To Cancel or Not to Cancel?

To Cancel or Not to Cancel?

I am guessing that many of you are feeling anxious about the ever-changing and sometimes confusing advice about what to do in the face of COVID-19.  I’m sure especially folks who have programming coming up–programming you’ve worked hard to prepare...

Watercolor program in Ladysmith

Thanks to Valerie Spooner from the Rusk County Community Library in Ladysmith for this great idea that works with ALL AGES! I’ve been doing watercolor painting events every 3-4 months and they have been hugely popular with all ages and don’t cost a ton of...

Fostering Readers

I came across an amazing resource, created by librarians and reading specialists in Oregon.  Fostering Readers is a website devoted to providing librarians with all sorts of great activities aimed at encouraging and developing emergent readers.  You can find ideas for...
Simple Steps for Inclusion

Simple Steps for Inclusion

Oh, it is great to be back to regular posting to the blog!  I go through stretches of being overwhelmed by other things and losing track of it, or feeling like I don’t have any content to share.  Here’s a reminder that you can help with this!  Please send...
Comic Explaining the New Corona Virus

Comic Explaining the New Corona Virus

You are probably hearing some questions about COVID19 from kids and parents alike.  NPR’s Malaka Gharib created a really great comic about the Corona virus with lots of great information for kids (and adults) packaged in a non-threatening and entertaining...
Soft Censorship

Soft Censorship

I just read an article in SLJ about LGBTQIA+ authors who encounter “soft censorship” from school and public libraries.  Their books aren’t banned.  Their appearances aren’t picketed.  They just aren’t asked to come in the first place, and...

Thinking about Race

There were several people who told me that they found themselves feeling pretty weird and uncomfortable after hearing the 2019 WLA Conference keynote speaker Ijeoma Oluo (if you missed it, here is a recording of Oluo’s keynote–the speech starts about 17...
Some thanks

Some thanks

One of the things I recommend to people when I am giving presentations about self-care is that it can be helpful to re-frame your view of things.  When you can take some time to recognize the good parts of a situation that might be difficult it can give you the...