We were lucky enough to bring James Kennedy from Chicago (which in itself is cool enough) to South Carolina as the presenter for our teen exchange. The Teen Exchange brings together librarians or staff who work with or have an interest in working with teens and young adults. We've done some great programs in recent years--Teen Spaces with Kim Bolan Cullin and Collection and other cool stuff with Erin Downey Howerton. That was where I learned about James and the 90-second Newbery. (www.jameskennedy.com)
We have spend some time developing a rotating group of technology so that libraries across the state can borrow movie making and editing equipment. It is a great way to build skills and develop creative approaches for marketing and highlighting programs in the libraries. We have encouraged the teen librarians and their teen advisory board members or teen/preteen patrons to develop short films for contests that have been recently sponsored by the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP or what we often call Summer Reading program) and ALA, the American Library Association. If you think that kids aren't super talented, it is amazing what they can do in a day. Take a peek here. The first is the runner up video for the ALA contest and the second is the SC winner.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXeoYdb31vk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szcdTRZLIIw
James Kennedy has developed the 90-second Newbery film festival. If you are a book person, teacher/librarian, or have kids you probably are pretty familiar with the Newbery awards. They are the best in juvenile fiction as determined by a committee of professionals each year. I have to say that although I absolutely loved this past year's winner, Moon over Manifest (and wasn't really sure until I read it), there have been some less than interesting winners in the many many years of the awards. I was given one in the late 70s when I was devouring books. It was a journal. I didn't really understand the style and it was super boring to me. I am sure it was a great book. If I was to go back and read it as an adult, I might even like it now; I certainly always appreciate them. But every winner will not always be for everyone, and that's ok. However, making it into a 90 second film, as James says, can make anything seem silly. Those that came had a very creative day where they looked at the books, made choices about how to write the script. For example, Hatchet written in the style of Twitter with hashtags. The Underneath was done as a puppet show. Lots of mashups, cross overs and adaptations to styles like reality or talk shows. Some of them were able to complete their films, others are still in progress. The afternoon focused on James' book "The Order of the Odd-Fish." He showed all the fan art and tributes to this unique fantasy book. It reminded me of Comic Con. He's done it as a program for ALA for the past few years and our own librarians also got a chance to recreate a sort of fighting scene. Super creative. I'll have some pictures. Mostly I think everyone got to envision themselves using the technology to highlight books and create programs that appeal to teens. Eli Neuberger from Ann Arbor just talked during the Ebook summit this week about how we as libraries MUST start to highlight and focus on things that are not just books. This is the perfect time for these kinds of creative, skill building programs. Keep your eyes open. I feel a 90-second Newbery Film Festival in Columbia SC will happen.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Banned Books Week Sept 24-Oct
During the week, the OIF Blog, Twitter feed, and Facebook page will highlight some of the many events taking place during Banned Books Week, and will spotlight some of the videos featured on the Banned Books Week YouTube channel as part of the Banned Books Virtual Read-Out! Check back regularly for more information. You also should check the new Banned Books Week website—geared toward the general public—for events in your local area.
Happy reading!
About Banned & Challenged Books
What's the difference between a challenge and a banning?
A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/aboutbannedbooks/index.cfm
Banned Books Week Sept 24-Oct 1, 2011
http://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=2724
Banned Books Week 2011 has begun – a week that celebrates the freedom to read while drawing attention to the harms that censorship does to our society and our individual freedoms. We hope that during this week you will read one of your favorite banned/challenged book and think of the ideas the books contain—ideas that bother some people so much they want to prevent you and others from reading it.
During the week, the OIF Blog, Twitter feed, and Facebook page will highlight some of the many events taking place during Banned Books Week, and will spotlight some of the videos featured on the Banned Books Week YouTube channel as part of the Banned Books Virtual Read-Out! Check back regularly for more information. You also should check the new Banned Books Week website—geared toward the general public—for events in your local area.
Happy reading!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Support Denise for ALA/ALSC's Newbery Medal Selection Committee
I would appreciate your vote to serve on ALA/ALSC's Newbery Medal Selection Committee.
Here is the bio on the ballot.
Denise R. Lyons
revised and removed information after the vote
Links for further information:
Denise R. Lyons
revised and removed information after the vote
Links for further information:
Project website: https://daybydaysc.org
About the Newbery Medal for Children's Literature
THe John Newbery Medal
from www.ala.org
In 1921 Frederic G.Melcher had the Newbery Medal designed by René Paul Chambellan. The bronze medal has the winner's name and the date engraved on the back. The American Library Association Executive Board in 1922 delegated to the Children's Librarians' Section the responsibility for selecting the book to receive the Newbery Medal.
The inscription on the Newbery Medal still reads "Children's Librarians' Section," although the section has changed its name four times and its membership now includes both school and public library children's librarians in contrast to the years 1922-58, when the section, under three different names, included only public library children's librarians. Today the Medal is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of ALA.
How the Newbery Medal Came to Be
The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year. On June 22, 1921, Frederic G. Melcher proposed the award to the American Library Association meeting of the Children's Librarians' Section and suggested that it be named for the eighteenth-century English bookseller John Newbery. The idea was enthusiastically accepted by the children's librarians, and Melcher's official proposal was approved by the ALA Executive Board in 1922. In Melcher's formal agreement with the board, the purpose of the Newbery Medal was stated as follows: "To encourage original creative work in the field of books for children. To emphasize to the public that contributions to the literature for children deserve similar recognition to poetry, plays, or novels. To give those librarians, who make it their life work to serve children's reading interests, an opportunity to encourage good writing in this field."
The Newbery Award thus became the first children's book award in the world. Its terms, as well as its long history, continue to make it the best known and most discussed children's book award in this country.
From the beginning of the awarding of the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, committees could, and usually did, cite other books as worthy of attention. Such books were referred to as Newbery or Caldecott "runners-up." In 1971 the term "runners-up" was changed to "honor books." The new terminology was made retroactive so that all former runners-up are now referred to as Newbery or Caldecott Honor Books
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)