YOUTH SERVICES SECTION

PURPOSE

The Wisconsin Library Association's Youth Services Section (YSS) advocates for professional empowerment, collaboration, and innovative, inclusive, and intentional service. To that end, YSS provides a forum and resources for people in Wisconsin's libraries who share a commitment to serving children and young adults, their parents, caregivers, and teachers. It is a vital, dynamic group whose interests focus on providing quality library service and encouraging literacy and library use. YSS members include public and school library staff, library trustees and library supporters who work together to benefit youth in Wisconsin. To become a member simply check the YSS box on your WLA membership or renewal form. To become actively involved, please contact the current YSS Chair or Chair-elect to find out more about committee and conference opportunities for volunteering.

Youth Services Shout-Out-YSS! Blog

An up-to-date spot for librarians around Wisconsin to find relevant news, events, and resources.

EVENTS

 YSS Performers Showcase

Friday, December 8 | 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Get a jump start on plans for the 2024 summer reading program!  The Performers Showcase, presented by the WLA Youth Services Section, will connect performers with members of the Wisconsin library community through live virtual demonstrations and marketing materials offered by magicians, puppeteers, storytellers, musicians, and anyone who presents library programs for children, youth, teen, and family audiences.   

Visit the event webpage to see the growing list of presenters scheduled to perform and register!  YSS Performers Showcase webpage

WLA's Youth Services Section Presents:  Connecting 1, 2, 3 to A, B, C: exploring early math and its implications for emergent literacy in young child programming (webinar)

Thursday January 11, 2024 | 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 

Free for WLA Members, $25 for Non-Members

Register

Did you know that early math skills were among the strongest predictors of later school achievement? Or that success with early math is tied to better reading outcomes for children? If not, consider joining us as we unpack how your own programming efforts can help support young children’s development of early math skills. Through this webinar you will learn a variety of different early math competencies you can incorporate into your library programs for young children, explore interactive strategies to engage children and caregivers with these skills while fostering a growth mindset, and better understand how early math skills can support emergent literacy practices.


Speaker Bios
Jacqueline “Jacquie” Kociubuk, MLIS/MEd, is a PhD student in the Information School at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on understanding the role of the public library as an informal learning and community space and place for children and families. She has also been involved in Dr. Kathleen Campana’s Project VOICE, an IMLS grant project centered around exploring how public libraries are using outreach programs and services to support children and families from underserved communities, as well as Read Baby Read, funded by the William Penn Foundation. Her work has been published in the Journal of Research in Childhood Education, Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, and the Library Quarterly, among others. She has previously worked as a children’s librarian and PreK-12th grade educator.

Kathleen Campana, PhD, is an Associate Professor at Kent State University. She focuses her research on understanding the learning that occurs for children, youth, and families in informal and digital learning environments and how those environments support and impact the learning process. She teaches in the area of children’s and youth services and museum studies. She is the Principal Investigator for Project VOICE and Project SHIELD, both funded by IMLS, as well as Read Baby Read, funded by the William Penn Foundation. Her work has been published in Library Quarterly, Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Information and Learning Sciences, and Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, among others. She received her doctorate from University of Washington’s Information School. While working on her doctorate, she served as a lead researcher on two IMLS grants: Project LOCAL—which explored how libraries are using outreach programs to support children and families in underserved communities—and Project VIEWS2—which worked to establish the early literacy impact of public library storytimes. 

LEADERSHIP