Category: Young Adult Services

April 25, 2008

NJLA Conference - Magic of Love: LGBTQ Characters in YA Fantasy

If you will be attending the NJLA Conference on Thursday, May 1st please consider joining the
YA Section and the LGBTI Roundtable for:
Magic of Love: LGBTQ Characters in YA Fantasy
from 9:00 to 9:50 am in the McKinley Room.
This session has been reinstated so please disregard previous cancelation notices.

Here is the session description:
Fantasy and science fiction are often regarded both as windows to other worlds and mirrors on our own. This program will investigate how these dual roles, combined with other theoretical frameworks, can be applied to young adult novels and short stories that feature LGBTQ characters in fantastical settings. Using works by Ameila Atwater-Rhodes, Francesca Lia Block, Robin McKinley, Tamora Pierce, and others, the program will demonstrate ways in which speculative fiction texts can be viewed as forging positive new paths in LGBTQ literature for teens.

Jill S. Ratzan, Ph.D. student, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; Moderator: Enola Romano, Montclair Public Library
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Intersexed Roundtable and Young Adult Services

The handouts for this session have been posted on the Handouts and Resources page of the NJLA Conference wiki at http://njlaconference.pbwiki.com/Handouts%20and%20Resources.

Hope to see you there!
Nola

Enola Romano
Chair,
LGBTI Roundtable
New Jersey Library Association

Posted by lgbti at 3:14 PM | Comments (0)

April 18, 2008

YA Section Preconference

If you haven't yet registered for the YA Services Section Preconference, think about it!

Teen Librarian as Confidante:
Knowing Where, When, and How to Draw the Line

Have you ever been asked to drive a stranded teen home after the library
has closed for the night? Has a teen ever confided to you that he self-
mutilates, has an eating disorder, or wants to come out to his parents, but
just doesn’t know how? You want to help, but when does helping cross an
ethical or legal line? A diverse panel including a library director, school
counselor, social worker, attorney, and school resources police officer will
discuss how teen librarians can help their teens while maintaining healthy
and professional boundaries with their teens. Learn what your responsi-
bilities are to your patrons, your patrons’ parents, and the library. A lively
discussion will follow the panelists’ presentations.

Presenters: Audra Caplan, Harford County (MD) Library; Michele Saliski,Monmouth County Division of Youth and Family Services Office; Jackie Gould,Media Specialist at
Clearview Regional High School; Peter Boser, Monmouth County Prosecutor.

Posted by Sophie Brookover at 10:27 AM | Comments (0)

January 9, 2008

Measuring Types and Levels of Science Programming In New Jersey Libraries

Introduction

The decision to develop a survey measuring types and levels of science programming in New Jersey libraries followed a presentation by Jessica Trujillo, Young Adult Librarian, New Brunswick Public to the Urban Libraries Section in December 2006 describing the grant process and her experience bringing science to young adults and children; reasons why libraries should offer science activities; and, some of the resources used. The survey was disseminated electronically in April 2007 via the association and regional cooperative listservs...

http://njla.org/sections/urbanlibraries/newsletter.pdf

Posted by urban at 10:52 AM | Comments (0)

June 8, 2007

YA Services Section Meeting Dates & Locations

Posted on behalf of Jeri Gunther, incoming YA Services Section President:

Attention, teen-serving librarians -- mark your calendars!

The dates and locations for the 2007-2008 meetings of the YA Services Section have been set.

All meetings are on Fridays, as follows:

September 28, at Old Bridge Public Library
November 2, at Old Bridge Public Library
January 25, at South Brunswick Public Library
February 22, at South Brunswick Public Library
March 28, at South Brunswick Public Library
May 2, at South Brunswick Public Library

The September, November, and May meetings begin with coffee at 9:30 AM, followed by our business meeting from 10-12.

The close of the May meeting will be followed by our traditional, delicious annual potluck luncheon.

The January, February, and March meetings include discussion of titles for the 2009 Garden State Teen Book Awards ballot, so coffee is at 9:00, the business meeting begins at 9:30, and GSTBA discussion goes on until we're done.

Hope to see you all there!

Posted by at 11:44 AM | Comments (0)

May 1, 2007

Congratulations to NJLA YALSA Winners!

The YALSA elections results are in, and the following very deserving NJLA members have won highly coveted positions within YALSA:

Sarah Cornish Debraski: Vice President/President Elect
Liz Burns: Member, Michael L. Printz Committee
Sharon Rawlins: Member, Margaret A. Edwards Award Committee

Congratulations to all!

Posted by at 8:15 PM | Comments (0)

April 26, 2007

Garden State Book Awards Luncheon

Bruce Coville was the keynote speaker for the Garden State Book Awards luncheon, and his witty, moving talk was a definite highlight of the conference as a whole. Before his talk on the importance of stories in the lives of young people, Bruce table-hopped throughout the ballroom, meeting and chatting with audience members -- what a great way to warm up the room!

Bruce illustrated his point about how important stories are to children and teens by telling us some great stories from his own childhood -- about how his father, who wasn't much of a reader, sat down to read him Tom Swift; about his 6th grade teacher, who entertained his exuberant writings; and about a man who, through his belief in the power of monarch butterflies, is transformed into a butterfly himself. In short, stories open children's minds to possibilities beyond what they can imagine, and in a world that stifles creativity, this is such an important thing.

Book Award winners Lola Schafer, Barry Danziger (standing in for his late sister, Paula), Eireann Corrigan, and Gennifer Choldenko were also on hand to receive their citations as winners of the Garden State Children's & Teen Book Awards. All gave gracious, charming acceptance speeches.

Posted by at 11:57 AM | Comments (0)

April 24, 2007

Graphic Novels- Not in the closet anymore!

Your guest blogger: Laverne Mann, Reference Librarian/Adult Trainer for the Ewing Branch Library, Mercer Cty Library System. My personal blog is Redhead Fangirl, where I write about comics, graphic novels, librarians, redheads in comics, my MidJersey Comicon, and lots of other stuff!

On a picture perfect spring day, librarians descended on the Ocean Place Resort for the first full day of the NJLA conference. A quick camera phone image shows the view from the conference center in Long Branch, which has gone through a lot of development in the last few years of conferences here. Remember when Ocean Place was the only large building?

I went to 4 sessions, and the keynote today, and I'm going to blog about Graphic Novels: Not in the Closet Anymore!, presented by Saleena Davidson (another redheaded librarian comic fan like myself!) of South Brunswick Public Library and Janet Rosolanko of Hillsborough Public Library.

There were three handouts: TokyoPop rating system [important to all school and public librarians!], some YA and Adult titles with gay characters, and a list of websites.

Janet suggested the title Serving Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Teens, ISBN 978-1-55570-566-4. Paraphrasing, Janet said that while the amount of GN literature is vastly improved and readily available, "a lot of hope but also still homophobia for the average queer teenager, who can experience harassment almost daily.".

For librarians, "adolescence can be a lonely time, and teens look for reflections of themselves, so we need to serve ALL our populations in materials"

Seleena gave an overview from The Gay League- LGBT Comics Timeline, an excellent resource:
Welcome to the GLA Timeline! In these pages we have attempted to catalog the representation of the LGBT community in comic books and comic strips. We start with the earliest days of the format, when gay content could only be hinted at; through to the time of the gay liberation movement when LGBT themes began to appear overtly

This table image shows some of the suggested titles: Y the Last Man, Death, Fun Home, Desire, Antique Bakery.

Saleena also discussed going to the NY Comicon [librarians given free passes- I've taken advantage two years in a row! Great librarian and comic/graphic novel special panels, and you can 'geek-out' completely!] She got a book from PrismComics for $5.95 on LGBT guide to comics.

Actually, I love to see that crossover into NJLA exhibits-- small or indie comics publishers who could promote and sell their work at NJLA...hint, hint...

Well, it was a 13 hour day and I hope this gives you some insight into just one session! Thank you Seleena and Janet! I even sat in front of David Lisa, one of the writers of the new Super Librarian comic, and the Director of the West Long Branch Library. All librarians should get a copy and help promote Super Librarian!

Posted by at 7:55 PM | Comments (0)

April 19, 2007

YA Preconference and Gaming Tourney for Librarians

Just a reminder - the NJLA Conference is quickly approaching and we have many wonderful programs scheduled, including a Preconference Program facilitated by Eli Neiburger and Erin Helmrich of the Ann Arbor District Library. The theme of the program is "Videogames as a Service: A Crash Course" and the content of the program is as follows:

"Videogames are a fundamental component of the modern media appetite, but starting a successful gaming service at a public library can be a challenge. This program will cover the basics of holding gaming events at your library, allowing you to make smart, informed choices about game hardware and software and deliver a service that attracts and appeals to gamers – especially teens – like never before."

Following the Preconference event, Eli and Erin will host a FREE gaming event for librarians from 5 - 7 p.m. Don't miss your chance to be the game player - try out Wiis, PS2s and Game Cubes!

Registration for Preconference is done through the usual channels ( i.e. conference registration form), but if you are interested in the post-preconference "party", please respond directly to me so that we may properly adjust the room.

Thank you in advance and hope to see you at NJLA!

Posted by at 10:42 PM | Comments (0)

May 9, 2006

YA Services Section Meeting & Potluck

Friday, May 5 was the final YA Services Section Meeting of the year. Every year, our final meeting is capped by a delicious potluck lunch. It's a fun event, and the section decided to make it even more enjoyable by inviting non-members of the section to join us.

We played host to several members of Kimberly Paone's YA Literature & Services class at Rutgers/SCILS, and we hope they will join us next year when our meeting schedule begins anew.

The business meeting portion of the day included a lengthy and lively discussion of the rules regarding elections and ascendancy within the Executive Board of the Section.

Previously, when the Section was a smaller body, one would automatically ascend from Member-at-Large to Secretary and so on up to President and then Past President. This was a nice, homey way for the Section to operate, but it involves a 6-year commitment of time, which is not always practical or feasible. We hammered out some language allowing for a more flexible and fairer method of electing Executive Board members, which will work out better both for EB members and for the Section membership as a whole.

Other topics were covered, such as the Section's proposed workshops at the NJASL Conference this Fall, and a potential statewide Web 2.0 training workshop, to be co-sponsored with the IT Section.

For those interested in the full details of the meeting, you'll be able to read the meeting minutes once they've been posted to the YA Section's page.

We hope to see more non-Section members at next year's open house, and of course, all NJLA members are welcome to attend our business meetings anytime. The next meeting will be Friday, September 22, 2006, from 10-12 (coffee & snacks at 9:30). See you in September!

Posted by at 6:38 PM | Comments (0)

May 2, 2006

Advocating for LGBTI Programs At Your Library

Co-presenters Corrine O'Hara of HiTOPS, and Carol Watchler of GLSEN facilitated an excellent discussion of ways (large & small!) in which library staff can support and provide a safe space for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and intersexed teens.

According to one of the many information-packed handouts from the program (which I hope will be posted online soon) HiTOPS is "a peer health education/support organization in the Princeton area." GLSE, or the "Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network is a national organization working for a future in which every child learns to respect all people regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. Their site has a detailed annotated bibliography of up-to-the-moment library resources."

Corinne O'Hara explained that HiTOPS runs a teen health clinic, and that in her role there, she trains high school seniors to be peer educators in health and human sexuality. HiTOPS also runs support programs for sexual assault victims, and its 1st and 3rd program (so called because it meets on the first and third Saturdays of each month) is a comprehensive community program designed to jumpstart Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) at high schools.

Carol Watchler explained that GLSEN's goal is to make K-12 schools safe for all students regardless of gender or sexual identity. GLSEN chapters in North and Central NJ collaborate often with HiTOPS. One of GLSEN's main projects right now is public policy work at the municipal, county, and state levels, helping to develop anti-bullying legislation and legislation against race, gender, and national origin bias.

For those of us interested in co-supporting a GSA at the schools where you work or collaborate with, it's important to note the following:

1) Sometimes GSAs will not be terribly active, but that doesn't mean they aren't needed. Often, the students who might want to join can't, because they're out to their parents, but nobody else, or they're out to some friends, but not the whole school. Both Carol and Corinne have been told by these teens that just knowing that a GSA exists (even if it's dormant) makes these teens feel better about their school and safer while they're there.

2) The teenage years are all about finding out who you are, and learning to be comfortable in your own skin. GSAs help LGBTI and questioning teens by providing a space for them to develop relationships with their peers and friends.

3) Offer to host the GSA at your public or school library. This way, interested students can go to the library, and possibly, maybe, just happen to drop in on the GSA meeting.

A viable alternative to a GSA is a Diversity Club -- this would be an umbrella club for all different sorts of kids with all different sorts of differences -- multiracial kids, immigrant kids, kids with disabilities, and LGBTI kids, too.

Diversity Clubs also appeal to all teens who are interested in human rights in general, and to those who have family members or friends who are LGBTI or questioning.

The group also discussed how librarians can help LGBTI and questioning teens see themselves reflected in the society around them:

1) Booklists and book displays of LGBTIQ literature
2) Create a bulletin board of names of famous LGBTI people, asking "What do all of these people have in common?" -- leave the bulletin board up for a week or so, and then provide the answer.
3) Post Safe Zone stickers (available through HiTOPS, these stickers show the pink triangle surrounded by a green circle) in your Teen Section.
4) Challenge homophobic language when you hear it.
5) Call for faculty and staff training in LGBT youth issues.

Posted by at 7:10 PM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2006

If You Buy It & Market It, They Will Come

Kimberly Bolan's excellent presentation on collecting, advocating for, and marketing alternative materials for teens was full of useful information, tips, and suggestions essential for any teen-serving librarian's toolkit.

Kimberly's top 5 alternative materials are magazines, graphic novels & manga, movies, audio materials (including CDs and audiobooks) and games.

Why should we collect these often ephemeral materials? Because we get so much teen cred bang for our buck with them -- when teens see that we collect materials that are of interest to them, they respond enthusiastically.

Read on for Kimberly's big tips for librarians looking to establish or enrich collections in these areas.

1) Get teen input! Don't just rely on those 5 or 10 teens who are always in the library for input, either -- you're looking to entice non-library-using teens into the library, so get out into your schools, the mall, the community center down the road, and ask teens what they want to see in the library.

2) Go for popularity over reviews. Sure, for books, you want to have a nice, balanced collection representing both Gossip Girls and Waiting For Alaska. For materials like magazines and CDs, though, you need to focus on Billboard's Top 20 and Teen People.

3) Monitor your collection's activity. What is circulating? What's not? Can you encourage circulation of some materials through clever merchandising? Did you have any idea that Sonic Youth album you bought would circulate so well? Your circ statistics can help you figure out what to buy more of, and can help you see what parts of your collection aren't earning their shelfspace any longer.

4) Market to your non-users. Remember those 10 or so kids that frequent your library week in, week out? They're not your universe of users. Your entire user base of teens includes all of your students (if you're in a school), and all of the teens who live in your town or service area (if you're in a public library). Don't ignore them! Break them down into market segments (e.g., boys who don't like to read, girls who are in vocational training, super-literary kids, teens who read only manga) and tailor your marketing to them accordingly.

Kimberly's program was so well-attended that she quickly ran out of handouts, but they will be posted soon to the YA Section's page under Links of Interest, so look for them there! I'll post a notice about it here once they've been made available.

Posted by at 8:31 PM | Comments (0)