Heading south to Pima County, I toured the new 17,700 square foot Sahuarita Library that features a Storytime room with rainbow lights, stuffed animals, lower windows for outside views, a gaming room, reading patios, private study rooms, and a large meeting room for programming. Library Development Administrator Jaime Ball and I then visited with the County Librarian and Executive Director of Pima County Public Library, Amber Mathewson, and Deputy Director of Support Services, Michelle Simon, in the outdoor performance space, that will serve as a community gathering space for movies, concerts, story hours, poetry readings, art workshops, gardening classes, and more.

Next, an invitation to the Rural Activation and Innovation Network (RAIN)’s annual meeting sent me east to Safford. I’ve been a member of an advisory group for the RAIN grant project funded by the National Science Foundation to promote informal STEM education in designated rural communities, and the meeting was an excellent opportunity for all of us in attendance to plan next steps to continue the work in progress as the grant is closing out. 

The night before the meeting began, I was able to visit with Graham County Librarian and Library Director Victoria Silva at the Safford City-Graham County Library where they were launching their NEA BIG READ program in their spacious meeting room. The evening’s event was a Community Art Night which had been preceded earlier in the day by a special Bilingual Storytime. The library was one of 61 organizations nationwide selected to receive a 2021-2022 NEA grant to support their community reading program.

My final visit was closer to home in Maricopa County at the Ed Robson Library in Sun Lakes. The library moved into the 10,000 square foot building in July 2004. It now serves also as the East Administrative Office, one of two library locations out of which the Library District Administration team works. It was in this beautifully designed space that Jaime and I met with County Librarian and Director of the Maricopa County Library District, Jeremy Reeder, and Deputy Director, Erin MacFarlane to talk about the State Library resources. 

Mark your calendar for upcoming Learning Path, Wisdom Wednesdays, Grant Deadlines and Events.

Over the years, the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) has funded hundreds of grants for Arizona libraries to innovate and enhance existing services. LSTA also funds dozens of databases, the Arizona Reading Program, continuing education for library staff, the Arizona Memory Project and much more. As a requirement of the LSTA program, the Arizona State Library must conduct a third-party evaluation of our 2018-2022 Five Year Plan. Our evaluator is Quality Metrics, and they have designed a three-question survey to find out how LSTA dollars in Arizona have impacted you and your community members.

Please take a few minutes to answer the survey at http://s.alchemer.com/s3/Arizona-LSTA-Survey-2021. We look forward to hearing your thoughts about LSTA in Arizona!

This month, the Arizona State Archives celebrates Archives Month which raises awareness about the value of archives and the archivists who help preserve and provide access to them. This year's Archives poster was announced on October 1. Images from institutions from around the state were chosen for this year's theme "Fun in the Sun".

On Wednesday, October 13th from 1:00pm to 5:00pm, join us on Facebook for Ask an Archivist Day (#AskanArchivistDay). This annual event hosted by the Society of American Archivists is a fun opportunity to ask those burning questions you have about original order, hierarchies, and more! Please invite your friends and family to add questions in the comments, and our team will answer. 

What did you (or your child) like most about the program/service? 

October is World Blindness Awareness Month, a month where the ongoing efforts and accomplishments of people who are blind are highlighted. National Today reported "According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “everyone, if they live long enough, will experience at least one eye condition in their lifetime”. The proof is in the numbers. An estimated 2.2 billion people around the globe suffer from some form of visual impairment or blindness – including everyone who simply wears corrective lenses."

One of the State Library's services is the Arizona Talking Book Library (ATBL), which is available to eligible Arizona residents. ATBL s a Regional Library of the National Library Service, Library of Congress. All Arizona residents that are unable to read standard print materials because of a visual, physical, or reading disability are eligible for the program which provides audiobooks and players as well as audio magazines to patrons free of charge. Eligible patrons can also access a large array of digital books that can be downloaded to a computer, tablet or phone.

The Talking Books service is available via telephone at (602) 255-5578 or (800)255-5578, from 8:00am to 4:00pm or by email. The application for the program is available on our website at how to apply and more information about the program can be found at https://azlibrary.gov/talkingbooks. Follow ATBLE on Facebook.

For more information on how your library can help to promote this service contact the outreach coordinator via email.

In December 2021, The James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) will be the largest, most powerful and complex space telescope ever built and launched into space. Launching from French Guiana in winter of 2021-2022, NASA and its international partners are celebrating this generational moment in the common exploration of the wider universe, through in-person or virtual events.

The Webb telescope’s revolutionary technology will explore every phase of cosmic history – from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe, and everything in between. Webb will reveal new and unexpected discoveries, and help humankind understand the origins of the universe and our place in it.

Arizona State University has been a partner in the research and development of the Webb Space Telescope. They have created the Passport to the Stars program for students K-12 to learn more about space exploration, the Webb and win prizes. Deadline to enter the contest is November 30, 2021. For more information about the program and the calendar of events visit their webpage and calendar of events.

The Arizona Center for the Book Writers in Residence program Mini-Grant promotes writing in communities by connecting local, professional authors to serve as Writers in Residence at public libraries. In a typical year, Writers in Residence spend time at the library during their residency composing new works and providing education for community members. The project looks a little different during the coronavirus pandemic, but it has the same intent: to support Arizona content creators to inspire and aspire!

The program uses LSTA funds to provide for stipends for two (2) writer’s residencies, each for a three-month period. Applying libraries will select two authors, one for a residency from February-April and a second for May-July. Recipient libraries will receive a grant for $4,800 to pay the writers’ stipends, which are set at $800 per month.

Applications for the Grant program are due by 11:59pm, November 12, 2021.

For additional guidelines and a link to the online application, go to the Arizona Center for the Book webpage. Contact Jaime Ball at jball@azlibrary.gov for more information.

Megan Dowd Lambert will present an Introduction to the Whole Book Approach to storytime using her book "How to Shake Up Storytime and Get Kids Talking about What They See". Using diverse picture books as examples, she will place emphasis on highlighting the distinction between co-constructive and performance-based storytimes. The Whole Book Approach is a storytime model that Megan developed in association with The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

This is a two-part training and is limited to 30 participants. The first training will be on November 4, 2021 from 1:00-3:30pm and the second training will be January 13, 2022 from 1:00-3:30pm. Participants from the first training will be given the opportunity to ask questions and discuss experiences using their Whole Book Approach Storytime Set. Additional resources to link the Whole Book Approach and Critical Literacy Practice will be presented by Megan Dowd Lambert and Hannah Gomez.

Contact Ann Marie Creegan for more information.

Communication is More Than Words (LSSC approved)

If you are interested in taking any of these courses contact Ann Marie Creegan.

The American Library Association (ALA) has more than $300,000 available to students who are studying in library science or school library media programs at the master's degree level. Get your application in early. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2022. Read More. 

Applications for the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) 2022 awards are now available. AASL members are encouraged to nominate a colleague or themselves to be lauded for their outstanding talent and dedication to the profession as part of this prestigious awards program. AASL awards and grants recognize excellence and showcase best practices in the school library field in categories that include collaboration, leadership, and innovation. Read More.

All library personnel employed full-time in Arizona libraries are eligible to apply for a scholarship to learn best practices of librarianship and provide continuing education at their libraries or to the Arizona library community at large.

To request a Continuing Education Scholarship, all applicants must submit a scholarship application and W-9 (for the individual or organizational payee) at least 60 days prior to the date of the event. For more information, check out Scholarships on our website or contact Ann Marie Creegan.

The 2021 ARSL Conference will be held at the Nugget Resort in Reno/Sparks, Nevada, from October 20-October 23.

The 2021 theme: The Biggest Little Library Conference. Our libraries may be small, but our community is mighty. As we come together to share ideas and learn from each other in Reno, the “Biggest Little City,” the possibilities are huge.

Registration information.

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) National Conference is the ONLY national conference specifically for school librarians. This three-day event will be taking place in Salt Lake City, UT, October 21- October 23, 2021. The conference attracts over 2,000 school librarians from across the country coming together to share best practice, resources, and networking.

Internet Librarian Connect is the most comprehensive conference for library and information professionals interested in technology to discover the insights, strategies and practices that allow us to push the envelope in expanding the net, building solid connections to the Internet of Things, managing libraries and digital information, and enhancing the information sharing and learning experience of people in our communities. The conference will be held virtually from October 26- October 28, 2021.

The symposium will take place November 5 - November 7, 2021. The theme this year is Biggest Little Safe Spaces: Serving Teens During Times of Adversity. The symposium offers YA librarians, leaders and managers the opportunity to discuss strategies for serving teens during difficult times and continue to develop programs that ensure the biggest little safe spaces thrive for years to come. YALSA will offer a virtual event as well as an in-person event.