I had the privilege of attending the Bill Morris Seminar at #alsc26! I am so grateful to have learned evaluation techniques and tips for future service on committees.
Preparing and Day-Of
To prepare for the seminar, participants read a number of materials, including insightful articles and blog posts, to learn the basics of book evaluation techniques. We also were assigned to read a number of selected books to be used in discussion groups for hands-on evaluation practice. Many hours were spent reading and taking detailed notes based on awards criteria to prepare!
The day was filled with inspiring panels where we heard from highly experienced librarians about their committee experiences. We learned practical strategies for if you are selected to serve on a committee (learning to be okay with dozens of book piles around your house was a must!). We learned characteristics of good committee members, which included being positive, prepared, and passionate.
My Takeaway: Listening to Others
Beyond the importance of selecting distinguished literature for children and championing excellence through evaluation, a huge takeaway that I learned was the importance of listening to others. This was repeated in the panel discussions and was also experienced as we worked in small groups.
A huge piece of group discussion is being able to listen to others. While this is a simple thing to say, it can be much harder to experience. Often, we will be thinking about what we are going to say next instead of being present in the moment of conversation while another person is talking. In any book evaluation discussion, there will be many different types of people with a variety of lived experiences, personalities, and backgrounds. It is beneficial to hear new perspectives and be open to changing your mind! It’s important to be open to things you may not have seen or noticed.
Listening to others also involves knowing when your voice is the one who needs to be heard in a particular moment and being cognizant about the amount of space you are taking, whether it be that you need to retract in a moment, or step in and share more. This is all contingent on building trust with one another. When trust and understanding are established, we can be more aware of others.
Moving Forward
These lessons are not just for book evaluation, but for working with others in general. So much of librarianship is a group effort, whether it be with other library staff members, supporting families in our communities, building connections with schools, or one-on-one connections with the children themselves! Listening skills are imperative and that is a takeaway I’ll be bringing with me as it applies to so many areas in our work.
Overall, I had an incredible experience at the 2026 Bill Morris Book Evaluation Seminar. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who is interested in gaining a strong foundation in book evaluation skills or anyone interested in serving on an awards committee in the future!
Joannie Lauria is the Youth Services Consultant at the Suffolk Cooperative Library System in New York.
The post Bill Morris Book Evaluation Seminar Reflections appeared first on ALSC Blog.
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