issues placing your order, here are some steps you can take.
- Check the TSLAC Summer Library Program page for an FAQ.
- This video gives detailed instructions on placing your order.
- Contact Katelyn at 1-800-252-9386 toll-free in TX or kpatterson@tsl.texas.gov.
- Book Time With Katelyn to troubleshoot together.
Summer 2025 Program Manual Access
The code to access the program manual was shared in TSLAC’s Summer Library Program Newsletter. Subscribe to get that newsletter in your inbox as it is the primary way of sharing important updates about everything Summer.
Subscribing now does not prompt it to resend, but Youth Services Consultant Katelyn Patterson can provide you with the access code.
Share Your Library Program With Us!
Have an impressive library program you want to brag about? By all means! Submit photos and information via our online form. Please make sure that any participants in photos have given permission to share. These might be used on a public blog for a shout out!
Thank you!
Thanks for your dedication to the youth of Texas. Subscribe to the Library Developments blog and the Summer Library Program newsletter, and book some time to meet with the Youth Services Consultant for additional support.
