April 18, 2022Are you ready to bring programs back into the library but not always ready to have 35 people in a small room at the same time? Do you want to be prepared for changing circumstances as we see what the next 12 months bring? In this session, Elizabeth Nicolai will share some of her successes and failures at Anchorage Public Library when trying out new ways to do programs in person if not always together.
Resources:

• Slide Deck

April 18, 2022Feeling burnt out with virtual programming? Maybe you aren’t seeing large audiences at virtual events, or you are just out of fresh ideas? We are too! Let´s explore together a few do-able ideas to grow your virtual audience with easy no-contact programs and practices that may continue after in-person programming resumes. During this session, Maite Lorente will share with you some of her favorite resources and tools to embrace the virtual library world, plus some frustrations.
Resources:

• Online Programming Resources
• Template for how to open a virtual program

April 18, 2022Monique Gray Smith is a proud mom of teenage twins and an award-winning, best-selling author. Her first published novel, Tilly: A Story of Hope and Resilience won the 2014 Canadian Burt Award for First Nation, Métis and Inuit Literature. Since then, Monique has had 7 books come out that cover a broad spectrum of ages, topics and emotions. Woven into all of Monique’s writing, speaking engagements and online courses is the teaching that Love is Medicine. Monique’s novel, Tilly and the Crazy Eights was longlisted for Canada Reads 2021. She is currently writing the Young Adult Adaptation of Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer, with a November 2022 release date. Also coming out in Fall 2022 is a picture book, I Hope with Orca Book Publishers. Monique is Cree, Lakota and Scottish and has been sober and involved in her healing journey for over 30 years. She is well known for her storytelling, spirit of generosity and focus on resilience.

March 18, 2022Prior to 2020 programming at Wasilla Public Library had a very internal focus: our participation was overwhelmingly high, so we did not often need to generate engagement outside our own walls. Our new world requires increased creativity as we attempt to meet the literacy needs of our community. Re-establishing partnerships with our schools, food service providers, and after school agencies has been crucial to providing portable library experiences and services for our patrons. In this session we will share our experiences adapting to new programming goals, identify successful community partnerships, and discuss partnership and engagement opportunities for Summer Reading 2022.
Resources:

• Engaging Where We Are Slides

March 18, 2022Sharon Fishel & Pat Sidmore discuss ways Alaskans can recognize some of the signs of stress and anxiety during COVID and recognize its impacts. The session also offers participants techniques to use for themselves and others to build resilience.

March 18, 2022Have you ever heard someone say they used to visit the library regularly, but then their kids outgrew it? Libraries have a strong tradition of storytimes and programs for young children. Let's keep that momentum. Older kids and teens need safe spaces outside of school and access to reliable information. Those happen to be a library's specialties. Conversation and ideas will cover intermediate elementary ages through high school, depending on the needs and interests of the participants and the communities you serve.

August 12, 2021 As COVID-19 cases increase across Alaska, youth services librarians are re-evaluating how they will deliver children’s programming this fall. During this chat, nurse practitioners from the Juneau Public Health Center shared information on the risk the COVID-19 virus poses to children, described common symptoms of the Delta variant and health precautions libraries should follow. Kari Petersen, Program Coordinator for the Petersburg Public Library shared information on the alternative children’s programming her library has been offering.
Guest presenters: Elaine Hickey, Public Health Nurse II, Sabrina Meredith, Public Health Nurse II and Kari Petersen, Program Coordinator for the Petersburg Public Library

September 9, 2020 Public libraries have a long history of supporting homeschooling families, who are often heavy users of community resources and develop close associations with local libraries. Homeschooling was growing in popularity prior to the COVID 19 pandemic. According to statistics from the US Department of Education the homeschool population has doubled from 1 to 2 million in the last decade. The pandemic has led to large increase in the number of families choosing to homeschool their children. During this webinar, we will discuss how public libraries can support homeschooling families.
Guest presenters: Janet Madsen, School Library Consultant for the Alaska State Library & Samantha Blanquart, Early Literacy Outreach Coordinator

September 8, 2020 These kits are circulating, reusable kits you can add to your collection with STEM and discovery items and books and other materials. During this webinar librarians from across Alaska shared their experience with these kits, how they financed them, and how they’re using them in their communities.
Panelist include:

• Elizabeth Moreau Nicolai, Anchorage Public Libraries
• Ani Thomas, Kodiak Public Library
• James Adcox, Kenai Community Library
• Amanda Lyons, Seward Community Library & Museum

August 12, 2020 As children’s librarians, we offer storytime and other preschool programs to our patrons and are key partners with parents, caregivers, and teachers to help children become prepared for school and learn to read. During this webinar, participants learned about ways to engage caregivers in their storytime and to encourage caregivers to continue to support their child at home to master the early literacy components that children need to become successful readers.

June 22, 2020 A panel of Youth Services Librarians comprised of: Claudia Haines, Homer Public Library, Elizabeth Nicolai, Anchorage Public Libraries and Susan Jones, Fairbanks North Star Borough Library shared their library philosophy of evaluation and practices.

Supplementary Materials:

• Slides: Youth Services: Programming, Evaluation, & Reporting [Powerpoint, 1 MB]
• Slides: Youth Services: Programming, Evaluation, & Reporting [PDF, 739 Kb]

April 8, 2020 Many children do not have the opportunity to attend formal early childhood programming and families in our community rely on the library as a safe, welcoming space for their children to play and to encounter books. Even small libraries should have some kind of early literacy play space in their library. During this webinar, you can learn some tips and techniques to maximize the space that you have available to create a place where families can read, sing, play, talk, and write together.

February 12, 2020 As children’s librarians, we offer storytime and other preschool programs to our patrons and are key partners with parents, caregivers, and teachers to help children become prepared for school and learn to read. During this webinar, participants learned about intentionality and how using storytime books, songs, and other literacy activities intentionally will support the early literacy components that children need to master to become successful readers.

• Early LIteracy Planning Toolkit [PDF, 695 Kb]
• Early Literacy Planning Tool Worksheet [Word, 579 Kb]

April 25, 2019 In 2018, the Anchorage Daily News reported that "Alaska students’ math and reading test scores below national average on ‘nation’s report card’." During this webinar Janet Madsen, Alaska State Library School Library Consultant, Julie Niederhauser, Alaska State Library Public Library Coordinator, Anne Morgester, Library Supervisor for the Anchorage School District, and Elizabeth Nicolai, Youth Services Coordinator for the Anchorage Public Library discuss how libraries can respond, where barriers to student learning occur and where the opportunities exist.

Supplementary Materials:

• Slides: Barriers to Learning [PDF, 991 Kb]
• Email Ann Morgester for her "Library Cards for All" slides