Industry News

A group of aspiring Latino writers gathered in Brooklyn, NY, earlier this month at the second annual Comadres and Compadres Latino Writers Conference held at Medgar Evers College. Approximately half of the 75 writers and publishing professionals in attendance to exchange advice, tips, and words of inspiration participated in panels dedicated specifically to children’s literature.

The Port Washington (NY) Public Library will host an exhibition of kid lit illustrators. Arizona State University wins REFORMA’s 2013 Mora Award. YALSA’s 2013 Teens’ Top Ten list is announced. The Gale Virtual Reference Library adds nearly 200 children’s Encyclopedia Britannica titles. Apply for a ALSC/Candlewick Press Grant. A research fellowship is available at the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi.

More than 100 children’s book authors and illustrators have asked President Obama to ease the country’s mandates for “excessive" standardized testing in our nation’s schools. Such an emphasis has a negative impact on kids’ love of reading and literature, they say.

Baker & Taylor's Axis 360 platform has been selected to partner with the Illinois State Library and its Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) program to provide ebook circulation services for the new eRead Illinois project. The project gives Illinois library users, including K–12 libraries, access to an immense collection of titles.

The Young Adult Library Services Association has announced its official 2013 Teens’ Top Ten list, a “teen choice” selection of favorite books—published the previous year—chosen by teens for teens.

When we tell the story of our library, do patrons feel that it represents them? Every time we discuss a successful program, we are reinforcing our library's importance to administrators, students, and teachers. Here are some effective strategies from Michael Margolis, CEO of Get Storied, an organization devoted to transformational storytelling.

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded a Youth Literacy grant in the amount of $246,806 to the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). ALSC and YALSA will use the funds to support El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), Teen Read Week, and summer reading for teens.

Last week’s "The Digital Shift" virtual event, "Reinventing Libraries," produced by Library Journal and School Library Journal, looked at the broad spectrum of ways in which libraries are remaking themselves and rethinking their missions—and how to accomplish them—in the digital age. Throughout the day, panelists gave presentations, took questions from honing new skills, developing new ones, and thinking ahead about what assets will make a successful library—and a successful librarian—in the future.

The Civil Rights Movement was at the forefront this year at the 60th annual Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards ceremony, held October 18 in New York City. The awards are given annually to children’s books, praised for their excellence, that also promote peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and races.