Today was a short day for me in Philly, as I had to attend to some family business in the area in the afternoon. This meant that I had three hours to pack all of the action into in the morning! I started my day by attending Foster Connections and Engage Your Community with a Pen Pal Program for All Ages presented by several librarians from across the state of Delaware. This was on my can’t-miss list because my colleagues and I have recently talked about starting our own Pen Pal program in DC. The session was super informative – and helped me to envision what the program might look like in our system.
In Delaware, libraries across the state have partnered with a library system in New Zealand to send letters back and forth between patrons of all ages. After an initial five-month set-up period where patrons registered and were matched, the program has continued now for about three years! The Delaware librarians shared some amazing advertising that they did for the program – including a pen pal-themed story time. They also engaged all of us in attendance by having a DIY bookmark station with loads of stamp stickers.
After this initial session, I headed over to the Books Unbanned Breakfast. This informal meet-up covered what the Books Unbanned program is, and allowed librarians and library professionals who were interested in intellectual freedom/fighting censorship to connect in a low-stakes environment over some delicious food and beverage.
For the last portion of my morning, I did intend to attend a book session in the exhibit hall but have to admit that I got a bit lost in the building! Between author signings, book and swag giveaways, networking and more, by the time I figured out where I needed to be, it was time for me to head out! While I am a bit sad I did not get to stay for the full day, I am looking forward to attending tomorrow’s events. First up on my docket is the CSK Awards Breakfast (shout out to my amazing ALSC Mentor who managed to snag us some tickets during her registration). Keep following along for updates bright and early tomorrow!
Anna Melvin (she/they) is a children’s librarian at the Cleveland Park Library in Washington, D.C. She is originally from the Philadelphia suburbs, and is happy to head home for this year’s conference to where her love for libraries began. As an elementary school student, Anna used to come in early to help her school librarian reshelve books and to discuss their most recent reads. This is her third time attending ALA, but her first working at the Zine Pavilion. She is very excited to be able to volunteer this year, and hopes to be able to connect with a larger range of library professionals while working at the Pavilion. Anna is most looking forward to this year’s conference because at the conclusion, she will begin a two-year term serving on the Library Service to Underserved Youth and Their Caregivers Committee. Anna is also eagerly anticipating attending sessions on serving patrons with disabilities, expanding her at-home library with some great reads from this year’s conference, and fan-girling over Geena Davis. Come say hi to Anna at the Zine Pavillion, or at the ALSC Membership Meeting!
The post Volunteer With Me: #alaac25 Day Two appeared first on ALSC Blog.
Today was a short day for me in Philly, as I had to attend to some family business in the area in the afternoon. This meant that I had three hours to pack all of the action into in the morning! I started my day by attending Foster Connections and Engage Your Community with a Pen Pal Program for All Ages presented by several librarians from across the state of Delaware. This was on my can’t-miss list because my colleagues and I have recently talked about starting our own Pen Pal program in DC. The session was super informative – and helped me to envision what the program might look like in our system. In Delaware, libraries across the state have partnered with a library system in New Zealand to send letters back and forth between patrons of all ages. After an initial five-month set-up period where patrons registered and…
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