MARCH 2023 NEWSLETTER

Hello Youth Services Team,

We're off to a busy and snowy start to the year here at the New Mexico State Library. I've started a couple new initiatives for 2023 - the Monthly Meeting and the Quarterly Book Club - which are gaining traction, and am using our NMSL Niche Academy to provide easy access to resources like the Early Literacy Calendar.

In early February, I attended a YALSA Transforming Teen Services training in Indianapolis with Brynn Cole, Corrales Public Library, and other public library staff from across the country. Brynn and I will use this training as a basis for multiple training sessions dedicated to our teen patrons later in 2023 and in early 2024. If you have a passion for teen programming, be on the lookout for those opportunities.

There are great resources in this month's newsletter for Summer Reading planning and Professional Development. We are excited to offer the in-person Solar Science workshop from the experts at StarNet, and to see Explora offering an in-person option in Las Cruses. Be sure to check out all the options!

Don't forget to look for the Prize Raffle link in the newsletter - this month we have a pack of Earth Day books!

~Kelly

(Brynn Cole and Kelly McCabe)

The YALSA Transforming Teen Services training was held at the Indiana State Library, where we got to view their amazing Indiana Young Readers Center.

The Early Literacy Calendar has been accessed over 550 times since December!

NEWS

CSLP Summer Reading NEWS

The CSLP Manual is available online. If you need the access code, email Kelly.

CSLP Tutorial on Niche Academy:

There is a new CSLP Niche Academy course for all things CSLP - find all the videos from the symposium, the Fall Workshop slides, Social Media Toolkit, and New Mexico themed materials.

I love this bulletin board!

This was recently shared in the CSLP's Official Summer Library Programming Facebook Group - a great resource for programming and display/decoration ideas for SRP.

If you're on Facebook - take a look at the group here.

Are you using the Early Literacy Calendar at your library?

We were excited to see Grants Public Library sharing out the calendar on their Facebook page! How is your library using the calendar? Send in a picture and let us know!

All months are available (in English and Spanish) from the NMSL Niche Academy site.

Access here and then add to your website and social media, and print and distribute to patrons.

Youth Services Quarterly Book Club

The Youth Services Quarterly Book Club had our first meeting on February 23 to discuss Truly Devious, the first book in the trilogy by Maureen Johnson. We talked about the appeal of mystery books, the variety within the mystery genre, and the current trend of true-crime shows and podcasts. Series like Truly Devious are a great ways for lovers of Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark to progress in the genre.

The next YS Quarterly Book Club will meet in May, with a middle grade title announced in the April newsletter.

Seen on Social

Here are some posts that caught my eye on Instagram and Facebook in February.

@belenpubliclibrary

@acomalearning center

@cpl88220

@ruidosolibrary

CALENDAR - DATES AND DEADLINES

Monthly Youth Services Meeting

Friday, March 17, 12:00-12:40pm

Monthly meeting for Youth Services staff

get answers to questions
make connections across the state
ask for advice and feedback

March Topic: Summer Reading - How is your planning going? Let's share ideas and help each other have the best summer yet!

March Zoom Meeting Link

Get ready for Dia!

April 30, 2023

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/ Book Day)at your library!

2023 Free Resources from ALSC

BookLists
Program Database
Free Downloadable Graphics

Pat Mora, the founder of Dia, also has resources on her website:

Dia Resources from Pat Mora (graphics, videos, planning help)

COLLECTIONS

Lee & Low Spring-Summer 2023 Showcase

Wednesday, March 15, 12:00pm MT

During this free, one-hour webinar, you'll learn about new picture books, chapter books & YA titles about everyone & for everyone from the largest multicultural children's book publisher in the country.

More info and registration here.

Free E-book and Audio Access on NMReads

Don't forget about NMReads - which provides free access to e-and audio books - for your patrons and for YOU. There are curated lists of titles for "Children's" and "Tweens and Teens" that you can access for your own reading, or for researching for collection purchases.

Recent Book Lists

12 Books About Kindness for Kids Ages 3-5 - from Brightly

15 Essential Coming-of-Age Novels for Tweens - from Brightly

12 of the Best New Children's Books - from Book Riot

OPPORTUNITIES

Join the Land of Enchantment Book Award Committee

Would you like to help select the nominees for the Land of Enchantment (LOE) Book Award? The LOE Book Award committee is looking for more public library staff representation on their statewide committee of nominators. As a committee member, you will read children's, middle grade, and young adult books, share your thoughts with other committee members, and attend a yearly voting meeting for nominee selection.

If this sounds perfect for you - Email Natasha Carty, LOE Chair, at loebookaward@gmail.com for more information.

To check out the most recent winners and current nominees, visit the LOE website.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ConnectedLibFEST

Small and Rural Libraries Learning Together

Wed, March 15 & Thurs, March 16, 2023

11AM-3PM MT

Free Virtual Conference

Registration is open for ConnectedLibFEST, the first ever connected learning event specifically focused on small and rural libraries. Each day brings together library staff, researchers, and community members to learn from and with each other about bringing Connected Learning to small and rural library settings. Small and rural libraries are already using the principles of connected learning in their work. They do this by building relationships with youth, community members, and stakeholders; fostering interests of teens through library services; and creating opportunities for academic and life success.

Learn more and register (by March 1) here...

All Together Now - Citizen Science in Your Summer Reading Program

March 29, 2023, 12:00 PM MDT to 1:00 PM MDT

Jumpstart your summer reading preparation! This year’s theme All in Together Now ties in perfectly with Citizen Science and the resources developed by the National Citizen and Community Science Library. Join us to learn more about preparing for the 2023 Summer Reading.

Full details and registration here...

In-Person Solar Science for

Libraries Workshop

April 4, 2023, 10am - 4pm MT

Santa Fe Public Library, Southside Branch

6599 Jaguar Drive, Santa Fe, NM 87507

Lunch Provided!

New Mexico public library staff are invited to attend an in-person STAR Net workshop to prepare for the upcoming solar eclipses in October 2023 and April 2024. This workshop is taught by STAR Net facilitators and will prepare library staff to facilitate meaningful solar and space science programs. Attendees will receive hands-on training on operating solar telescopes and other methods for direct and indirect solar viewing, best practices for developing and facilitating STEM programs, and how to engage with community partners and library-specific digital resource networks.

For complete information and to register - click here.

ALL TOGETHER NOW

SRP23 WORKSHOPS for LIBRARIANS

Explora is hosting a series of workshops specifically geared to the SRP23 All Together Now theme - there are two in-person workshops and one virtual workshop.

All Together Now, with Magnets!

Experience STEAM investigations for all ages! Investigate the properties and behavior of magnets, and create your own literature-based magnetic activity.

Wednesday, March 15, 2023, 1 pm - 4 pm (in person)

@Explora, Albuquerque, NM (click here to register)

Friday, April 28, 2023, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm (in person)

Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, Las Cruces, NM (click here to register)

All Together Now - Engineering with Recyclables

Experience STEAM investigations for all ages! Engineer cars and musical instruments out of recycled materials.

Thursday, March 23, 2023, 2 pm - 4 pm (virtual)

(Register by March 13 to receive materials kit) (click here to register)

Other Upcoming Workshops:

Extraordinary Eggs - Thursday, April 13, 2 pm - 4 pm (Virtual)

Pollinators - Thursday, April 20, 2 pm - 4 pm (Virtual)

Create and Animate - Saturday, April 22, 1 pm - 3 pm (In-person)

Bubble, Bubble - Thursday, May 4, 2 pm - 4 pm (Virtual)

(Click on the workshop title for full details and to register)

Compiled by Kelly McCabe, Youth Services Coordinator

New Mexico State Library

Email: kelly.mccabe@dca.nm.gov

Subscribe to this newsletter here!

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