Monday is a Fun Day

It's been a busy year especially this fall as I got further into my service on the Sibert Committee (best information book for children).

So coming to midwinter has meant the culmination of lots of reading, reflection, re-reading and nominating titles I thought were especially noteworthy.

Now days later, the discussions are done, the voting is over and I celebrated by eating my look-alike Sibert Award committee so generously provided by committee pal Elisa Gall.

Join me Monday January 23 at 7am CST to hear the results! You don't have to be at midwinter to enjoy the fun!

ALA - Let's Get Together Yeah Yeah Yeah

With ALA slamming up at breakneck speed, I feel the need to make sure I connect to each and every one of you who come to Chicago.  Logistics tell me I'm nuts. But then again, it's worth the try.

Although there are some great social events in the offing, I think another youth services blogger and readers of blogs and twitter -peeps gathering would be fun to do especially if you're thinking of being at the Newbery/Caldecott awards banquet on Sunday June 30 at the Sheraton or the speeches after! It struck me that lots of us would be hanging around this premier youth services celebration, so...

....if you plan attend the banquet or just drop by the speeches after the dinner (there are chairs set up and you can listen to the speeches free and gaze upon the glitterati in the audience!), we can do a meet-up!

Traditionally, at the conclusion of the banquet, a receiving line with the honorees takes place right after the speeches outside the hall. There is always a cash bar. It's a great spot to gather and chat late night (caffeinate early to be up late!).

So consider this for your schedule and say hi!

Post N/C Youth Blogger/Blog Reader/Tweep Meet-up
Sunday June 30
Sheraton Chicago banquet area
10:30-11pm-ish start (or whenever N/C speeches end)
 

On the Eve of the Awards

I served on the 1995 Newbery and 2002 Caldecott committees. These remain two special moments in my career. Like dessert, it was sweet. But I can't have that diet all the time - that's why I love the meat and potatoes of the many "process" committees I serve on. I wish the experience of being on an award committee to each and every ALSC and YALSA member at least once in their careers and I hope that each member, having served once or twice on a prestigious award committee, makes room for others who wish to have the experience.

It's the night before the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards announcements. By now the discussion, the deliberation, the voting and the annotations are done.  The frisson of excitement within each committee as the top honored book, recording or film has been determined is palpable. The committee members are as proud as new parents at their award titles and honorees. But it's still secret.

Roommates teasingly pry; spouses look for hints; colleagues wonder and give an extra squeeze to hands and shoulders of committee members, knowing the intense work of the past year. The committee members, though excited, appear serene. The decision that will echo through youth literature down through the ensuing years is done. It's finished. Often committee members spend some time together after the final meeting just to have people to talk with. Hearts are very full.

The ALA Public Information Office has kicked into high gear. They are reaching out to obtain phone numbers; writing press releases and press conference scripts; determining if there are immediate media opportunities for winners; scheduling committees for their Monday morning phone calls - yes, the honorees are called by the committee chairs backed by their committees prior to the press conference. In Seattle, it will be at a blessedly decent time - when at an east coast ALA midwinter, west coasters often get the call pre-dawn.

There is a little note of trepidation in many a committee person's heart on this night. How will the crowd of 500 librarians, publishers and booksellers present at the press conference and the audience of teachers, librarians, book creators, and makers and sellers around the world react to their committee's choice - with screams of approbation or the gasp of in-taken breath? I have heard both. That moment when the committee stands to face the dais, backs to the audience, and have their choices announced is nerve-wracking.

But that's tomorrow. Tonight, there is the sweet feeling of a job well done; a challenge met and the camaraderie of a group of people who have read, pored over, reflected and discussed books together in a rarefied atmosphere to winnow and seek that golden best. And that is enough.

For more insights on the award process, stop at this Nerdy Book Club post and read Monica Edinger's outstanding post myth-busting the Newbery Committee process and drop by Something Different Every Day blog for a peek at the day between the big days of an award committee member.

Image: 'Poesia'  http://www.flickr.com/photos/58929717@N00/93235624 Found on flickrcc.net
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Sensible Shoes and Cardigans or Sequined Gowns?

PW's Tip Sheet has a very funny and spot-on article about the failure of the TV morning shows again to schedule interviews with the Newbery and Caldecott Award winners. 

Coupled with that is a shout-out to the all-out hilarious Stephen Colbert interviews with Maurice Sendak this week that have folks ROTFL. You can stop over at Wisconsin's YSS blog to see both clips.

Finally the comments in the first article referenced reminded me of a conversation with friends that I had after the news hit that the Today show wouldn't invite the authors. We speculated that if the attendees at the press conference were gowned and tuxedoed up, would that get the TV producers thinking how special our children's book creators are?

Image: 'Aspetta, ti aggiungo come contatto'  http://www.flickr.com/photos/22132739@N02/3952070713

Wrapping up ALA Midwinter Around the Blogosphere

Just a few wrap-up posts on the adventures. Share your faves in comments!

Mary Ann at Great Kids Books shares some love and insight on the Morris seminar (that helps train people to serve on the YMA* committees).

Travis at 100 Scope Notes always provides a supportive and even-handed wrap-up of some of the YMA.

Monica at Educating Alice shares her pleasure at YMA results.

Betsy at Fuse 8 Productions gives her usual thorough and very witty take on the YMAs.

Jonathan at SLJ's Heavy Medal blog points out that all winners/honorees had great reviews/accolades.

Robin over at Horn Book's blog talks about the process of selecting honor books. Then to top it off she exactly describes the way the YMA conference feels in another Horn Book post in Calling Caldecott.

The OIF Blog championed an excellent resolution passed by Council (who says issues move slowly through ALA?) calling Arizona legislators on the carpet for a biased and censorious law targeting ethnic and minority studies that I blogged about here.

And of course the ALSC blog was the go to place for observations and news large and small.

And here's a youtube channel with honorees thanking the committees

Plus never say librarians don't know how to spend money and have fun while visiting conference cities. The locals are always a little surprised.

Finally the twittersphere was hot, hot, hot throughout the YMA announcements (#alayma). Someone announced during the mad texting that that the hashtag had trended extremely high for activity approaching top ten status for a bit. The results: many, many porn tweets popped up there.  So getting popular is not always good? Hilarious!

*YMA= Youth Media Awards presented at the ALA Midwinter Meeting

Post ALA Award Thoughts

On the twitter hashtag for the midwinter ALA Youth Media Awards (#alayma), there are many accolades but the beginning stirrings of "What happened to this much liked and talked about book?" or "Why so few honor books when my fave wasn't mentioned?" or "What were they thinking?"

In an effort to calm the waters (or the snows) and explain the process, I have blogged over at the Wisconsin Library Association's YSS blog about how things like this happen...and how to chill.

Image: 'Brilliant Reflector'  http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600090482@N01/3088778613

ALA Awards - Behind the Scenes

I've been blogging over at the WI Library Association's Youth Services Section blog (YSS Events) here and here over the past few days giving a behind the scenes look at what it's like at the ALA Midwinter conference for award committee members.

Drop by and read!

White Hat/Black Ops Needed

From LJ/SLJ Ebook Summit via Library Journal on Facebook

Librarian Tony Greenwalt, on his theanalogdivide blog, has an idea to counter some publishers' attitudes about ebooks in relation to libraries: measure the sales impact of Caldecott and RUSA awards at midwinter. He's looking for some "white hat/black ops" cohorts. Can you help?

Image: 'untitled'  http://www.flickr.com/photos/36554617@N03/5710171465

Oooooohhh! Aaaahhhhh! Gasp! Snort! Wowser!

There is nothing quite like being at the press conference at ALA Midwinter to hear the announcement of the Youth Media Awards.  That 60 minutes is packed with tension, expectation, murmers (and screams) of surprise or acclamation, standing ovations and, in that dark, dark, cavernous room, a knit brow or two, gratefully hidden from one's peers.  Today's announcements of, by my count 23, awards in San Diego were no exception.

There were expected, unexpected and wholly delightful surprises from each committee.  One of the book bloggers I follow was frankly surprised at some of the buzzworthy books in the kidslitosphere getting no recognition.  I am never surprised at that result.  We are all readers and all passionate, but let's face it, few of us approach the rigor of reading and discussion that goes into these ALA award level committees.  These groups live these books and the passionate give and take that occurs throughout the year as they make their way to final discussions and voting is simply extraordinary.  They take special care and I always put my faith in their decisions because I know how profoundly seriously they take their work.

Now it is time to read, re-read, acquire and booktalk these best books and media of our children's and teen literary world. How lucky we are to have this spotlight on a passion that brings such great material into the hands of our kids! Congratulations to all the committees for a job well done!

ALA Midwinter - Distinctly Un-Winterish

I hate to be so supremely shallow but I REALLY love ALA midwinters that meet in warmer climes.  This year we are gathering in San Diego. Going from 6F to 60F in a mere 4 hours is a real treat for this Wisconsin woman. If you have to be in meetings, meetings, meetings, at least be in a place with pleasant warmth and incredible views.

I am on the ALSC board in my third and final year.  We will be wrestling with some interesting stuff as always.  It is a great group of people and I look forward to not only the camaraderie but the debate. I'll be reporting out recommendations from a subcommittee I chaired on moving our ALSC committee work to a more virtual model. It will be great to see where this all goes.  And there will be time to attend the ALSC All-Committee meetings where I will peek at the work of so many of our member leaders.

Of course the exhibits will take up a chunk of time, looking at new titles and picking up a few ARCS to bring back to share with the team.  There will be plenty of friendships renewed, hallway conversations, drinks clinked at after hours get-togethers and talk about how we are struggling to do good with fewer resources.

On the last day there will be the always amazing ALA Media Awards press conference where we get to ooooh, aaah and gasp at the announcements of the ALSC, YALSA and Coretta Scott King Awards.  My colleagues on award committees are working hard this conference to discuss and vote on the winners. What will they present us with on Monday?

So here's to midwinter and librarians gathering where they work hard...and enjoy the sunshine harder!

Image: '~ The Real Action ~'   http://www.flickr.com/photos/13898329@N00/12494645