Destination Chicago

Learning for all ages will take center stage at ALA's annual conference

By Laura B. Weiss -- School Library Journal, 6/1/2005

Searching for creative ideas to get teens reading and learning? Interested in learning about the latest trends in brain research and their impact on school library services? Regardless of your interest, you will find this year's American Library Association (ALA) annual conference in Chicago, IL, to be held June 25–June 28, a treasure trove of programs for librarians serving kids of all ages and stages. The guide below is designed to help you pinpoint programs and special events at this year's gathering. Here are some of this year's highlights.

Best of the Best (7 pm–9 pm; 9 am–5pm)
Select the best 100 books for young adults from the past decade. Groups will discuss titles from a designated year.

AASL President's Program: Standards for Success (10 am–12 pm)
Hear the results of Standards for Success, a project aimed at determining standards that students should meet to be successful in entry-level college courses. A roundtable discussion for high school librarians will follow from 1:30–3:30 pm. to discuss the report's implications.

Beyond Emergent Literacy: Serving the Elementary School Age Child (10:30 am–12:30 pm)
Here you'll learn about brain research, trends in elementary education, and their impact on children's library services.

Margaret A. Edwards Luncheon (12 pm–2 pm)
Francesca Lia Block, the winner of the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards award for lifetime achievement in young adult literature will talk about her writing. Requires registration and fee.

Hip-Hop Library Arts: Engaging Reluctant Readers (4 pm–5:30 pm)
Learn how to use hip-hop lyrics to attract teens to the library. Speakers include Alan Lawrence Sitomer, coauthor of Hip-Hop Poetry & the Classics for the Classroom (Milk Mug, 2004).

Getting Your Foot in the Door with Administrators and Teachers: Using Research and Advocacy to Survive and Thrive! (10:30 am–12 pm)
Presentations and discussion on research about the impact of school libraries and teacher-librarians on student achievement and learning.

Second Annual ALSC Poetry Blast (5:30 pm–7:30 pm)
Join the second annual Children's Poetry Reading, sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children. Enjoy hearing world class poets read their work. Poets include: Kurt Cyrus, Nikki Giovanni, Pat Mora, Jack Prelutsky, and Marilyn Singer.