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On Friday, February 21st, six members of YASL (myself included) attended the 2014 MI KidLib Unconference at the Clinton-Macomb Public Library in eastern Michigan. It was the first of such events intended to be held annually specifically for “current and aspiring” Michigan youth librarians. Much like Quasi-Con here at UMSI, the day was shaped mostly by informal discussions in which any attendee can participate. As we’re all directly in the middle of the winter semester, I think I can speak for the group in saying that it was nice to attend a professional event for which we did not have to extensively prepare!
I think we were all very much impressed by the library itself, taking every opportunity to sneak around and marvel at the design, gadgets, types of shelving, and layout of the space. We probably could have explored the children’s and teen’s sections for hours! I know I got a lot of great ideas for my future library space (although where I’ll get the money is another story).
There were three major breakout sessions driven by a variety of topics, including activities for tweens, passive programing, makerspaces, summer reading programs, and apps for kids. These topics were decided by democratic vote on the morning of the event. I chose to attend sessions on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), Common Core, and collaborating with public schools. Although you can learn more about these sessions in the link to our notes, I would sum up some of the things I took away from the event as follows: STEAM-based programming ideas are rampant, varied and innovate among Michigan youth librarians, but we’d all like to have a few more tips on how to clean up afterwards; public librarians are greatly motivated to assist local schools, teachers and students with Common Core-appropriate materials, but more education on what is required of the standards is necessary; and public libraries have had successful experiences collaborating with local schools and teachers, but planning and communication with school administrators and school librarians is absolutely necessary for implementation to make sure that no one steps on anyone’s toes or gets taken advantage of.
There was also a “Guerilla Storytime” held during the lunch hour, where volunteers provided tips and tricks for a handful of situations, from disruptive parents to best uses for common storytime tools like shakers, parachutes, and scarves. Believe me when I say there is nothing quite like witnessing the members of your field sticking their tongues out, their rear ends in the air, and waggling their bodies in the circle while singing nonsense words. It is as informative as it is refreshing and delightful.
Overall, MI KidLib was a worthwhile experience for all of us. I know that it helped me gain some perspective on my future as a school librarian, as well as some reassurance in my education thus far. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of input I was able to offer to the various discussions, and I hope I was able to pay forward at least some of the knowledge that I gained from the professional librarians at that event.