If you could not attend National Library Legislative Day in person, ALA provided ample opportunity to participate virtually.

The ALA Washington Office Twitter feed (@ala_wo) is an informative resource year-round, but their tweet-by-tweet coverage of the day was an excellent way to track the action. Many advocating librarians took the time to Tweet their activities in between meetings using the #NLLD hashtag. It was truly heartening to see so many librarians on the frontlines.

 Those who could not meet their legislators in person still had (and have) the opportunity to communicate their concerns. YALSA’s Tweet Your Senator Map is a quick and easy way for those with a Twitter account to connect with their senators regarding library issues. The Map saw a lot of use over the days. The Legislative Action Center is an excellent clearinghouse for understanding legislation impacting libraries and how to communicate with legislators. Though the official day has passed, advocating for libraries is a year-round endeavor.

 If you are considering attending next year’s Library Legislative Day from May 6-7, check out this informative piece on NLLD in American Libraries Magazine to get a clearer picture of the experience.  And take a minute to browse the ALA Washington Office flickr account to see the action for yourself and hopefully get pumped to advocate.

I’m back! After a month off for vertigo and another month of innovating, I’m glad to be resuming this column, even though it probably needs a new title, since it’s as much about innovation and general cool-stuff-is-happening-all-over-the-place-and-you-should-apply-it-to-your-library-work as it is about research. That said, here is some of the fresh new ideas coming out of the woodwork and being published or publicized this month.

• After I’ve waited for what seems like forever (but is really just since I joined Twitter and started following Levar Burton), the website RRKidz is finally live and going somewhere! This 21st century incarnation of “Reading Rainbow” promises access to the classic episodes that I know I adored as a kid as well as new content for today’s media devices, those ubiquitous tablets and genius phones, curated by Burton himself. My first recommendation is for you just to get excited. But also consider that some of your patrons may still remember the original show, and my guess is that even if they claim to be non-readers, they’ll have some great memories of it. “Reading Rainbow” may be for younger children, but you can get your teen volunteers excited about it by mimicking the show’s popular “You don’t have to take my word for it” section, in which real kids recommended their favorite books to others. What a great way to get teens to sit in on storytime, or to volunteer in your children’s section, and they can just as easily create videos on library computers to share their favorite YA stories with fellow teens, along with your help.
• The New York Times magazine recently held a contest for the best essay answering the question “Why is it ethical to eat meat?” The contest subject and its judges (all white men, mostly already known for championing animal rights and being vegetarians or vegans) immediately prompted outrage, interest, and annoyance, and all of the comments and criticism are well worth reading. (more…)

This week is your last chance to take advantage of Early Bird Registration for ALA Annual– just $215 for YALSA members until midnight on Sunday, May 13th. And once you’ve registered, plan out your conference activities with the ALA Conference Scheduler. Take a look at YALSA’s events at ALA Annual for ideas on how to fill your schedule!

Of course, with all the excitement of the conference, you’ll need to take a break from the convention center once in a while– why not go to the beach for some fabulous BBQ?  Only 20 miles away from Anaheim is Seal Beach, home to the second largest wooden pier in California.  Take a walk on the beach to work up a good appetite, and then stop into Beachwood BBQ: Where the Fork . . .  Meets the Pork.  Beachwood is BBQ with a twist, and can be a hot spot to eat, so try going at off hours or plan on having time to look at the shops on Main Street.

Photo by asmythie

The food is so good, you may find it difficult to pick just one thing off the menu.  Try the BBQ favorites like brisket and pulled pork.  Be more adventurous and order the Mini Lamb Corn Dogs with Habanero-berry “katsup” or the amazing Tater Tot Casserole.  By its name alone, the Tater Tot Casserole may not catch your eye, but wait till you hear about it.

The dish has tater tots dusted with porcini mushrooms, which are then cooked in duck fat.  But that’s not all.  Then the tater tots are covered with melted smoked cheese curd and a duck gravy.  Is your mouth watering yet?

Photo by punctuated

Vegetarians have lots of choices too at the Beachwood BBQ, including a fabulous fried green tomato sandwich with smoked mozzarella and Tabasco vinaigrette or the baked macaroni and cheese with bacon and a Gruyere beer sauce.  

Speaking of beer,  Beachwood has a huge selection of microbrews on tap.  Chalkboards on the wall of the restaurant list the many choices.  Feel like trying the local flavor? Beachwood also makes their own craft beers.

If you aren’t full after all of that, walk a couple store fronts down towards the water and stop at Sweet Jill’s Bakery for a giant cinnamon roll or a chocolate chip cookie dough brownie!

Find Beachwood BBQ just a block away from the beach at 131 ½ Main Street, Seal Beach, CA. 90740 and plan your meal by checking out their Web site at http://beachwoodbbq.com.

Find Sweet Jill’s Bakery at 123 ½ Main Street, Seal Beach, CA. 90740 or look at their tasty treats at http://www.sweetjillsbakery.com.

See you in Anaheim!

Do you have a favorite Tweet from the past week? If so add it in the comments for this post. Or, if you read a Twitter post between May 11 and May 17 that you think is a must for the next Tweets of the Week send a direct or @ message to lbraun2000 on Twitter.
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I had the pleasure to present my first conference program alongside my esteemed colleague Linda Braun yesterday.  We talked about apps at the Massachusetts Library Association Conference.  As when any two people who are enthusiastic about a topic are given room to run with it, we could have gone on quite a lot longer than our hour and fifteen minute time slot.  In an effort to economize on time, and deal with some inevitable technical difficulties, our presentation was a fast-talking, fun, and somewhat chaotic look at a bunch of apps we think are great and their potential for library applications.  Discussion was sparked, and various people stopped by throughout the rest of my conference day to say they were excited to experiment and learn more about apps.

To prepare for our presentation we used a Google Doc to create an annotated list of apps we wanted to recommend.  We weren’t able to discuss everything we listed, and our list is by no means comprehensive, but it is a selection of apps in various categories from gaming to art to academic, that we think you would enjoy.

Have a look at our document: Apps Apps Everywhere  and feel free to add some apps to our list.

Title: Flashcardlet (also called Flashcards* in the App Store)

Cost: Free or $2.99 for no advertisements

Platform: iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.2 or later.

Finals and AP exams are almost (or already!) here for many of the teens we serve. Top-rated study applications can help students organize their notes and prepare for end of the semester tests. This week’s app, Flashcardlet, lets teens create, share, and use study materials anywhere.

There are several flashcard apps out there, but students that need more than text to study will appreciate Flashcardlet’s features. A step beyond the traditional pen and paper flashcard, this app allows you to view images. Create your own deck or download one from Quizlet.com to study SAT vocabulary, science and math diagrams, art history, or any other subject imaginable. If you find or make a study deck that will be useful for a friend, share it by using Dropbox or email. (more…)

Can you believe it? The ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim is next month!

You still have a chance to take advantage of Early Bird Registration – just $215 for YALSA members until midnight on Sunday, May 13th. And once you’ve registered, plan out your conference activities with the ALA Conference Scheduler. Take a look at YALSA’s events at ALA Annual for ideas on how to fill your schedule!

Now that your detailed planning is underway, it’s time to figure out where to eat during the Conference. There is a wealth of excellent dining in the Orange County area. Where to start? To help you solve that dilemma, YALSA’s Conference Marketing and Local Arrangements Committee is kicking off a series of posts about restaurants in and around Anaheim. Bon apetit!

Did you know Orange County is home to the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam? The Little Saigon area, a short 15 minute drive from the Anaheim Convention Center, is rich with authentic Vietnamese culture, and of course, delicious food.

If you’ve never tried Vietnamese food, consider Brodard Restaurant. People come from near and far to sample their famous spring rolls. Boasting over 100 traditional Vietnamese dishes, there’s something for everyone here– but the spring rolls are an absolute must. Pork, shrimp, or vegetables are neatly bundled in translucent rice paper wrap with lettuce, carrot, cucumber, and a crunchy sliver of fried rice paper tucked inside. Crisp, fresh, and flavorful, these rolls are meant to be eaten by hand and dipped in the restaurant’s famous savory sauce.

Photo by manda_wong

The restaurant’s casual, modern ambience makes for a pleasant lunch spot, and at three rolls for $4.50, a meal is reasonably priced. There are often long lines due to the popularity of the spring rolls, so plan ahead.

Brodard Restaurant is located at 9892 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92844
Visit them online at http://www.brodard.net/Home/.

We’ll be back next week with another Orange County restaurant recommendation. See you in Anaheim!

Do you have a favorite Tweet from the past week? If so add it in the comments for this post. Or, if you read a Twitter post between May 4 and May 10 that you think is a must for the next Tweets of the Week send a direct or @ message to lbraun2000 on Twitter.
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Title: Frankenstein for iPad and iPhone
Cost: 4.99 (promotional)
Platform: iOS

Whether it’s the compelling re-telling by Kenneth Oppel, This Dark Endeavor, or Liz Burns’ TeaCozy read-along, Frankenstein seems to be experiencing a resurgence among both teen readers and librarians.

Now Inkle has developed a stunning iOS app based on the classic Mary Shelley novel but with a rather HyperCard-feeling twist.

Victor’s story becomes something of a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure as the reader decides how to advance a conversation or even choose how to navigate streets at selected points which then determine the next passage. It’s an interesting slice-and-dice approach to a classic. The app also features the complete text of the original, as well as a gallery with the many anatomical images and landscapes used throughout.

As with many of the book apps based on older works, this project also suggests how you might work with teens to demonstrate how something within the public domain can be monetized and transformed into something original and compelling. I love the ides of teens creating their own variable versions of curricular texts as a form of assessment.

For more Apps of the Week, visit the App of the Week archive.

The YALSA Legislative Committee is pleased to announce our April Advocate of the Month (sorry, a few days late!): Dr. Sharyl G. Smith.

She is the former State Specialist for School Library Media at the Utah State Office of Education. According to Matt McClain who nominated Dr. Smith, “she was instrumental in lobbying efforts to the Utah State Legislature during the 2011 Legislative Session.” Dr. Smith gained $600,000 in additional funding for books and electronic resources for school media centers around the state.

Here is a link about Dr. Smith’s efforts.

Thank you to Sharyl and all the advocates out there for libraries. If you know someone deserving of the YALSA Advocate of Month recognition, please nominate them here.