An Afternoon of Discussion and Katherine Applegate

Today I had the opportunity be a part of a discussion panel at the 2012 Children & Young People's Division (CYPD) Annual Conference in Indianapolis.  As presenters, I, along with a panel of eight fellow school librarians/media specialists from across the state sat before a room of public librarians and together shared our thoughts and concerns.  We talked about fiscal cutbacks, curriculum changes, staff reductions, and the wants and needs of our libraries which are the same, yet so different.  Most importantly, we talked about the students we are wanting to serve. Within that short hour, I learned that all of our goals are the same.  We want to be available to help our students gather the information and resources that they need to be successful, but we also realized that we need to team our efforts more effectively as a community to make an even stronger impact on their learning experience.

We were also fortunate to meet and greet keynote speaker and author Katherine Applegate, best known for her Animorphs series and her newest work, The One and Only Ivan.  It's a story written after Katherine learned the true story of the silverback gorilla who loved to fingerpaint.  He lived the first 27 years of his life in a small cage in a shopping mall in Tacoma, Washington, and his later years at the Atlanta zoo after a public outcry helped him to relocate. Sadly, the real Ivan died just this past Tuesday at the age of 50. Ivan is a story of friendship, art, and hope. I can't wait to share this with my students! 

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