#libraryresources

The Booklist Reader blog was in our course document as a Collection Development resource, but I also thought it would be a great resource for Reader’s Advisory. It’s a great site, as it is very current for a book review blog, and it is written by two YA librarians who really know their stuff!  

I think this blog would be a great way of generating recommendations for Young Adults, especially because they do a lot of posts on trends and subjects. For example, they had one in March on March Madness, which highlighted YA books about basketball (a great reluctant reader subject!).

I also like how they do “Cover Trends” posts, which feature books with similar covers. For a reader who doesn’t know exactly what they want to read next, a cover similar to something they’ve responded to positively in the past could be a great starting off point! Chances are, the publishers know what they’re doing and it really is a similar read. 

This SLJ article (plus its supplement “More Thrifty Library Hacks”) is an awesome curated guide of tips on sprucing up youth library spaces. The best part is that all of the tips are budget-friendly, and most are DIY!! 

I think these ideas are a great way to make colorful updates in any youth space, and also possibly incorporate staff + students who love to DIY. I also think these tips, and any variations on them, could work both in a school or public library setting.

I especially like the ideas of turning large buckets into stools, fixing torn furniture with duct tape art, and making stained glass designs on library windows with tissue paper. There are also smart budgeting tips, such as how to print poster sized images without spending the hefty printing fee that comes with large-format printing. 

I found this link on the Resource Guide for Underserved Student Populations (AASL). I was particularly interested in the toolbox section providing resources for children of incarcerated parents, as I have done volunteer work with prison support organizations.

This is a very comprehensive guide on how to welcome children and families of incarcerated people, specifically into the public library. However, I think the programming ideas could easily be used in a school library setting. 

As far as programming, the resource recommends tailoring existing activities and/or programs to address the specific community. I appreciated this approach, as it doesn’t feel particularly pointed or heavy-handed but does facilitate a feeling of inclusivity. For example, the website suggests that a pen-pal or letter writing event could be adjusted so the patron feels welcome writing a letter to an incarcerated family member. This would include providing tips on addressing the letter properly, or possibly making something available that defines what can or can’t be included in a letter (or package) to an incarcerated person. 

This is a nice, succinct overview of weeding a school library collection. It was published by the California Department of Education, and while it does not have any “unique” information from the CREW manual, it is nice to see something pared down to two pages.

It includes a nice acronym of the MUSTY definition (although this one combines the I-E into one encompassing “Irrelevant”), a short guide to more bibliographic resources on weeding, suggested guidelines on weeding by copyright date (broken down by Dewey subject), and a few other helpful tips!

This is a really great resource for YA collection development, specifically in the environment of juvenile detention center libraries. 

The LSYC website has a whole Resources for Collection Development  link. This includes specific collection development policies for incarcerated youth from different counties, such as Alameda County’s in the Bay Area (this one is not much different from their general YA Collection Development Policy, although it does mention specifically working with the Juvenile Justice Center to select appropriate materials for incarcerated youth), and Hennepin County’s, which is specifially for juvenile detention center libraries. This one includes a list of restricted materials, considered not  "appropriate reading material" for this population. 

The “Resources” link also talks about the In the Margins book award, which I had not heard of before, but which often deals with authors and topics surrounding incarceration in the youth community. The award’s mission statement is as follows: