CET Writes

Mystified at having left my ordinary world, October 2021 found me transported to the realm of Jack "The King" Kirby, both his place of origin and the kingdom that he built — modern comicdom — for New York Comic Con, where ReedPop was partnering with the New York Public Library , New York City School Librarians Association , and Reading with Pictures to offer its inaugural full day of professional content specifically crafted for librarians and educators. My blerd heart was pounding, my educator heart was swelling, and my librarian heart was soaring with the opportunities before me to strengthen the connection between these ecosystems. Determined to traverse this multiverse of literacy, I ported through the Javits Center attending session after session in pursuit of a version of our world where comics and graphic novels are always lauded as “real reading” and their impact on empowerment and learning is profoundly recognized. As the start of a new year is often a time of refle...

Originally published October 21, 2022 Library Developments Blog | Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** On Saturday, September 24, 2022, Helen Hall Library in League City, Texas, hosted the Grand Opening of its Family Place Library program during the library’s Fine-Free Fiesta —a community celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. The event featured a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Family Place Library program; promotion of Helen Hall’s status as a fine-free library; as well as food trucks, coloring pages, paper flower making, and live performances by Ballet Folklorico Herencia Mexicana de Houston and Texas City High School’s Sting Band, Mariachi Raya. Among those in attendance to show their support were the Texas State Library and Archive Commission’s Youth Services Consultant Christina Taylor, City Librarian Teresa Potter, Assistant City Librarians Meredith Layton and Darla Rance, and Children’s Services Librarian Kate...

As a freshly-minted librarian, I was hired to serve at THE high school bearing my district’s name alongside an amazingly zany, veteran librarian who knew the current collection inside and out as she’d been the one to revitalize it with bond money just prior to my arrival. To say that I was intimidated about what I could possibly have to contribute is more than an understatement. So when the moment of truth arrived and I was handed a “small” purchase order to get my feet wet, I. Was. Stymied! Her fingerprints were all throughout that collection, and what she didn’t read our assistant did . How would I ever fit into this team?! What could I possibly contribute?! To be honest, I was just beginning to read YA lit regularly. Luckily, near the end of grad school, I’d discovered comics and graphic novels. My then-language-arts-teacher heart fell in love with graphic storytelling, the ways that it attracts readers, and its potential to support literacy efforts. Unluckily, I didn’t know much ab...

Originally published May 16, 2022 Library Developments Blog | Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** As you review the administrative tools your library uses to manage services and programming, consider leveraging online resources to maximize your efforts. In the following interview, fellow library worker Kate Guynn explains why Beanstack was the best fit for her library. *** Question 1: What online tool are you promoting? Name: Beanstack Purpose: In March 2021, we signed a three-year contract to track all of our reading challenges. Price: $1,800 per year Question 2: How did you find out about this tool? We were drawn to Beanstack because of my prior experience with it when I worked at a different library, the price, the customer support, and the high scores on reviews. In comparison, neither ReadSquared nor ReadingZone had comparable ratings. In addition, because ReadingZone’s pricing is based on the number of readers, purchas...

Originally published May 9, 2022 Library Developments Blog | Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** As you review the administrative tools your library uses to manage services and programming, consider leveraging online resources to maximize your efforts. In the following interview, fellow library worker Crystal Swimmer explains how a reading tracker did so much more for her community than merely log activity. *** Question 1: What online tool are you promoting? Name: Beanstack Purpose: We originally purchased it as an online tool to host our summer reading program in 2020 when our library was only open for lobby service; now, we use it to host all of our reading challenges. Price: Approximately $8000 Question 2: How did you find out about this tool? Some of our employees had used Beanstack at other library systems for their previous jobs. Others had heard about it through co-workers or from participating in reading challenges host...

Originally published May 2, 2022 Library Developments Blog | Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** As you review the administrative tools your library uses to manage services and programming, consider leveraging online resources to maximize your efforts. In the following interview, fellow library worker Rebecca Ivey explains how what began as a seasonal offering quickly became a staple in the library’s suite of services. *** Question 1:  What online tool are you promoting? Name:  ReadSquared Purpose: We selected this platform in 2018, based on its ability to log patron reading records. Price: Approximately $3600 Question 2:  How did you find out about this tool? We were looking for an online reading program tool, and this is the one that other libraries in our area were using. After researching the platform, we realized it would work for our library system as well. Question 3:  As a youth services library work...

  Originally published April 4, 2022 Library Developments Blog |   Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** This summer, consider focusing on teen mental health by incorporating the following recommendations and resources outlined by Patrick Lloyd , TSLAC’s Community Resilience Consultant. *** Even before the covid-19 pandemic, many teenagers were struggling. Sadly, data collected well before the covid -19 pandemic indicates that most of us experience childhood trauma. For many, these traumas stay with us for long period of time. They correlate to a number of nasty outcomes including emotional dysregulation (some folks become numb and detached; others may be impulsive or quick to anger), cognitive challenges (sometimes called brain fog), substance abuse, and medical problems, among others. The events of the past two years have exacerbated matters. In October 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American ...