Jacqueline Woodson wins The National Book Award

Many congratulations to Jacqueline Woodson on winning the Young People's Literature Award of The National Book Award for her autobiographical book in verse Brown Girl Dreaming. The book has been taking the children's lit world by storm receiving many starred reviews and now this win. Earlier this month I was lucky enough to see her speak at NYLA where she accepted the YSS Empire State Award which honors an author who resides in New York State.

Woodson spoke about how seriously she takes her job as a writer saying, "It is our role as gatekeepers of opportunity and experience to allow young people to grow up and allow them to be more than other think they will be." Woodson also spoke about the importance of literature acting as mirrors and windows for readers, "Children need to see themselves in the pages of the books but also need windows to see into the lives of other people. Wealthy white people, poor people, Asian people. To understand and grow up and love." With Brown Girl Dreaming she shares memories of her life as a child. She told the audience at NYLA that she wrote thirty drafts of this book before she could let it out into the world. Congratulations!

Visual Storytelling: Infographics in the Library

Infographics are a new and interesting way to represent data that can seem boring or rudimentary in a colorful and exciting way. I was able to attend an infographics program at the start of my second day at NYLA. I learned a ton about these new shiny data sets even though there was a black out! One would think that having an graphic-less program about infographics couldn't work, but Cary Gouldin from the University at Albany was a complete trooper! Below are some of the more important notes I took away from the session!

To start off infographics are a visual representation of data or information that is sorted, arranged, and presented visually. They are graphic novels for data. Having visual cues are a faster and easier way for your brain to process data.

They also allow people to come to their own understanding. Visuals get more attention online. It's that sparkly thing on the webpage that draws us in.

Phase 1: Planning

-Choose your audience
-Set goals for your infographic: what do you want to accomplish?
-Choose the right data: if it's not interesting it's not going to make an impact no matter how many colors you use - combine data to make it more complex and interesting
-Always make sure that you are representing the data accurately
-Find the narrative: what's important about this? You want the drama from your data! What's the really important piece you want to get across? Tell the story the data illustrates, not the one you want to be represented
-Choose the right elements: when is the best time to use a pie/bar chart, etc?

Phase 2: Designing

-Establish a format: what will it look like? How do you want the viewer to move through the graphic. Do some wire framing or story boarding for your layout
-Layout: start with your most important piece of information - your "hook". Make sure there is a clear path through your elements and have a good title!
-How to use color: it should enhance the narrative. Use muted shades if you can. We don't want to assault the eyes of our audience.
-Font: use 2 at most and don't make them fancy. We're talking squiggly script here! No flashy elements either - shadows, shading, etc.
-Revise: is it all necessary? Make sure to check your data and get a second opinion

Phase 3: Dissemination 

How can they be used in libraries?

-Information Literacy: illustrate ways to do research with process/flow charts
-Marketing Your library and Advocacy: show your stats
-Training: if you're changing a process in your library use them to take patrons or staff through the new steps
-Where?: Infographics are used best on social media, websites, libguides, etc.
-Assessment: Be sure to ask yourself, "Did I meet my goals with this graphic?"

For more infographics about infographics go here.

For the original PowerPoint and other infographic information click here.

And just for kicks:

Author at YSS: Charles R. Smith Jr.

Last week on Thursday afternoon YSS held its membership meeting where attendees welcomed their new board and were able to meet powerful poet and photographer Charles R. Smith Jr. Winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for his book My People, he shared his experiences in growing up and how it led to him becoming a writer. He shared that as a child he wanted to become an astronaut. When he went to the library at his school he told the librarian his dream of one day going into space. She handed him a book about Guy Bluford who was the first African American to ever go to space. He said that seeing someone like him taking off into the stars made him realize he could do anything. Although he never made it out of our atmosphere he did join the yearbook committee. 

While this wasn't what his eighth grade self had in mind it did lead to his passion. Here he had to not only write, but take photos. He had a new dream and has been perusing it ever since. When he moved to New York from Los Angeles he wanted to become a photographer for book covers, but was given the chance to write! Not only does he write poetry and prose, but he has recently completed an opera called Bounce: An Opera in 4 Quarters. Smith finished writing the piece so quickly he is actually a year ahead of schedule! The thing that was most exciting was this wasn't a dry PowerPoint presentation of his past works. The audience was able to have the experience of Smith reciting his poetry and giving life to the words that we had only once read on a page. This incredible talent of rhythm and rhymes made this an exceptional visit. 

To hear Charles R. Smith Jr. reciting his poetry click here.

After School Parties, Games, and Clubs

Throughout the week we will be bringing you some highlights from some of the programs we attended at NYLA this past week. Up first was a program sponsored by YSS!

Molly Chatt of the East Greenbush Community Library and Ann-Marie Helldorfer of the William K Sanford Town Library shared after school programming that has worked in the their libraries. They admit that this time of the day is sometimes difficult for programming. A younger patron has just had a full day of teachers, school, play time and brain power. Now they come into your library and may not want to think! Both Chatt and Greenbush offer the advice to try different things. What is working at the library down the street may not work for you. Sometimes if you find something that works one week may not work six months later. You will find that experimentation is key when it comes to after school clubs and programming. 

They also offer the advice to not over plan. Sometimes if you plan something that needs an exact amount of people and you get either a larger or smaller group things might have to change on the spot. If you keep it general like "After School Craft Club: come get creative at the library on Tuesday from 4-5PM" you aren't locked into doing one particular concrete idea. There are also easy programs like Lego Club where kids can come and build away. You can give them a theme if you like or make it free construction time where they get to put their creativity and engineering skills to good use. They also offered the advice that these clubs can take time to build up. If you get only four people in attendance first starting out that's fantastic! You can grow from there. 

One idea they shared that stood out for me was for book release parties. Keep your eye on Amazon's "Coming Soon" sections for both Children and Teens and plan accordingly. Get copies of older books by the author, earlier books in the series if it applies, and read-a-likes for display and borrowing. At the program you can play games and create crafts based on whatever title you are celebrating. One thing the librarians recommended were going to publisher websites and seeing what their educator sections offer when it comes to activities and print-outs. Below I have compiled a list of links for publisher educator and librarian guides for your own after school exploration!

Random House Educator Guides

Penguin Teacher's Guides and Activities

Harper Collins Teachers and Librarians

Little, Brown School and Library

Simon & Schuster Educator and Librarians

Abrams Academic Resources