News

The importance of advocacy is evident to us during a crisis. When our libraries are threatened or our staff faces cuts, then we leap into motion. But we should be mindful of advocacy every day. Mapping a yearlong effort keeps advocacy from getting lost in the daily shuffle.

You don't get a second chance to make a first impression. Joyce Valenza shares some creative ways to do a library orientation. (Zombies included.)

Read about what your peers think about the correlation between a thriving library and student success, the importance of administrators' support for certified librarians, and more.

Nearly 50 children’s and teen librarians met last week at Darien Library (CT) for the fifth annual KidLibCamp, a free “unconference” in which the discussion topics, panels, and workshops are voted on by the participants. Attendees explored best practices in 12 interactive breakout sessions with several common takeaways: that innovative programming can be achieved at little start-up cost; librarians need to better market existing programs to their patrons; and partnering with schools and communities is critical to the future of our libraries.

Trevelyn Jones will retire October 18 after three decades heading up the Book Review of School Library Journal (SLJ). Jones came to SLJ in 1982 after 16 years as children’s and young adult librarian at Garden City (NY) Public Library and three years at the Cleveland (OH) Public Library. She received her MLS from Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. She will be succeeded by Kiera Parrott, currently head of children’s services at Darien (CT) Library.

Featuring beloved Mo Willems characters, this impressive production offers several entertaining game options as well as cameo appearances by the author.

What if we said it doesn’t matter what you are teaching—we want your students to examine and understand how thinkers and creators come together to argue, share, compete, build, and yield exponential leaps in thinking, creativity, and invention?

NASA offers a Hubble Space Telescope program for the classroom, online applications are being accepted for the 2014 Penguin Young Readers Group Awards, Artemis Fowl will make its big screen debut, and a new toolkit is available for Kwame Alexander’s He Said/She Said to coincide with a big student contest.

Mackin Educational Resources, national distributor of PreK–12 books, ebooks and digital resources, has announced a new partnership with Hachette Book Group (HBG), beginning this month. As part of the deal, HBG’s entire catalog of more than 6,000 eBooks will be available to Mackin customers, on and offline, through their school’s exclusive MackinVIA platform.