Past Professional Development
Below are professional development topics from past ACL meetings as well as materials that were shared during the trainings, where available. Find additional professional development resources on our blog.
April 2023
Distinguished Books
Lesley Mandros Bell and Joy Shioshita will lead a discussion of the Distinguished Books process. Please bring a title or two of books published this year which you’d like to see reviewed/included on the list. Members are encouraged to book talk these titles and/or pitch us on why the books deserve to be included. We’re also interested to hear if we should make a concerted effort to include more books from any categories (e.g., readers, nonfiction, books set in CA) this year.
March 2023
Christy Estrovitz and Ileana Pulu from SFPL Community Programs and Partnerships will discuss developing community partnerships spanning local businesses in a small branch neighborhood or larger with local schools or even citywide with a nonprofit or other organization.
February 2023
We’re excited to host MOCHA for an art workshop!
Workshop description: Participants will create an accordion-style book and then rotate several art-making centers to fill their books with different projects based on art, line, shape, color, texture, and space elements. Material and techniques are easily accessible for any skill range, and instructional hand-outs will be provided to participants. Participants will have several projects to take back to their branches and teach and share with others.
January 2023
For our professional development session, Angela Moffet reports: Join us to hear from several current and former ACL members about their experiences on different ALSC book award committees. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the different committees and will be especially interesting to folks participating in ACL’s Mock Stonewall ahead of our discussion and voting on January 22.
December 2022
This month’s professional development will be our annual Distinguished Round Up.
Distinguished Round Up is when all the well-read and deeply-opinionated ACLers get together to finalize the titles on our annual list of Outstanding Books. We review titles that have been added, debate “stinky cheese” titles that have split for/against votes, and we also try to round up a few committed reviewers to cover titles that have somehow fallen through our net during the year. It is a time to bring up both positives and negatives about the books, and to help insure that our list is representative and inclusive.
October 2022
Join members of the team behind the mock award blog Medal on My Mind for an in-depth discussion of the Stonewall Book Award – Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award. Get insight into the award’s history, committee processes, and the considerations that go into selecting award-winning LGBTQIA+ books.
Alec Chunn (he/him) has never been on the actual Stonewall Book Award committee (yet!) but he has served on a few other book committees, including the 2021 Caldecott, the 2022 Kirkus Prize, and the 2018 Rainbow List. He is a youth librarian in Portland, Oregon and holds masters degrees in library science and children’s literature. His favorite previous Stonewall winner is Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram.
Stacy Collins (she/they) finds children’s book awards absolutely fascinating, though hasn’t yet served as a judge. Instead, she hands out stars as a Kirkus reviewer, curates queer children’s book boxes for Ourshelves.com, and writes book guides for educators bringing historically excluded narratives into their classrooms. Stacy is also the children’s literature librarian at Simmons University and holds masters degrees in library science and children’s literature. Their favorite previous Stonewall winner is The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta.
Dani Crickman (they/she) chaired the 2022 Stonewall Book Award – Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award committee after serving on the 2021 committee. They are a children’s librarian at the Boston Public Library and hold masters degrees in library science and children’s literature. Their favorite previous Stonewall winner is When Aidan Became a Brother, written by Kyle Lukoff and illustrated by Kaylani Juanita.
September 2022
Longtime ACL reviewer Penny Peck will go over the steps on how to review for ACL to help newer members join in this important effort. We will describe how to obtain books to be reviewed, what the reviews should focus on, and how to submit reviews. If you haven’t reviewed before (or lately) you can sign up for a mentor, and obtain books to review at the September meeting.
This professional development session was recorded and can be viewed on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYrNGl0MPEU
August 2022
Chris Kyauk, Creative Learning PLIX Ambassador and former Coordinator of Innovation and Cultivation at Alameda County Library will lead us in a Spatial Poetry program that we can then facilitate in our own libraries. Bring paper, pens, pencils and any art supplies you have laying around if you want to get creative.
July 2022
Sex Ed. and Public Libraries: A Conversation with Rakisha Kearns-White and Cory Silverberg, 10am – 12pm PST
In this workshop we’ll focus on what sex education may look like in libraries. Through conversation and activities, Cory and Rakisha Kearns-White, a senior YA librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library will explore what’s possible, what challenges we can anticipate, and ways of addressing them. Rakisha will share her experiences creating programming about bodies, menstruation, and sexuality, including the popular Cycle Alliance.
June 2022
The Sex Education We Deserve: A conversation with Cory Silverberg and Bianca Laureano
In this workshop and facilitated discussion we will talk about what has been missing from traditional sex education and what sex education that centers justice can look like. We’ll explore where and how sexuality and gender show up in public spaces like libraries, and how we may respond to questions from parents and young people in ways that open up instead of closing off possibilities for who young people are, and who they are becoming.
April 2022
For this month’s Professional Development, Penny Peck, longtime ACL member and part-time instructor for San Jose State’s iSchool will present a roundup of recently published picture books that work well for Storytime. These titles will include books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, and will feature many that involve audience participation. There will also be several books featuring BIPOC characters, and some fun selections that will work well for Yoga or Dance Party storytimes.
March 2022
IDENTIFYING & INTERRUPTING MICROAGGRESSIONS
Learn how to effectively intervene when you witness a microaggression. Participants in this training will gain the tools to identify a microaggression and will learn how to challenge, confront, and question a microaggression while being a thoughtful and proactive ally to those impacted. Presented by Courtney Mangus of the San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA).
Courtney Mangus is leads CAIR-SFBA’s signature programs including the Muslim Youth Leadership Program, Muslim Gamechangers Network, Muslim Day at the Capitol, Bystander Intervention Trainings, the internships, clerkships, and volunteer programs, and much more! Courtney received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative Religion and minors in Middle Eastern/Islamic Studies and Arabic from Miami University of Ohio. She is now studying to earn her J.D. at Santa Clara University School of Law.
February 2022
Bring your professional development wishes to our February meeting and get ready to brainstorm. Our professional development chair is looking for ways to best meet the needs of ACL’s members and can’t do it without your input. Let’s put our ideas into action!
November 2021
Join us at our November meeting to hear about Sam Bloom’s experience serving on the Coretta Scott King Awards Jury. He’ll share not just the nitty gritty stuff (criteria) but also the special charge of serving on an award committee examining the expression of “the African American experience” from African American creators.
Sam Bloom is a Programming Librarian at the Covington Branch of the Kenton County Public Library in northern Kentucky. Sam has served on the Newbery Medal selection committee, the Sibert Medal selection committee, and the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Jury, which he chaired from 2018-19. Sam lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.
October 2021
Our professional development will be provided by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The recent rise in hate crimes and hate incidents has led the Council on American-Islamic Relations to offer this training to help communities prepare to step in when they see these incidents. Bystander Intervention Training teaches bystanders about the principles of nonviolence and de-escalation techniques. In this training participants learn hands-on skills about how to de-escalate a hate incident before it leads to violence, how to create a safe space, and how to support the person being targeted.
September 2021
Roundtable Discussion
Based on feedback from the membership survey indicating folks would like to hear about books other than recently reviewed books, in September we will have a roundtable discussion. We’ll share books by creators who share an identity with the people they are writing about, what we often #OwnVoices books, though there are some issues with that phrase. Read here to discover the concerns We Need Diverse Books has identified with that terminology.
Please plan to share at least one book written or illustrated by a person from outside your own race/ethnicity/identity which includes their race/ethnicity/identity. It can be by a creator with a disability, a BIPOC creator, an LGBTQIA+ creator, and so on. Feel free to bring a title you love, or one you’re uneasy with, or even one with a lot of controversy surrounding the content. You asked for it! Let’s talk!
August 2021: This month’s professional development is an update from ACL’s Survey Taskforce. In April, the taskforce sent out a survey to members, present and past. We’ve all had to shift many aspects of our professional and personal lives in the past year. Because of these changes, we wanted to hear from our membership to help us focus our energies and priorities. The Survey Taskforce shared survey findings and recommendations.
April 2021: For April through July, ACL will be offering anti-racism training from the Mosaic Project, an Oakland-based nonprofit working toward building more a more peaceful future by uniting people of diverse backgrounds.
March 2021: This month’s professional development, presented by Dorcas Wong, will focus on Manga 101 including current trends and genre (and resources to help you continue your search) as well as best practices for ordering and weeding.
Dorcas Wong has been a teen services librarian at the San Francisco Public Library for counting on thirteen years now, and is a lifelong manga enthusiast. She has served on the Great Graphic Novels for Teens ALA-YALSA committee, and has spent her career actively advocating for and building up the teen graphic novel collection in her system. Once we can see each other in-person again, she invites you to visit the Parkside branch and check something out.
February 2021: Taylor Norman, editor from Chronicle Books, will take us on the journey of a new book, from manuscript to publishing. If there’s time, she’ll share some upcoming Spring and Fall titles.
Taylor Norman is most passionate about picture books and middle grade fiction. She looks for three key factors in the books she works on: very strong writing, an honest voice, and no condescension to young readers. She seeks to publish books that employ and encourage new perspectives, make readers think, connect people and ideas thoughtfully—and most importantly, treat their readers with respect. She is the editor of such titles as the Odyssey Award-winning Redwood + Ponytail; the Pura Belpré Honor-winning The Other Half of Happy; the Pura Belpré Award-winning Lowriders series, Jon Scieszka’s AstroNuts series; Adam Rex’s On Account of the Gum; Dave Eggers’s Her Right Foot; and Carter Higgins’s Everything You Need for a Treehouse; among many other books for kids.
January 2021: We’ll hear from a seasoned organizer on what to expect from a mock award committee. Sarah Stone will share past experience and advice. Others who have served on award committees will be invited to share their experiences as well.
March 2020: There will be no professional development this month. The Bayviews Task Force will present their findings and recommendations later this year.
February 2020: ALA Midwinter Roundtable
January 2020: Mini Distinguished Round Up
December 2019: Guest Speaker Maya Gonzalez reorients participants toward a nature-based, holistic framework of gender for young kids. The workshop provides five important areas where supportive change can begin now, with books and hands-on educational materials for participants to practice and play. Inclusive and multidisciplinary.
November 2019: Allison Angell presents Bayviews Ratings History.
October 2019: Food Literacy: Building Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Through Stories About Food Philip Lee and June Jo Lee co-founded READERS to EATERS to promote food literacy by publishing stories about our diverse food cultures. To them food literacy means developing understanding on what and how we eat, and also promoting cultural literacy through something people of all cultures share everyday: Food! They have partnered with education and food organizations to connect book access and food access and will share stories on how they all work together to create a better community through food. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the company, which relocated from the Seattle area to San Francisco in 2018. More at readerstoeaters.com.
September 2019: Kathy Shepler concludes her presentation on the History of the Book (Part 2)
August 2019 2020 Institute Co-Chair, Sarah Jo Zaharako, will lead a round table discussion featuring former Institute chairs. The conversation will be helpful for any librarians tasked with organizing events and will draw attention to the inner workings of the ACL Institute. Members are encouraged to share ideas and experience.
July 2019 Members who attended the ALA Conference (June 20-25) will share their favorite sessions and events.
June 2019 Kathy Shepler will give a presentation on the History of the Book.
May 2019 Penny Peck will give an update from her Infopeople Webinar “What’s New in Children’s Literature.” Here are the handouts: ACLChildLitUpdate2019_booklist ACLNewChildLit2019
April 2019 – ACL Institute instead of our regular meeting. March 2019
February 2019 ALA Midwinter Roundup – Hear about the fun and inspiring events held at ALA Midwinter, including an overview of the Youth Media awards (Newbery, Caldecott, etc.).
December 2016: CLA Annual Roundtable Discussion November 2016: Distinguished Mini Roundup October 2016: Self-publishing is easier than ever, and can be particularly advantageous for people of who are non-white, LGBTQ, disabled, or otherwise represent diversity. Amy Martin will talk about evaluating self-published books and choosing quality titles representing diversity for your collection. August 2016: Julie Barton, Ph.D. Early childhood development and children’s literature July 2016: ALA Annual Roundtable Discussion and Institute Debrief June 2016: ACL Institute 2016 – Race Matters: Practical Ways Libraries Can Celebrate All Youth April 2016: Storytime Fundamentals: Adding Literacy Skills and Parent Involvement, presented by Penny Peck March 2016: Guidelines for Discussing Diversity in Reviews February 2016: ALA Midwinter Highlights December 2015: Distinguished Books Mini Round-Up November 2015: CLA Highlights October 2015: Highlights from the annual Library Summer Camp event held at the Santa Clara Office of Education presented by Penny Peck. September 2015: “Boogers, Books, and Behavior: The Elementary School Mind” presented by Shana Barchas, Education Director at Children’s Fairyland August 2015: Graphic Novels (and their Awesomeness) by Eva Volin July 2015: ALA Annual Conference Highlights June 2015: ACL Institute debrief and discussion April 2015: ACL Institute 2015, ALL DUE RESPECT: A Dialogue on Diversity, Equity, and Creating Safe Spaces for All Youth March 2015: Understanding gender/gender diversity, presented by Joel Baum, Senior Director at Gender Spectrum February 2015: ALA Midwinter Highlights January 2015: Censorship and Controversial Titles presented by Beth Wrenn-Estes, SLIS professor and ACL member. Handouts:
- Self-Censorship Presentation
- How the Mind of a Censor Works
- 2013-2014 List of Challenged or Banned Books
December 2014: CLA Highlights November 2014: Distinguished Books Mini Round-Up October 2014: 2014 ALSC Institute Highlights September 2014: Round-robin discussion of 2014 summer reading programs June 2014: Nonfiction Title Suggestions. Spring 2014: Storytime Refresher, download or view the Google Doc. March 2014: ACL Institute 2014. Your Library is the Common Core: CCSS, STEM/STEAM, and How Libraries Fit in With the New Push Toward Non-fiction
December 2018 As is our custom, the December professional development session is a deeper look at those books nominated for our annual Distinguished List, with a focus on books with a close tally of yes and no votes. We will also have a brief roundtable of reports from members who attended November’s California Library Association conference in Santa Clara. November 2018 It’s time again to bring a storytime favorite – song, fingerplay, participatory read-aloud, or other engaging activity, to share with the group. October 2018 ALSC Institute Roundup – anyone who is attending the ALSC Institute in Cincinnatti, Ohio in late September is welcome to describe the various speakers and presentations they experienced: http://www.ala.org/alsc/confevents/institute And, we may have some members describe their attendance at JCLC (Joint Council of Librarians of Color). September 2018 Dashka Slater, author of the teen nonfiction book THE 57 BUS, will describe her writing process, journalism background, and work on this book which examined an incident between two teens in the Berkeley area that became a nationwide story on LGBTQ rights and trying a teen as an adult. August 2018 Jeanie Austin, a teen services librarian with San Francisco Public Library, will present their dissertation research which traces how past policies and processes that established white, middle-class, and hetero-normative conduct and knowledge as central to library services have worked—and continue to work—against youth of color and/or LGBTQ and gender non-conforming youth. It pulls from queer, feminist, poststructural, and critical theory to provide a model for how libraries can center youth made vulnerable to the state. This involves an interrogation of what representation does or can do in the current moment alongside the recognition that cultures within librarianship inhibit library access for youth of color and/or LGBTQ and gender non-conforming youth. July 2018 – ALA Annual Roundtable June 2018 Amy Martin, Children’s Collection Manager at Oakland Public Library, will present about law enforcement representation in children’s books and more information about the toolkit she created on this topic. May 2018 Are you looking for new picture books to offer at your storytimes? Storytimes are one of the most popular and consistent library programs held for families, yet we often feature the “tried and true” books we have used for years. Penny Peck’s presentation will focus on new picture books that will engage the storytime audience, including books that invite audience participation, books the promote the five parent practices (talking, singing, writing, playing, and reading), books based on songs and nursery rhymes, and books that promote preliteracy skills and kindergarten readiness. April 2018 – ACL Institute March 2018 Eva Volin, Supervising Librarian, Children’s Services for Alameda Free Library, will offer a presentation about manga. What is it? Who does it appeal to? How do we manage it in our collections?