I am going to jump around a bit as I took bits and pieces from various sessions that may appeal. First up this morning was another Science of Reading session with programs and initiatives from the San Francisco Public Library and Chicago Public Library. San Francisco has a really in-depth tutoring program called Fog Readers . It is a 1:1 tutoring program that pairs volunteers with children in need of reading intervention. Check it out!
Chicago Public Library built on the idea of the Scarborough rope to create a Jump Into Reading initiative. It is currently trialing at a couple of branches and involves collection development, staff education, and programming. They have a dedicated decodables section and it is split into five sections based on the decodable skill. Sections include Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) Words, Blends and Digraphs, Vowel-e Words, R-Controlled Words and Vowel Teams, and Multisyllabic Words. Grab-and-go kits are also available at the branches that build on these skills. For example, they shared a Pop-It keychain that they pass out with directions for kids to pop a bubble for each word that they say in a sentence. Then count how many words in the sentence. Beth at @bigcityreaders on Instagram was a recommended follow for ideas for the kits.
Now to change lanes, my second session was A Staff-Centered Approach to Developing Comprehensive Teen Services. My two big take-aways from this session are the importance of advocacy and training. Teen librarians are awesome, but other library staff don’t always understand things like Twilight parties and why they are important besides just having fun. It is important to articulate why teen programs and services are important. If you have a strategic plan, tie your language into the strategic plan.
Training is important as teens don’t just come to the desk where the teen librarians are working. Find articles and/or trainings that different staff can engage with. YALSA’s Transforming Teen Services was brought up as a possible start.
That was my learning from day 2 at PLA 2024. Tomorrow is a packed day, and I will be back with more conference nuggets.
Lisa Mulvenna (she/her/hers) is the Head of Children’s and Teen Services at Clinton-Macomb Public Library . You can also find her online on Threads at @floopy13 or X at lmulvenna. She is looking forward to networking with colleagues and the ability to share ideas. This is her 6th PLA. An interesting fact about her is that her family has been in the Guinness World Records ! In 2000, they participated in the largest family reunion at the Lake County Fairgrounds outside of Chicago. The record appeared in the 2001 Book of Records, but has since been overtaken.
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