The ALA Washington Office Twitter feed (@ala_wo) is an informative resource year-round, but their tweet-by-tweet coverage of the day was an excellent way to track the action. Many advocating librarians took the time to Tweet their activities in between meetings using the #NLLD hashtag. It was truly heartening to see so many librarians on the frontlines.

 Those who could not meet their legislators in person still had (and have) the opportunity to communicate their concerns. YALSA’s Tweet Your Senator Map is a quick and easy way for those with a Twitter account to connect with their senators regarding library issues. The Map saw a lot of use over the days. The Legislative Action Center is an excellent clearinghouse for understanding legislation impacting libraries and how to communicate with legislators. Though the official day has passed, advocating for libraries is a year-round endeavor.

 If you are considering attending next year’s Library Legislative Day from May 6-7, check out this informative piece on NLLD in American Libraries Magazine to get a clearer picture of the experience.  And take a minute to browse the ALA Washington Office flickr account to see the action for yourself and hopefully get pumped to advocate.

• After I’ve waited for what seems like forever (but is really just since I joined Twitter and started following Levar Burton), the website RRKidz is finally live and going somewhere! This 21st century incarnation of “Reading Rainbow” promises access to the classic episodes that I know I adored as a kid as well as new content for today’s media devices, those ubiquitous tablets and genius phones, curated by Burton himself. My first recommendation is for you just to get excited. But also consider that some of your patrons may still remember the original show, and my guess is that even if they claim to be non-readers, they’ll have some great memories of it. “Reading Rainbow” may be for younger children, but you can get your teen volunteers excited about it by mimicking the show’s popular “You don’t have to take my word for it” section, in which real kids recommended their favorite books to others. What a great way to get teens to sit in on storytime, or to volunteer in your children’s section, and they can just as easily create videos on library computers to share their favorite YA stories with fellow teens, along with your help.
• The New York Times magazine recently held a contest for the best essay answering the question “Why is it ethical to eat meat?” The contest subject and its judges (all white men, mostly already known for championing animal rights and being vegetarians or vegans) immediately prompted outrage, interest, and annoyance, and all of the comments and criticism are well worth reading. But it also prompted a lot of discourse, and that’s always a good thing. Teens may not always be interested in debate or writing, but food and vegetarianism tends to be an area in which they are already developing strong opinions. Consider hosting your own essay contest, debate, roundtable, or poster display of the various standpoints on dietary choices.
• The recent outrage surrounding a derogatory Chronicle of Higher Education blog post about black studies programs at universities has got me thinking–about a lot of stuff, but also something really simple. I had never heard of this publication until the end of college, and while I don’t read it regularly, I find it covers a lot of bases and topics relevant not only to professors and administrators, but also to students. I imagine it would have been helpful and informative to read some of the blog posts and articles when I was in high school applying to college. So. Are you subscribing to CHE? Do you provide online access? And are you telling your teen patrons about it and providing it along with your other resources on college readiness and education?
• “It could be argued that our role as educators is to allow students to encounter a variety of images and texts, as well as to promote reflection and analysis, so that they have robust as well as pleasurable learning experiences,” says Jon Callow. In his article on visual literacy in the coming issue of Screen Education, he describes the various ways teachers use illustrations, photographs, and advertisements as “texts,” both as supplements to literature being studied and as focal points for study in their own right. In an academic collection of children’s literature that I visited recently, I saw poster displays that education students had made of the themes and issues they had studied in various books, and I would love to see something similar in public and high school libraries. Since we all know it’s our job to reach non-readers as well, why not take a look at Callow’s article, in which he argues that literacy can also come out of looking at media that’s not made out of the printed word, and encourage your teen patrons to do a little analysis and reflection on various images? Pull out some magazine discards, or pick up cheap coffee table books and magazines from thrift stores, and encourage them to rip out the images that say something to them, and then to create a display board from them. It could be all images that tell the story of someone’s life, a couple images plus text about what they mean to the teen, or a series of thematically linked photographs (according to the teen, not the magazine) with big keywords inspired by them. The possibilities are endless, and this sort of activity can invite readers and non-readers, artists and non-artists, to either work together or at least work in the same space.
  Callow, Jon. “The Rules Of Visual Engagement.” Screen Education 65 (2012): 74-79.
• Last month, I wrote about innovation with Etsy, but I didn’t really touch on what you could do with youth. Aside from being a great place to pick up housewarming gifts and one-of-a-kind clothing, it’s also a place where young people can learn about running a business within a structure that allows them to learn on a curve in a somewhat safer environment. While any teen who seeks to start selling on Etsy needs their parent or guardian’s permission, not yours, you can do a lot to foster the growth, innovation, and confidence a teen will need to broach the subject with her parents and to actually turn a profit. Start by making sure you pull out books in your collection (or order some new ones) like Start It Up by Kenrya Rankin, Young Guns by Robert Tuchman, or one of the huge number of books about selling on Etsy that already exist. Other ways you can bring entrepreneurship and the business world into your library? Host a screening of an episode of “Mad Men” (check the episode carefully and provide a disclaimer, since “Mad Men” contains sex and partial nudity), follow it with a discussion on workplace politics of class and gender, and don’t let people file out of the room without info on how to find their first job, internship, or volunteer position. And take a look at the insane amount of categories on Etsy’s site to prompt events and clubs dedicated to things like sewing, eco-friendly beauty products, furniture making, and more. Just about anything you find lends itself well to critical discussion, innovative crafting, and use of your already existing collection of cookbooks and other how-to and DIY guides.
• If you look through my iPod, you’ll find more than twenty dedicated playlists, with titles like “tired tears for sad days” (I don’t like capital letters), “dancing in my underwear,” and “making pictures.” Poke around my apartment and you’ll find a notebook with working lists of playlists-in-progress. The curator in me loves to highlight certain songs, especially when they’re singles for which I don’t have entire albums (and thus otherwise would not often listen to), and put them into easily accessible playlists that I can pick based on my mood. I’m sure I’m not the only one who does this. But in case you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, consider the new book Your Playlist Can Change Your Life by Galina Mindlin, Don DuRousseau, and Joseph Cardillo, a psychiatrist, CEO, and psychologist, respectively. The book argues that understanding your moods and listening to music that soothes, inspires, or pumps you up can have a beneficial effect on your brain and body. Invite a local DJ or radio producer to come speak, and get your patrons to gather together to create collaborative and individual playlists, as well as to talk about what music means to them. Print out some of your group playlists, post them around your teen room, and link them to your CD collection and library Freegal access for more incentive.
• Have you ever heard the term “twice exceptional?” I certainly haven’t, but after reading this article on giftedness and learning disabilities, it strikes me that this is not an area many people consider when they’re working directly with people or choosing how to collect resources or materials. Take a look at the article and its suggested resources–it should provide anyone with a well-needed reminder of what happens when we assume, and how teachers, parents, and others (like librarians!) can approach helping, working with, or responding to students who exhibit learning disabilities in some areas and giftedness in others. (You’ll also find that, apparently, I’m not the first person to write a column with this title.)
  Horowitz, Sheldon. “Giftedness and Learning Disabilities.” National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2006.

Have you read anything that needs to be covered here? Have you taken any of the suggestions and created your own dynamic programming, services, or collections? I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. See you next month!

Of course, with all the excitement of the conference, you’ll need to take a break from the convention center once in a while– why not go to the beach for some fabulous BBQ?  Only 20 miles away from Anaheim is Seal Beach, home to the second largest wooden pier in California.  Take a walk on the beach to work up a good appetite, and then stop into Beachwood BBQ: Where the Fork . . .  Meets the Pork.  Beachwood is BBQ with a twist, and can be a hot spot to eat, so try going at off hours or plan on having time to look at the shops on Main Street.

Photo by asmythie

The food is so good, you may find it difficult to pick just one thing off the menu.  Try the BBQ favorites like brisket and pulled pork.  Be more adventurous and order the Mini Lamb Corn Dogs with Habanero-berry “katsup” or the amazing Tater Tot Casserole.  By its name alone, the Tater Tot Casserole may not catch your eye, but wait till you hear about it.

The dish has tater tots dusted with porcini mushrooms, which are then cooked in duck fat.  But that’s not all.  Then the tater tots are covered with melted smoked cheese curd and a duck gravy.  Is your mouth watering yet?

Photo by punctuated

Vegetarians have lots of choices too at the Beachwood BBQ, including a fabulous fried green tomato sandwich with smoked mozzarella and Tabasco vinaigrette or the baked macaroni and cheese with bacon and a Gruyere beer sauce.  

Speaking of beer,  Beachwood has a huge selection of microbrews on tap.  Chalkboards on the wall of the restaurant list the many choices.  Feel like trying the local flavor? Beachwood also makes their own craft beers.

If you aren’t full after all of that, walk a couple store fronts down towards the water and stop at Sweet Jill’s Bakery for a giant cinnamon roll or a chocolate chip cookie dough brownie!

Find Beachwood BBQ just a block away from the beach at 131 ½ Main Street, Seal Beach, CA. 90740 and plan your meal by checking out their Web site at http://beachwoodbbq.com.

Find Sweet Jill’s Bakery at 123 ½ Main Street, Seal Beach, CA. 90740 or look at their tasty treats at http://www.sweetjillsbakery.com.

See you in Anaheim!

To prepare for our presentation we used a Google Doc to create an annotated list of apps we wanted to recommend.  We weren’t able to discuss everything we listed, and our list is by no means comprehensive, but it is a selection of apps in various categories from gaming to art to academic, that we think you would enjoy.

Have a look at our document: Apps Apps Everywhere  and feel free to add some apps to our list.

Title:

Cost: Free or $2.99 for no advertisements

Platform: iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.2 or later.

Finals and AP exams are almost (or already!) here for many of the teens we serve. Top-rated study applications can help students organize their notes and prepare for end of the semester tests. This week’s app, Flashcardlet, lets teens create, share, and use study materials anywhere.

There are several flashcard apps out there, but students that need more than text to study will appreciate Flashcardlet’s features. A step beyond the traditional pen and paper flashcard, this app allows you to view images. Create your own deck or download one from Quizlet.com to study SAT vocabulary, science and math diagrams, art history, or any other subject imaginable. If you find or make a study deck that will be useful for a friend, share it by using Dropbox or email.

After loading a study deck, you can select from a few options to customize your study experience.  The cards can be displayed alphabetically, randomly, or in their original order.  Filter the deck to display only starred or non-starred cards, or reverse the order in which a card displays (i.e. show the back first). You can also combine multiple card sets into a new, shuffled deck.  

Once you begin your study session, tap a card to view the answer or swipe to skip to the next card. You also have the option to view a searchable list of the entire deck.  As you work your way through the cards, you can mark cards as mastered or flag them by starring.

A few adjustments could make this app even more useful:

1. I strongly suggest paying the $2.99 fee to remove the advertisements.  I found it difficult to ignore the colorful, little ads while flipping through lists of challenging vocabulary. For about the price of a pack of note cards, you will get an enhanced experience.
2. Another improvement would involve both strengthening the share feature and increasing the ability to modify decks from other applications.  Currently, share allows you to email or Dropbox a FCD file, which can only be opened with the Flashcardlet app. If your friends don’t have an Apple device with the app installed, you will not be able to share cards.
3. Finally, audio support would be a boon for foreign language or music studies.

Some of these desired features are already supported by other flashcard apps, but unfortunately, it is hard to find one that offers them all (and for free). The Flashcardlet developers do have a poll where users can suggest future upgrades. With thousands of votes already cast, new tools like iTunes syncing, card categorization, and multi-sided cards may be coming soon.

Suggest this app to teens who are looking for mobile supported study methods or a way to practice vocabulary for the SAT.

For more YALSA App of the Week posts, visit the App of the Week Archive.

You still have a chance to take advantage of Early Bird Registration – just $215 for YALSA members until midnight on Sunday, May 13th. And once you’ve registered, plan out your conference activities with the ALA Conference Scheduler. Take a look at YALSA’s events at ALA Annual for ideas on how to fill your schedule!

Now that your detailed planning is underway, it’s time to figure out where to eat during the Conference. There is a wealth of excellent dining in the Orange County area. Where to start? To help you solve that dilemma, YALSA’s Conference Marketing and Local Arrangements Committee is kicking off a series of posts about restaurants in and around Anaheim. Bon apetit!

Did you know Orange County is home to the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam? The Little Saigon area, a short 15 minute drive from the Anaheim Convention Center, is rich with authentic Vietnamese culture, and of course, delicious food.

If you’ve never tried Vietnamese food, consider Brodard Restaurant. People come from near and far to sample their famous spring rolls. Boasting over 100 traditional Vietnamese dishes, there’s something for everyone here– but the spring rolls are an absolute must. Pork, shrimp, or vegetables are neatly bundled in translucent rice paper wrap with lettuce, carrot, cucumber, and a crunchy sliver of fried rice paper tucked inside. Crisp, fresh, and flavorful, these rolls are meant to be eaten by hand and dipped in the restaurant’s famous savory sauce.

Photo by manda_wong

The restaurant’s casual, modern ambience makes for a pleasant lunch spot, and at three rolls for $4.50, a meal is reasonably priced. There are often long lines due to the popularity of the spring rolls, so plan ahead.

Brodard Restaurant is located at 9892 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92844
Visit them online at http://www.brodard.net/Home/.

We’ll be back next week with another Orange County restaurant recommendation. See you in Anaheim!

Whether it’s the compelling re-telling by Kenneth Oppel, This Dark Endeavor, or Liz Burns’ TeaCozy read-along, Frankenstein seems to be experiencing a resurgence among both teen readers and librarians.

Now Inkle has developed a stunning iOS app based on the classic Mary Shelley novel but with a rather HyperCard-feeling twist.

Victor’s story becomes something of a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure as the reader decides how to advance a conversation or even choose how to navigate streets at selected points which then determine the next passage. It’s an interesting slice-and-dice approach to a classic. The app also features the complete text of the original, as well as a gallery with the many anatomical images and landscapes used throughout.

As with many of the book apps based on older works, this project also suggests how you might work with teens to demonstrate how something within the public domain can be monetized and transformed into something original and compelling. I love the ides of teens creating their own variable versions of curricular texts as a form of assessment.

For more Apps of the Week, visit the App of the Week archive.

She is the former State Specialist for School Library Media at the Utah State Office of Education. According to Matt McClain who nominated Dr. Smith, “she was instrumental in lobbying efforts to the Utah State Legislature during the 2011 Legislative Session.” Dr. Smith gained $600,000 in additional funding for books and electronic resources for school media centers around the state.

Here is a link about Dr. Smith’s efforts.

Thank you to Sharyl and all the advocates out there for libraries. If you know someone deserving of the YALSA Advocate of Month recognition, please nominate them here.