Industry News

New York City children's librarian Susan Scatena of Queens Library at Whitestone this week has fulfilled the promise she made to her young patrons at the start of the summer by reading a story aloud to a live alligator. The unusual storytime fulfilled Scatena’s half of the pact she made with the children that at least 300 of them would register in her summer reading program and read at least 4,000 books. In fact, they exceeded their goal; 344 children registered and read 4,595 books.

Nancy Jo Lambert, librarian at the Ruth Borchardt Elementary School in Plano, TX, created a unique program that connects her school library’s statistics with her students’ classroom math in a fun way. Find out how she did it—and why her students now clamor for this monthly program.

Publisher Kane Miller is cosponsoring a nonfiction writing contest for budding poets. Educators can enter the “Pin It to Win It” MathMovesU sweepstakes via Pinterest. From September 17, 2013 through March 24, 2014, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA, is featuring the artwork from Carle’s new picture book, Friends. The Canadian Children’s Book Centre has announced the finalists for its seven major children’s book awards.

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is seeking applications for its third biennial “Bill Morris Seminar: Book Evaluation Training,” to be held on Friday, January 24, 2014, prior to the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia. This invitational seminar supports and honors William C. Morris’s dedication to connecting librarians and children with excellent children’s books.

Gale, part of Cengage Learning, and Library Media Connection magazine today announced the three winners of the TEAMS Award—Teachers and Media Specialists Influencing Student Achievement, a biannual honor recognizing the critical collaboration between teachers and library media specialists in promoting learning.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) has awarded the Round Rock Public Library System a grant of $49,500 to build Innovation Station, an after-school maker space and program that aims to engage middle schoolers in project-based science, technology, engineering, mathematics, art and design activities. The grant is part of a total $1.6 million in awards that TSLAC is distributing in fiscal 2014 to Texas library programs.

One week from today, the Kirkendall Public Library, in the Des Moines suburb of Ankeny, IA, will open its new maker space, the first of its kind in central Iowa. The space, officially called Hatch, will include a 3-D printer, video and audio editing equipment, an image scanner, a traditional sewing machine and a serger, and tools for digitizing VHS, vinyl, and audio cassettes.

September is a great time get your network on. On Monday September 9 at 8 pm ET, it's the very special third annual Back to School Special, featuring an idea share led by Tiffany Whitehead (Mighty Little Librarian), Jennifer LaGarde (Library Girl), and the daring Gwyneth Jones. Visit the TLCafé homepage for instructions on how to join the event using Blackboard Collaborate.

Nearly 10,000 students at 20 local schools now have access to the Indianapolis Public Library's collection of nearly two million items as part of the library's growing Shared System, an inter-library collaboration that provides online circulation services and joint access to the catalogs and collections of member institutions.