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Welcome to the 2017 PPL ALA blog!

Here you will find posts by staff attending ALA - what sessions they attended, what they learned, any meaningful takeaways, etc.  Check back often for the most recent posts!

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Escape Room, Playground, Exhibits

In the Exhibits Hall... Escape room Jennifer, Michelle, Tim, and I (and five other attendees) teamed up in an escape room. Our goal: figure out the codes to open the last two locks. Through a series of puzzles and info disguised as character notes, hidden in items, posters on the walls, or on the computer, the clues led to another in two threads (each had two steps). There was even a black light clue. The game employs library knowledge--microfilm, books, history, and info cards. The game was one of many available using the Breakout EDU kits, which can be purchased on their online store. The starter kits are compatible with hundreds of games written for learners of all ages. The games teach critical thinking, teamwork, complex problem solving, and can be used in all content areas. The kits include the stories, clues, hints, several locks, keys, and a black light. (This was especially exciting news for me since it’s on the Teen Advisory Board’s agenda to test an escape r...
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The Grammar of Comics - How Teaching Visual Literacy Can Open Up New Conversations: Sessions

On Friday June 23, I attended the Graphic Novel Friday Forum, a day long event with multiple sessions celebrating and discussing all things Graphic Novel.  (Jane went to this too, so you may see some posts from her about it as well.  We'll try not to duplicate things.) The second session of the day was all about the grammar of comics - how images and text work together to create the story.  The panel included: - Michael A. Gianfrancesco, panel moderator, high school teacher - Pascal Meriaux, from The French Comics Association - Teresa Radice, a writer with Europe Comics - David Etien, illustrator from Insight Comics / French Comics Association - Adam Ebert, high school teacher - Adan Avarado, high school teacher Interesting takeaways/ideas from this session: - Both Radice, who writes comics about a girl interacting with people from different cultures, and Etien, who writes books for kids based on characters from Sherlock Holmes, talked about how comics can ap...
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High-impact STEM Events to Foster Collaboration

I made an effort to attend as many STEAM sessions as I could while I was at ALA, and probably the best one I attended was this one about High-Impact STEM Events to Foster Collaboration. There I was able to hear and meet Liz McChesney, director of Chicago Public Library , and Brian Wunar of the Museum of Science and Industry , who shared how they collaborated on science programs at both the museum and the library. Both CPL and MSI had a similar audience and a similar mission: they came together "to serve the same children." CPL's Areas of Impact are: Building basic literacy, building digital, informational and cultural literacy, advancing critical thinking and problem solving, advancing creativity and innovation and fostering communication and collaboration. Brian showed us MSI's "Steering Wheel" diagram for what their mission is: Youth are at the Center, encircled by Families, Communities and Schools which all give influence and support to Youth. As an o...
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