Heading to Mid-Winter? You MUST visit the Reading Terminal Market

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Heading to Philadelphia for ALA’s Midwinter Meeting? Looking for some great food away from the Conference Center? You HAVE to try the many wonderful delectable delights at the Historic Reading Terminal Market.

Just a stone’s throw from the Convention Center, this market has something for everyone. Whether you are looking for an Amish homemade meal or an authentic “Philly Cheesesteak,” the Reading Terminal Market will have. This local gem not only sells delicious food, but is also peppered with many shops that may just have that perfect gift or souvenir you didn’t even know you were looking for. Find all the information you need to plan your perfect “break” from the conference here.

Hope to see you there!!

YA Programming Behind the Scenes: Breakfast of Books

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This is Stacy Lienemann reporting for my first in a series of posts on teen programs. My library received $1,000 from a YALSA/Dollar General Literacy Foundation Grant and in this series I will discuss the programs that the grant helped fund.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  613 Teen Breakfast of Books

Breakfast of Books was the kick-off program for our summer YA programs. I hoarded two months worth of new books (I did not include series sequels as I did not want to be murdered in the library’s YA section) and have spent the past three months (thanks to NetGalley and YA publishers) reading nonstop. Read More →

May Research Roundup

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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. Read More →