New York City School Librarians' Association

It was wonderful seeing everyone at the New York City School Library Conference on Tuesday, November 6th! Many of you stopped by the table to say hi, pick up your NYCSLA t-shirts, and renew your membership or join. Thanks for a stellar day!

Our next NYCSLA meeting will be held on Thursday, December 13th at The High School of Environmental Studies at 444 W 56th St. NYCSLA’s treasurer, Jenna DeGrace, will host our meeting in her school’s library.

For this meeting, The Hudson Valley Library Association (HVLA) will join us. We’ll have four 10-minute presentations throughout the evening. Two will be done by HVLA members and two from NYCSLA members. We’ll send out a presentation proposal soon to members, seeking out individuals who would like to share any interesting programs or projects they’re working on.

For this meeting, we’ll also have a cookie exchange! Let’s get in the holiday spirit! Please bring two dozen cookies and a container.

Look for more information soon in an email.

Thursday, November 29, 2018
For HVLA and NYSCLA members only

Bring a craft project you’re working on or start a craft project (materials provided)

Sign up here

We’re gearing up for the NYLA SSL Annual Conference this week in Long Island and we hope you are too! If you’re #NotAtSSL2018 and you’d like to follow along with what’s happening, make sure to check out the official NYLA SSL Instagram: @slmsboard, and the Conference 2018 Twitter page: @ssl2018.

New to Twitter or Instagram? Thinking about getting started? We’ve made a list of the top school librarians to follow in New York state. These school librarians continually post articles, share photos of their libraries, highlight activities, and much more! Make a Twitter or Instagram account now to share what’s happening in your library and check out the neat things happening across the state!

Please join us for Drag Queen Story Hour for HVLA members and NYCDOE librarians (NYCSLA) on Saturday, May 12th from 2-4 pm at Caveat. HVLA and NYCSLA librarians and other school faculty/staff members and their children are invited! (No need to have children to attend.)

This will be an opportunity to experience Drag Queen Story Hour, to speak with librarians and teachers who have hosted the event in their schools, and to enjoy a fabulous afternoon of drinks, snacks, stories, crafts, conversation and drag! Plus, Greenlight Bookstore will be selling beautiful books!

Did you know DQSH events are complimentary for public schools?

This program is eligible for 2 hours of CTLE credit in Content. The New York City Department of Education is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s Office of Teaching Initiatives as an approved sponsor of CTLE for Professional Classroom Teachers, School Leaders and Level III Teaching Assistants.

Need more of a reason to attend? First:Second, MacMillian Kids, Enchanted Lion, Feminist Press, Sez Me, Reflection Press and Penguin Random House are offering fabulous, complimentary raffle prizes!

This event is a collaboration between The Hudson Valley Library Association (HVLA), The New York City School Librarians’ Association (NYCSLA), and Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH).

Space is limited.

SIGN UP HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/drag-queen-story-hour-for-school-librarians-tickets-44746451842

The 2017 Annual Fall Conference is right around the corner and The New York City School Library Association is excited to announce that quite a few of our members have been selected to present.

This year’s conference, Schools Libraries Equal Equity, will be held at CitiField on Tuesday, November 14th. Each year, the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Library Services coordinates a fabulous event, featuring prominent speakers, numerous vendors, and concurrent sessions. This year, four of our members will be presenting.

If you’re planning on attending this year’s annual conference, check out these concurrent sessions by NYCSLA officers and members:

Kristen Falco, NYCSLA President:

Workshop title: It’s Like I’m Really There! Using Virtual Reality to Show Students the World
12PM

Learn to use Virtual Reality headsets along with Google Expeditions and View Master Experience Packs to get students excited about learning! Take your students all over the world with teacher-led and self-led tours of famous places, historical sites, underwater sites, and even outer space. In this session, you’ll learn about how to purchase and set up your VR headsets, how to put together and manage them as part of your library’s collection, and get hands-on experience trying the Virtual Reality programs for yourself.

Michele Kirschenbaum, NYCSLA Membership Chair:

Workshop title: It’s Time to Be a Citation Nation
11AM

With fake news and “alternative facts” flooding our everyday lives, how do we teach our students to check up on facts and information, but also teach them to be ethical and responsible researchers themselves? The answer: Citations! Learn how to teach your students the citation process in an innovative way with the help of technology tools and online resources.

Andrea Swenson, NYCSLA Member:

Workshop title: LGBTQ and You
12PM

ALL kids at ALL ages need to be exposed to positive representations of LGBTQ people in the books they encounter in the school library. Do you have any LGBTQ materials on your shelves? Do you have selection guidelines for LGBTQ-themed materials in your collection development policy? How do you deal with challenges to LGBTQ-themed materials? How do you reach out to LGBTQ students in your school while protecting their privacy? If you’ve ever wondered about the answers to these questions, then this panel is for you!

Lisa Egan, NYCSLA Member:

Workshop title: Obstacles = Opportunities in Urban School Librarianship
12PM

The greatest city in the world can provide unique opportunities and challenges for urban school librarians. Learn strategies for flipping obstacles in your school into triumphs and workarounds to help your library program thrive!

Jillian Ehlers, NYCSLA Member:
11AM

“Every April school librarians are encouraged to host activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school library programs play in transforming learning.” http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/slm. How can you showcase all of your hard work while celebrating your school library? Find out how to celebrate School Library Month 2018! Discuss how to enhance awareness and appreciation for your school library. Learn about AASL’s School Library Month and how to access and utilize its programs and resources. Join this session to make an impact on your school community during School Library Month 2018!

Click here for more information on this year’s annual fall conference. To follow along via Twitter, use the hashtag #nycsls17