Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)

The Future Children's Librarian - According to Louise Seaman Bechtel Explore the journey of a Future Children's Librarian through the treasures of the Baldwin Library and the legacy of Louise Seaman Bechtel.

"Could Bechtel, who wrote about the rise of comic books, imagine a world in which book bans were so commonly discussed and bandied around?"

Aryssa Damron shares what she has learned about Louise Seaman Bechtel at the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature on the ALSC blog.

Outreach Hack - Gamifying and Demonstrating Your Library of Things Learn how the Library of Things can transform your library outreach with engaging resources and local activity passes.

Peter Blenski provides tips on gamifying your Library of Things outreach on the ALSC blog. #skybrarians

IBBY Regional Conference is coming to Boston, November 7-9, 2025. Join us at the IBBY Regional Conference in Boston for insightful discussions and networking opportunities in children's literature.

Learn more about the IBBY Regional Conference, coming to Boston this fall, on the ALSC blog.

"Co-chairing a committee is a great way to gain professional leadership experience. . . Duties such as leading meetings, corresponding with members, and creating agendas are easily transferable skills."

Cassie Chenoweth shares here experience as a committee co-chair on the ALSC blog.

Pokémon Clubs at Your Library AASL and ALSC have partnered with Pokémon to bring Pokémon Clubs to school and public libraries. Learn more about how to bring your young patrons together and create opportunities to grow and play tog...

ALSC and AASL, in partnership with The Pokémon Company International, are excited to announce a new initiative – the Pokémon Club program.

Learn more and apply on the ALSC website. Note that you must be an ALSC or AASL member to participate. #skybrarians #pokemontcg @play.pokemon.com

Sparking Young Minds with Forensic Science and Storytelling Librarians can explore the fascinating world of Forensic Science while teaching kids to solve mysteries through fingerprints, fiber, and more.

"Forensic science isn’t just about solving crimes—it’s about developing observation, reasoning, and ethical thinking. Introducing these skills early can help children become thoughtful problem-solvers for life."

Dr. Judy Staveley shares ideas for forensic science programming on the ALSC blog.

2026 Caldecott - Requesting ALSC Member Suggestions Submit your suggestions for the 2026 Caldecott. Help recognize distinguished American picture books published in 2025.

Is there a picture book from this year you can’t stop thinking about? The 2026 Caldecott Committee invites ALSC members to submit suggestions for the most distinguished American picture books published in 2025. Learn more on the ALSC blog! #kidlit #yma2026

Apply for the Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award! Apply for the Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award and experience the magic of the ALA conference in Chicago. Opportunities await!

Applications for the Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award - which provides a $1200 stipend to up to two children’s librarians to attend their first ALA Annual Conference - are now open! Learn more on the ALSC blog. #skybrarians #alaac26

One Mindful Minute: Supporting Back to School Season Change is hard, especially during Back to School. Learn how to support children during this season through offering Mindful Minutes.

"We can show up in the best possible way for our patrons, redirect behavior when necessary, and meet them where they are at."

Joannie Lauria shares how she incorporates "One Mindful Minute" into her programming to help young patrons with transitions on the ALSC blog. #skybrarians

Scary Stories for Brave Readers Experience the joy of reading with scary stories for brave readers. Curated selection ensures the right scare for every child.

"Whether your patrons are fearless fright-finders or simply big fans of the spooky season, there’s something here for every brave reader to enjoy."

Jessica Brownley shares her top horror-themed books for young readers on the ALSC blog. #kidlit #skybrarians

Make Library Card Sign-Up Month Sweet with Life-Size Board Games Learn how one library created a life-size board game event to celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month, and how you can, too!

Ann Baillie shares how her library hosted a life-size board game program for Library Sign-Up Month on the ALSC blog. #skybrarians

Interviewing Library Advocates: Maria Simon, Youth Services Coordinator, Wood County District Public Library Read about Maria Simon's exciting community partnerships that help her raise awareness for the public library!

"According to Maria, a library must truly be an integrated part of the community, and in order to be that, librarians must be visible advocates."

Read an interview with Maria Simon, Youth Services Coordinator at Wood County District Public Library, on the ALSC blog. #skybrarians

Pop In Play: The Inside Scoop on Ice Cream Fun Scoop up fun with Pop In Play! See how our ice cream theme serves up a sundae of playful activities to engage families and spark creativity.

Jaime Eastman shares how her library created ice cream themed open-ended, anytime play-based learning sessions on the ALSC blog. #skybrarians

Favorite Fall Picture Books Discover favorite fall picture books for children that celebrate pumpkins, leaves, and cozy storytime fun.

Kirsten Caldwell shares her favorite fall picture books on the ALSC blog. #kidlit

THIS THURSDAY - join ALSC for "Creating Interactive Storytimes With Music, Play, and More." In this 90-minute webinar, expert children’s programmer Alyssa Jewell shows you how you can develop interactive learning experiences in which children engage in moving, music-making, and story drama.

Inspiring Future Voters: A Booklist for Young Readers. Reader Voter Ready. ALSC, Booklist, ALA.

Looking for reading recommendations to coincide w/ election season? @wearealsc.bsky.social & @ala-booklist.bsky.social teamed up to create a #ReaderVoterReady book list for kids of all ages!

Check out the list: https://www.ala.org/alsc/publications-resources/book-lists/inspiring-future-voters-2024

Leaves are in the corners of the image. Against a yellow background is the text "Fall Sale; 20% off Everything; September 25-28; librarygiftshop.com." A grey sweatshirt, green t-shirt, tote-bag, and button are to the right with ALSC branding.

Today through 9/28, take 20% off everything on the ALA Library Gift Shop, including ALSC-branded tote bags, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and more. librarygiftshop.org #skybrarians

Join ALSC starting in November for a 6-week course, led by Sheridan Jay Cazarez, that will show you how to create and market high-quality bilingual storytime programs that are relevant to Latinxs and Spanish speakers. Registration now open! #skybrarians

National Institute Education Programs

ALSC invites you to submit a program proposal as part of our educational program slate for the 2026 National Institute in Buffalo, NY, October 1-3, 2026! All proposals are due by Friday, October 31, 2025 at 11:59pm CT - learn more on ALSC's website. #skybrarians

The Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship provides a grant up to $7,500 to a qualified children’s librarian to spend up to four weeks reading and studying at the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature. Learn how you can apply on the ALSC blog. #skybrarians #kidlit

Feedback from the Bottom Up: Building Stronger Library Teams Welcome to Ask ALSC, where the Managing Youth Services Committee asks leaders in children’s libraries to share their response to an issue or situation.  We hope to showcase a range of responses to top...

". . . receiving feedback from my team was ultimately a positive and transformative experience. The survey sparked meaningful conversations, strengthened relationships, and made me more aware of my team’s needs."

Pat Bashir shares her experience gathering feedback from employees on the ALSC blog.

Attending the 2025 National Book Festival On Saturday, September 6th, thousands of Book Lovers from across our nation’s capital lined up to hear from their favorite authors...

Anna Melvin shares their experience at the 25th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival on the ALSC blog. #kidlit

On the left is text against a blue background reading "Call for Program & Poster Proposals Now Open! Submit your best idea and insights today!" An image with a lightbulb with a gear inside and a magnifying glass with a bar graph inside are near the text against an orange background. To the right is a group of people sitting at an ALA Annual presentation clapping. Underneath is the text against a white background: "ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition; June 25-29, 2026; Chicago; For our Libraries. For 150 Years More. American Library Association; alannual.org."

The deadline to submit your program or poster proposal for #alaac26 is THIS MONDAY, September 22! Learn more and submit your proposal here: https://2026.alaannual.org/call-proposals

From One Family to Another: Library Exchange Brings Caregivers Together Three years ago, FamilySpace was launched at two branches of Cuyahoga County Public Library.  You can read the details on this community partnership on my linked previous blog, but, since its inceptio...

Maria Trivisonno shares how her library's Family Advisory Committee held a toy and clothing exchange for back-to-school on the ALSC blog. #libraries #librarians

"Text talks allow for choice in what is read and the words taught. This makes the text talk approach to direct vocabulary instruction easy to integrate into existing story time programming."

In green text reads: "We Are ALSC Zoom Chat; Exploring Leadership and Management in Children's Services" with the ALSC logo. Underneath in blue text reads "Wednesday, November 5 at 1:30pm ET/12:30pm CT; Open to ALSC Members and Non-Members!" This text is against a white background with faint blue horizontal stripes.

Join ALSC's Managing Children's Services Committee for a We Are ALSC Chat on November 5!

As always, this We Are ALSC Chat is open to ALSC members and non-members. Register at: https://ala-events.zoom.us/meeting/register/Pp33A6iZSOWvBJVBDoMLYA#/registration

My Favorite Back to School Middle Grade Novels! Check out my favorite back to school middle grade novels!

". . . school-age children reading middle grade novels can also benefit from novels that focus on school, from being a new kid in school to being an advocate for change at a young age."

Ariel Barreras shares their favorite back-to-school middle grade novels on the ALSC blog. #kidlit

A Day, er, Month for Dots! Celebrating Dot Day is a month-long passive program at our library, full of creativity and fun.

Kary Henry shares how her library is celebrating #InternationalDotDay throughout September on the ALSC blog. #libraries #librarians

Couples Who Collaborate: Insights from Authors Dive into the Couples Who Collaborate segment featuring Jessixa and Aaron Bagley. Discover insights into their creative partnership.

"Authors are living, breathing people, and interviews like these can help our reluctant or less-engaged readers feel more connected to a book."

Aryssa Damron explores how to use author interviews - like those in "Children and Libraries" - to engage reluctant readers on the ALSC blog.

Tech Titles - Picture Books These picture book tips on tech topics go beyond how-to and encourage critical thinking about technology.

Erika Hogan shares some of their favorite picture books that address youth tech and media literacy on the ALSC blog. #kidlit