Content area

Full text

One of the many resources provided by ALSC is the opportunity to participate in We Are ALSC Chats. These informal Zoom conversations, led by ALSC committees, cover a variety of topics and give members and nonmembers the opportunity to build community. The chats occur two to three times per year.

While the chats are not recorded (so participants have the ability to speak freely), ALSC maintains an archive of resources from previous chats, including some PDFs with chat recaps. Past topics include

  • Getting Started with Serving Underserved Communities
  • Creating and Cultivating Welcoming Spaces
  • Self-Censorship
  • Virtual Programming
    • In March 2025, the Public Awareness and Advocacy (PAA) Committee hosted a We Are ALSC Chat on Identifying Community Stakeholders and Forming Partnerships. Our committee aims to promote awareness of the value of excellent library services to children and to provide information and tools to empower grassroots advocacy efforts on behalf of libraries, children, and families. In our PAA chat, we discussed the three Fs of partnerships—finding, forming, and fostering partnerships.

    Participants attended from school and public libraries around the country for an engaging conversation, discussing what has worked and what we have learned. To form a partnership, libraries can start by looking around their neighborhood for potential collaborations. The North Platte (NE) Public Library shares a parking lot with the local children’s museum, so this could lead to partnerships. Participants discussed different methods for finding partnership opportunities, and these focused on showing up in the community at PTA or City Council meetings to determine how the library can offer services or programming to benefit the...

    Show less