For many people, January provides some quiet after the choas of the holidays. Here at the American Library Association, there is no such lull; we're busy preparing for our Midwinter Meeting, which this year takes us to historic, harborside Boston, Mass.
About 6,000 librarians, supporters and exhibitors are expected to converge in Beantown from Jan. 8 to 12. If you're one of them, we encourage you to check out the following programming-related events and meetings. And for more help figuring out your conference schedule, make sure to visit American Libraries' 2016 ALA Midwinter Preview.
Saturday, Jan. 9, 3 – 4 p.m., Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Room 156AB
ALA’s Programming Librarian Interest Group (also known as PLIG) brings together all types of librarians interested in public programming for their patrons. At informal conference gatherings like this one, librarians share program ideas and successful strategies and offers a space to discuss topics like professional development and advocating for programming at your institution. Whether you are a library programming expert or novice, this is the place to meet like-minded librarians and get some great new ideas to bring home. Also, check out their very active Facebook group.
Saturday, Jan. 9, 1 – 2:30 p.m., Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Room 253B
In this session, participants will learn how libraries encourage children to explore and create through intentional programming and thoughtful use of resources. Erica Fortescue, associate director of the Center for Childhood Creativity, will share the latest research from fields including neuroscience, psychology, sociology, and education. Participants will gain an understanding of the seven critical components of creativity outlined by the Center for Childhood Creativity, as well as examples of how to incorporate them into library programming in developmentally appropriate ways for children ages 6 to 14. In addition to timely research, participants will benefit from peer-to-peer expertise.
Sunday, Jan. 10, 8:15 – 11:30 a.m., Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Room 207
Cost: $95 (in addition to conference registration)
Space is limited; advance registration is required
Deep Dives are a new offerings at ALA Midwinter this year; more than twice as long as a standard program, these sessions offer an in-depth look at cutting-edge library topics. In “Trust and Opportunity,” two mid-sized, urban libraries — Hartford (Conn.) Public Library and Springfield (Mass.) City Library — will share how they are tackling daunting social issues, most notably public safety, through community engagement. In Hartford, the library has convened a task force to improve relations between residents and police in the city’s underserved North End; in Springfield, the library has partnered with a nonprofit to offer trainings in nonviolent conflict resolution.
Hartford Public and Springfield City libraries were part of ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) Public Innovators Cohort, a group of 10 libraries selected to undergo an intensive, 18-month community engagement training with The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. Participants in this Deep Dive session will learn about the technique learned by the LTC cohort libraries.
To register, visit http://2016.alamidwinter.org/deep-dive-sessions. If you have questions, contact ALA’s Public Programs Office at publicprograms@ala.org.
Sunday, Jan. 10, 1 – 4:15 p.m., Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Room 207
Cost: $95 (in addition to conference registration)
Space is limited; advance registration is required
Another Deep Dive Session, “Creating Out-of-This-World Children’s Science Programming” will show participants how they can wow children and families with space science programs created from existing, free NASA materials. The programs will use inexpensive, common (and even recycled) materials to investigate the solar system. Activities will include “Jump to Jupiter,” in which kids jump through a course from the grapefruit “Sun,” past poppy seed “Earth,” and on to wooden bead “Jupiter.” Other activities will highlight projects that kids take home with them to extend the learning.
To register, visit http://2016.alamidwinter.org/deep-dive-sessions. If you have questions, contact ALA’s Public Programs Office at publicprograms@ala.org.
