Sorry for the shortage of postings. I have been traveling this week to attend a conference of children’s book publishers and educational wholesalers, the Educational Books and Media Association (EBMA)

The theme of the conference was Back to Basics and they invited a school librarian, public librarian Administrator and wholesaler. Our title was Content and Collaboration: Getting The Right Books To The Right Readers

Our panel was invited to speak on collection development and curriculum connections. They were curious to know how we librarians discover and evaluate the titles and materials that we choose for the collections.

Laura Keonig (lkoenig@bpl.org) Department Head, Central Library’s Children’s Services, Boston Public Library She is currently a member of the ALSC Managing Children’s Services Committee and the Massachusetts School Library Commission. Laura received an Honorable Mention from the Urban Libraries Council as an Innovator in Leading Learning in 2016 for her work on the Boston Public Library’s Pathway to Reading Sensory Wall.

Wendy Miller wmiller@follett.com, Collection Development Librarian, Follett School Solutions Specializing in PreK and Elementary content, Wendy brings a decade of real-world library experience to her role in creating and evaluating the lists of materials that Common Core schools need.

Stacy Dillon has been the Lower School Librarian at LREI since 2001. Previously, she worked as a Youth Services Librarian at both NYPL and BPL, Little Red Schoolhouse/Elisabeth Irwin High School, NYC. She has served on Newbery and Caldecott Award Commitees. Finalist for AASL Social Media Superstar 2017

Glen Warren is the Encinitas Union District Director of Literacies, Outreach, and Libraries (in other words, he is the LOL Director)

With twin Master’s degrees in educational leadership and library science, as well as expertise in educational technology, Glen Warren straddles the worlds of the classroom and the library as well as the worlds of technology and information.

In the next few days, I will be posting the takeaways from the conference.

One of the questions from the floor was how do we (librarians) discover new authors and illustrators. I noted that I seek out new talent. There is nothing more exciting that discovering a new writer or illustrator.

That said, a 2017 picture book that I saw at the show that I can’t believe that I missed reading and love love love. A debut illustrator and contender for the Ezra Jack Keats Award and Vanette Ridgway for debut illustrator, Windows by Julia Denos and Illustrated by E.B. Goodale. Get a copy in your hands now. You will thank me.