Despite the stodgy stereotypes, libraries and librarians themselves can be quite funny. The spectrum of library humor from sources inside and outside the profession ranges from the subtle wit of the New Yorker to the satire of Mad. This examination of American library humor over the past 200 years covers a wide range of topics and spans the continuum between light and dark, from parodies to portrayals of libraries and their staffs as objects of fear. It illuminates different types of librarians--the collector, the organization person, the keeper, the change agent--and explores stereotypes like the shushing little old lady with a bun, the male scholar-librarian, the library superhero, and the anti-stereotype of the sexy librarian. Profiles of the most prominent library humorists round out this lively study.

Get teens excited about reading by using your own love of books along with a good dose of market savvy. This simple, upbeat guide is packed with practical guidelines and a wealth of exciting ideas for promoting books and reading through everything you do—from collection building, designing the space, and creating a Web site, to booktalking, readers' advisory, and special events. A practical, step-by-step approach. Promoting books and reading is one of your most important roles, but reaching teens and inspiring them to read can be a challenge, especially now, when teens have so many other commitments and interests. This guide will inspire you to build your book knowledge and combine it with marketing savvy to bring teens together with books and reading. Drawing upon recent research on teens and libraries, the author offers practical guidelines and a wealth of exciting ideas for environmental reading promotions (collection building, designing the space, creating publicity materials and developing the web site), as well as interactive promotions (communication with teens, readers advisory, booktalking, partnering with other organizations, and book-related activities and events). Based on the author's experience and the experience of others who work with teens, the book provides librarians and other educators with a simple, handy, and upbeat guide. Grades 6-12.

The library programs featured in this unique collection are those that have been suggested, created, and led by youth with the help and guidance of the supportive adults at their library. Many times, librarians bring ideas to teens in hopes of getting them to buy in and perhaps help them to run programs. In this book, you’ll primarily find a role reversal! Tweens and teens lead the way with whatever adult information, support, and supervision they need to see their proposals through. To accomplish this, the youth are encouraged to create new ideas, are empowered to make decisions, and are given control. Plus, the ideas they bring to life are not just peer-focused. The programs, activities, and events they create and lead can be for children, adults, or even for all ages or mixed audiences, as well as for fellow tweens and teens. In addition to finding a wide array of proven ideas, recommendations, and testimonials from real tweens and teenagers, you will discover helpful advice on using the philosophies behind allowing youth to not only have a say but to take action; testimonials from adults who have worked directly with youth having this level of empowerment; suggestions on getting approval and providing funding and other support for youth ideas; ways to evaluate such youth-led programs; and sample forms, flyers, and other materials that can be adapted.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, A Wrinkle in Time, Blubber, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark - these are some of the most beloved, and most challenged, books, Leaving controversial titles such as these out of your collection or limiting their access is not the answer to challenges. The best-selling Hit List series gives you the information you need to defend challenged books with an informed response, all the while ensuring free access to young book lovers. Featuring 24 hot button books, Hit List for Children 2 presents a who's who of children's literature writers including Dahl, Allard, Blume, Rowling, Stine, L'Engle, Lowry, and Naylor. With a profile of each book that includes its plot, characters, published reviews, awards and prizes, and author resources, you will be prepared to answer even the toughest attacks. The most recent and compelling challenges are also discussed so that you will be prepared to address specific points. Eleven new books have been added to the second edition including Mommy Laid an Egg, the Alice series, Witches, and Guess What? For any librarian who feels alone on the front lines of the free access debate, the appendix reassuringly details wha

Think Big: A Resource Manual for Library Programs That Attract Large Teen Audiences is a how-to manual for librarians who want to attract large groups of teens to their libraries with meaningful, memorable events. Large programs may seem to be impossible to attempt until the project is broken down into the separate parts needed. Think Big begins with those separate parts necessary to create a large event, starting with the logistics of time and place, the budget and how to find funding, making a timeline to make everything fall into place, communication among all of the people involved, marketing to the teen audience, troubleshooting with thorough preparation, and the importance of evaluations for reporting and for future planning. Part 2 is a collection of best practices. Seventeen successful, large programs are included, contributed by librarians who have dared to think big and made it work. Included are the book and author programs in school and public libraries. There are also creative programs about poetry and dance, STEM activities, pop culture, and school and work. Every section has two to four programs. Each program explains how the program began and evolved to the event it is today. A timeline, how the program was financed, who assisted to make every step successful, how the program was publicized, and how evaluations were collected and written are provided in detail to empower a librarian to tackle their first-time big program.

Audiobooks are now a staple in most public and school libraries, and with good reason, since they have a clear role in the education of today's "born digital" generation. Burkey, who has been following their rise in popularity for years, combines a fascinating history of the medium and practical tips for using them in a readable guide applicable to school and public librarians as well as classroom teachers. Enriched with reflections and comments from authors, audiobook narrators, producers, reviewers, and librarians, this book Shows how audiobooks not only benefit struggling readers and bring families together but also fit neatly within newly accepted standards for early literacy education Demonstrates how to use audiobooks as classroom and library tools for learning Identifies how to locate “must-have” audiobooks and offers advice for maintaining a collection Including an overview of the major audiobook awards and lists of additional resources, Burkey’s guide will help librarians and educators unlock the educational potential of audiobooks for youth.

The author of more than 50 informational books for young people, Russell Freedman has received every major award in the field, including the Newbery, the Robert F. Sibert Medal, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal. Major prizes are but one indication of the significance of an author, and Russell Freedman has been and continues to be essential in moving criticism and publication of nonfiction into the fullest realm of appreciation and development. Freedman claims the narrative power of nonfiction as capable of "igniting the reader's imagination, evoking pictures and scenes in the reader's mind." Authors Susan P. Bloom and Cathryn M. Mercier explore all aspects of Freedman's work: his publications of nonfiction for young people; his essays and speeches about the art of nonfiction; his language and style; and his themes and narrative arcs. Through interviews with Freedman, this book speaks about his process as a writer of nonfiction, discussing how he chooses subjects and how he views research as a process of discovery. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for this storyteller who writes about the stories that compel him and invites his readers to share his interest.

"Getting it right means understanding our roles as adults and professionals. Getting it right requires a genuine commitment to youth participation. Getting it right is about shifting our perspective from the library to the community in which it is located. Getting it right makes it imperative that we give teens a place of their own in our libraries."—From the Preface Libraries have opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of teenage customers and become a primary support for teens in the communities they serve. Truly excellent library services for young adults (YA) need the collaborative efforts of both teens and librarians. To build this partnership, the authors share an inspiring narrative of YA history, and also offer a plethora of new voices and stories that advocate the power of technology and teen spaces. These story lines are then melded to highlight practical tools to involve teens at the library and make a bright future possible. As the authors explore what has been done well—and what hasn't —in the world of young adult librarianship, they identify key issues from the plethora of new voices: How librarians can work with not for young adult customers Why the power of place means actual square footage designed for teens Ways to incorporate technology to achieve developmental outcomes Listening to teen voices to better serve their needs How evaluation and being accountable will close the loop on effective advocacy The authors guide both librarians and administrators to make promises for the future and present a strategy for keeping those promises so that young adult audiences can become active library and community participants. From building partnerships to implementing successful programs to incorporating technology that helps teens assume leadership and responsibility, this is an inspiring yet practical take on what it means to "get it right" for teens in the library.

Known for her commitment to excellence in education, Sharon Draper was named National Teacher of the Year in 1997. In 1994 her first novel, Tears of a Tiger, was published, and since then she has written more than fifteen books for middle and high school readers. Tears of a Tiger received the John Steptoe Award for New Talent, and her novels Forged by Fire and Copper Sun have both won the Coretta Scott King Award. Most of her books have been featured on the American Library Association Best Books list, their Top Ten Quick Pick list, and IRA's Young Adult Choice list. In Sharon M. Draper: Embracing Literacy, author KaaVonia Hinton reveals how Draper became an exceptional teacher and writer, and how she uses her writing to urge young people to embrace literacy. Hinton also explores how Draper has made a lasting contribution to the field of young adult literature. This book-length study examines both her life and work and will benefit all students, teachers, and scholars in the field of young adult literature.

Year after year a majority of the titles on ALA’s Banned Books list, which compiles titles threatened with censorship, are either YA books or adult books that are frequently read by teens. It’s important for YA librarians to understand the types of challenges occurring in libraries around the nation and to be ready to deal with such challenges when they occur. The Young Adult Library Services (YALSA) has tailored this book specifically for these situations, providing much-needed guidance on the highly charged topic of intellectual freedom for teens. Among the issues addressed areHow to prepare yourself and your staff for potential challenges by developing a thoughtful selection policy and response planResources for help when a challenge occursThe art of crafting a defense for a challenged book, and pointers for effectively disseminating your response through the press and social mediaThe latest on intellectual freedom in the digital realm, including an examination of library technologyUsing examples of censorship battles in both school and public libraries to illustrate possible scenarios, this guidebook gives YA librarians the foreknowledge and support to ensure intellectual freedom for teens.