Celebrations and Conferences Relevant to School Library Media Specialists
Several celebrations and professional development opportunities are coming up soon that are relevant to school library media coordinators!
Reading Celebrations
These upcoming events are great opportunities to promote literacy and the joy of reading in all students, as well as connect with the school community:
1. American Library Association's Youth Media Awards
When: Announcements live here on Monday, January 24th at 8am CT.
What is it?: "Each year the American Library Association (ALA) honors books, videos, and other outstanding materials for children and teens. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, the ALA Youth Media Awards, including the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Book Awards, guide parents, educators, librarians, and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards encourage original and creative work in the field of children’s and young adult literature and media." (http://www.ilovelibraries.org/booklovers/youth-media-awards)
How to get started?: Everyone is invited to watch the announcements live on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, at 8 a.m. CT. The Newbery Medal is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2022!
Did your school host a mock award? If so, let us know about it in the comments!
2. World Read Aloud Day
When: February 2. 2022
What is it?: From the Scholastic website - "The global effort, created by the non-profit LitWorld and sponsored by Scholastic, is celebrated annually in over 173 countries and is all about bringing people together through the shared connection of reading aloud in all of our communities."
How to get started?: Check out the Scholastic World Read Aloud Website for toolkits, book picks, and other resources. LitWorld also has some useful resources to help you plan your day. Connect with authors, community members, or local high school students to participate in a virtual read aloud.
2. Read Across America
When: March 2, 2022
What is it?: From the NEA website - "NEA’s Read Across America is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. This year-round program focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources that are about everyone, for everyone. The titles and resources featured by NEA’s Read Across America include books that students can see themselves reflected in, as well as books that allow readers to see a world or a character that might be different than them. Readers who feel included, recognized, and a part of the world are engaged readers."
How to get started?: Check out the Read Across America website for ideas and toolkits appropriate for all grade levels.
*More to come about School Library Month celebration coming up in April!
Professional Development Conferences
The following conferences are great opportunities to learn with and from other educators and grow your personal learning network:
1. NCTIES 2022 (North Carolina Technology in Education) - "Better Together"
When: March 2-4, 2022
Where: Raleigh Convention Center
What is it?: From the website - "NCTIES is a membership association for educators and educator leaders engaged in advancing excellence in learning and teaching through the effective use of technology. We are the North Carolina ISTE affiliate."
Registration & more information: Visit https://www.ncreading.org/conference-2022
2. NCRA 2022 (North Carolina Reading Association ) - "Engineering Literacy: Creating Readers for Life"
When: March 20 - 22, 2022
Where: Benton Convention Center, Winston Salem
What is it?: From the website - "The North Carolina Reading Association actively promotes lifelong literacy for all citizens commensurate with each individual’s unique capacity. The organization and its members encourage professional interaction among individuals and organizations involved with literacy to provide resources for exemplary literacy practices and habits."
Registration & more information: Visit https://www.ncties.org/
Are you attending either of these conferences? Let us know in the comments!