Welcome to the Ohio Library Council's CHILDREN'S SERVICES DIVISION's  quarterly e-newsletter. 
We value your choice to join the Children's Services Division, and created this newsletter in appreciation and to keep in touch.  Please let us know if there is anything you would like to see covered or addressed in this space!
Summer Reading Wrap-Up

We hope you survived summer reading this year.  Please remember to take a few minutes to add up your Summer Library Program/Summer Reading Program numbers.  Complete Ohio SRP Evaluation survey .

Must-Read Middle Grade Books

Now on to books! Teen publishing has exploded in the last decade with many best sellers, TV series, and movies to its name. But what about middle grade?  This article discusses who is reading middle grade books and some of the trends and successes of this category. Then look at 100 middle grade books to read this summer (or fall!) with suggestions for reluctant readers. 
Too Small to Fail

We recently came across a website (and organization) called Too Small to Fail, a joint initiative of the Clinton Foundation and The Opportunity Institute. We discovered them through the Ohio Department of Education's website, which linked to a Social-Emotional toolkit for early childhood educators that Too Small to Fail created with the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services .  Sixty percent of American children enter kindergarten un- or under-prepared. Too Small to Fail's mission is to lead "a public awareness and action campaign to promote the importance of early brain and language development and to empower parents with tools to talk, read, and sing with their young children from birth." Check out their website, especially their blog
   Read More

Sponsored by the Chidren's Services Divison, the  Youth Services Low-Budget Program Exchange  will be held on Thurs., Sept. 7 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Athens County Community Center. Topics include "Serving the Whole Child," summer food service, hands-on STEM, and a roundtable discussion of programming ideas (please bring at least one to share). The fee is $30 for members and this event counts as four hours of continuing education credit for Ohio Public Librarian or Ohio Public Library Staff re-certification.

Children's Services Programs @ Convention and Expo

Registration is now open for Libraries in Balance, the OLC's 2017 Convention and Expo, held Oct. 4-6 at the Dayton Convention Center. We hope you can join us, as the
Children's  Services Division has lined up a myriad of interesting programs including: 
  • Hello World: Creating and Promoting a Youth World Languages Collection
  • Literacy and Beyond: Kindergarten Readiness for the Whole Family
  • Permanent StoryWalk: Creating Community Through Physical Fitness and Storytelling
  • I Love Summer Reading Club vs. I Hate Summer Reading Club (LIBchat) 

Feeling overwhelmed or drained by behavior in your children's area? Mark your calendar for Thurs., Dec. 7 when Bryce Kozla from the blog Bryce Don't Play will present, "Managing Space, Managing Expectations: Patrons, the Children's Area, and You." This webinar will show you how to create a welcoming environment for the kids you serve and how to enforce your expectations without fear of "being mean." Discover what makes your kid patrons tick and get the meaningful action-oriented conversations your space deserves . Registration will open later this fall. Watch the OLC's events calendar for details.
Share Your Stories

See an article you would like to share with other Children's Services Division members? Email Maria Trivisonno at mtrivisonno@cuyahogalibrary.org .
That's all for now! Enjoy the colors, sounds, and smells of fall! !
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