This episode’s guest is Erin Knight, Learning Director for the Mozilla Foundation. Erin walks us through all the ins and outs of Mozilla’s new education initiative Badges for Lifelong Learning, a developing system that will enable users to highlight and gain recognition for specialized learning and achievements outside the standard classroom or workplace.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

If  you prefer, you may go to the YALSA Podcast Site, download the Mp3 file and listen to it on the Mp3 player of your choice. To avoid missing future episodes, add the feed to Itunes or any other rss feed tracker.

For more information on the program you can visit the project website openbadges.org. Please also check out the Digital Media and Learning Competition for proposals issued by a number of different organizations, including YALSA, for different ways of using the project.

Thanks for listening!

For this episode we are happy to bring back librarian, author and YALSA member Jesse Karp to discuss his new book Graphic Novels in Your School Library, currently available through ALA Editions.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

For more information on Jesse and his various projects, including sample lesson plans from his book, please visit his website beyondwhereyoustand.com.

If  you prefer, you may go to the YALSA Podcast Site, download the Mp3 file and listen to it on the Mp3 player of your choice. To avoid missing future episodes, add the feed to Itunes or any other rss feed tracker.

Thanks for listening!

For this episode we sit down with Megan Honig, editor-in-chief for YALS, YALSA’s own quarterly journal. Megan tells us about some of the highlights of the November, 2011 issue as well as the brand new online component that will enhance the content of the print version of YALS.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

If  you prefer, you may go to the YALSA Podcast Site, download the Mp3 file and listen to it on the Mp3 player of your choice. To avoid missing future episodes, add the feed to Itunes or any other rss feed tracker.

This episode’s guest is April Layne Pavis. As convener for YALSA’s Teen Music Interest Group, April takes us on a whirlwind tour of teens, music and ways to integrate music into your own library’s programming.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

If  you prefer, you may go to the YALSA Podcast Site, download the Mp3 file and listen to it on the Mp3 player of your choice. To avoid missing future episodes, add the feed to Itunes or any other rss feed tracker.

If  you’re interested, check out the Teen Interest Group on  ALA Connect; while there you can get ideas, learn about new music or even share programming ideas of  your own.

For this episode we talk to Thomas Knowlton, librarian for the New York Public Library and Convener for YALSA’s Serving New Adults Interest Group, about new adults: who they are, how to reach them and some of the unique programs they might be looking for.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

If  you prefer, you may go to the YALSA Podcast Site, download the Mp3 file and listen to it on the Mp3 player of your choice. To avoid missing future episodes, add the feed to Itunes or any other rss feed tracker.

For further information please check out these links mentioned in the episode:

YALSA’s Serving New Adults Interest Group: bit.ly/newadults-yalsa

New York Public Libraries Sci-Fi Summmer Program: bit.ly/scifisummer

For episode #99 we’re talking New Orleans as we preview some of the upcoming YALSA-oriented events happening at the 2011 ALA Annual Conference. First we talk to Penny Johnson, who gives us the big rundown on The Nuts and Bolts of Serving Teens Pre-conference. Then Blog Manager MK Eagle interviews Matt Moffett about The Table Talk Mashup Program and things close out with Gretchen Kolderup giving us a nice overview of the Speed Networking for YA Librarians event.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

If  you prefer, you may go to the YALSA Podcast Site, download the Mp3 file and listen to it on the Mp3 player of your choice. To avoid missing future episodes, add the feed to Itunes or any other rss feed tracker.

To find out more about these and other YALSA-related events happening at this year’s annual conference, take a look at the YALSA Conference Wiki.

YALSA receives lots of comments about the annual conference every year, and two common ones are that members crave more variety in the programming offered and that they want more opportunities to present their own ideas. To help meet these desires the YALSA board developed a new format called the Table-Talk Mashup. The Mashup—happening at this year’s ALA Conference on Sunday, June 26 from 4:00 to 5:30—-brings 16 different mini-presentations for attendees to choose from and experience. Think science fair for librarians, and you’ll have a pretty good idea what the feel of the room will be like.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be posting details about individual presentations that cover similar themes or topics. This time I’m focusing on the presentations that look at different programming ideas. From forming music groups to Henna to working with unique populations, the Mashup is sure to give you at least a few ideas to take home. I hope to see you there!

(more…)

YALSA receives lots of comments about the annual conference every year, and two common ones are that members crave more variety in the programming offered and that they want more opportunities to present their own ideas. To help meet these desires the YALSA board developed a new format called the Table-Talk Mashup. The Mashup—happening at this year’s ALA Conference on Sunday, June 26 from 4:00 to 5:30—-brings 16 different mini-presentations for attendees to choose from and experience. Think science fair for librarians, and you’ll have a pretty good idea what the feel of the room will be like.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be posting details about individual presentations that cover similar themes or topics. This time I’m focusing on the presentations that look at technology and how it’s used in the school or public library. I hope to see you there!

(more…)

For episode #98 we are joined by critics Francisca Goldsmith, Candice Mack and Eva Volin to discuss the fine art of book reviewing and how it relates to the world of libraries.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

If  you prefer, you may go to the YALSA Podcast Site, download the Mp3 file and listen to it on the Mp3 player of your choice. To avoid missing future episodes, add the feed to Itunes or any other rss feed tracker.

After listening to the episode, come back to the post and let us know what you think about the book review sources out there, how you use them and even things about them that frustrate you.

For episode #97 we talk to Alex Trivas, an English teacher at the Brentwood School in Los Angeles, California and the creator of One Billion Poets, a new website that uses social networking tools to expose teens to poetry.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

If  you prefer, you may go to the YALSA Podcast Site, download the Mp3 file and listen to it on the Mp3 player of your choice. To avoid missing future episodes, add the feed to Itunes or any other rss feed tracker.

After listening to the podcast, please take a look at the website OneBillionPoets.com and let us know what you think in the comments section. Alex also published a helpful article listing writing prompts and exercises that can be used in the classroom and in conjunction with his site.