Award-winning author Maggie Anton will speak about the research behind her best-selling Rashi’s Daughters trilogy, set in the household of the great medieval Talmud scholar who had no sons, only daughters. Among the topics she discusses: What was life like for Jewish women in 11th century France? Were Rashi’s daughters really learned? Did they really wear tefillin? Why should a 21st century Jew want to read about Rashi and his daughters anyway?

Presented by Maggie Anton at the 2010 AJL Convention in Seattle, WA.

38 min 37 sec

With the new American Girl series, Rebecca Rubin, author Jacqueline Dembar Greene researched Ashkenazi Russian Jewish immigrant life in New York City during the early 1900s. Her picture book, The Secret Shofar of Barcelona, and her classic novels, Out of Many Waters and One Foot Ashore, draw on Sephardic history. Ms. Greene will talk about how the different historical events were turned into fiction for young readers, and how the books introduce readers to Jewish history.

Presented by Jacqueline Dembar Greene at the 2010 AJL Convention in Seattle, WA.

47 min 21 sec

Working in a Judaica library, whether in a synagogue, a day school, or a school of higher learning, requires special knowledge and skills in addition to those offered in library school. Where does one acquire those special skills in Judaica Librarianship? One would imagine in a graduate program in library science. However, such is not the case. Over the years, there have been attempts to teach a course or two in Judaica Librarianship in various library schools. Unfortunately, in every case, the course offerings did not go beyond the pilot program stage. Why? Through interviews with librarians in the field, literature review, informal discussions, and through feedback on Ha-safran (AJL’s listserv), this roundtable attempts to offer several ideas for professional development in Judaica Librarianship, as well as present a short history of Judaica Librarianship course work. We also see this as a means to stimulate interest in Judaica and Jewish libraries for our non-Jewish colleagues.

Presented by Haim Gottschalk and Nancy Poole at the 2010 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Seattle, WA.

25 min 42 sec

Nathan Friend, a Carbon Coach from Seattle Climate Action Now, calculates our carbon footprints and helps us put together a carbon reduction plan for home, work and on the road. Seattle Climate Action Now is a City-led effort grounded in partnerships with businesses, organizations and individuals throughout Seattle, who recognize that global warming isn’t just a problem for future generations to worry about.

Nathan Friend gave this presentation at the 2010 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Seattle, WA.

20 min 26 sec

Barak Gale shares some stories about Jews taking stands for the Earth and will discuss some of the profound texts in our Torah, Midrash, and Kabbalistic literature that speak to our current environmental crisis. The impacts of global warming and why wilderness preservation is critical will also be discussed. Where are we as a Torah-centered community, and what sustainable actions can we commit to in order to support our age-old yearning for tikkun olam?

Barak Gale made this presentation at the Association of Jewish Libraries 2010 convention in Seattle, WA.

36 min 26 sec

Talk about niche! The newest kid on the literary journal block, Drash: Northwest Mosaic, tilts towards Northwest and Jewish themes. Yet, its particular bent has intrigued a growing international audience of readers and submitters, building a community of diverse religions, locations, and literary styles. Who starts a literary journal in these perilous publishing times and is this good for the Jews? Drash editor Wendy Marcus holds forth about the first three years of this literary start-up, and how and why Drash readings are life-affirming experiences, cultivating readers and writers, and providing connection in these troubled, overly technological times.

Presented by Wendy Marcus, Tom Buchanan, Michael Schein, and Mary Paynter Sherwin at the 2010 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Seattle, WA.

39 min 11 sec

Author Pnina Moed Kass lives and writes in Israel. In this presentation she provides a writer’s overview of the current literary scene in Israel and discusses books as creative reflections and expressions of the cultural life in Israel. Her talk focuses on adult books written in Hebrew and translated into English.

Pnina Moed Kass gave this presentation at the 2010 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Seattle, WA.

43 min 31 sec

Above: L-R Jacqueline Jules, Robin Friedman, Margarita Engle, April Halprin Wayland

Below: L-R Joan Schoettler with STMA committee chair Aileen Grossberg

The Sydney Taylor Book and Manuscript Awards are sponsored by Jo Taylor Marshall. The 2010 winners were honored at the Awards Banquet at the 45th annual AJL Convention in Seattle, WA on July 6, 2010. The winners are:

Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Younger Readers: New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story by April Halprin Wayland, with illustrations by Stéphane Jorish

Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Older Readers: The Importance of Wings by Robin Friedman

Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Teen Readers: Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Margarita Engle

Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award Winner: On the Run by Joan Schoettler

NOTE: Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category, Jacqueline Jules (Benjamin and the Silver Goblet) was present at the banquet and was also acknowledged at that time.

32 min 46 sec

As we’ve all made the transition into an increasingly digital world, we’ve developed new practice, updated some old favorites, and perhaps bid farewell to some tools and ideas we no longer find useful. Let’s spend a little while thinking about how library work has changed, how it hasn’t, and maybe what comes next.

Joseph Janes is Associate Professor at the Information School of the University of Washington. A frequent speaker in the US and abroad, he was the Founding Director of the Internet Public Library and the co-author of eight books on librarianship, technology, and their relationship, and he writes the “Internet Librarian” column for American Libraries magazine. He gave this presentation as the keynote address at the 2010 AJL Convention in Seattle, WA.

33 min 25 sec

This session highlights ways in which Jewish children’s books and their authors and illustrators are being promoted using the Internet, and how communities of people are engaging in the conversation about Jewish literature. It will demystify social media and identify ways in which real people, particularly the Digital Natives (people that have grown up not knowing a time before the Internet) are talking, sharing, and making a difference for Judaica using the Internet. Presented by blogger, podcaster, and digital public affairs strategist Mark Blevis.

1 hr 4 min 50 sec

Once upon a time there were librarians who could really make Jewish stories come alive for the yeladim (children) in their libraries; they could “lift the story off the page.” They could read books as well as tell stories with skill, passion and joy, making children want to read and learn MORE. This workshop, presented by storyteller Susan Stone, has the happy ending of bringing these joyful skills to your own library!

1 hr 10 min 16 sec

Presented at the 2009 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Chicago, IL by Anna Levine, author of numerous Jewish books for children and teens, including the 2009 Sydney Taylor Honor Book for Teen Readers, Freefall, and the 2009 Notable Book for Younger Readers, Jodie’s Hanukkah Dig.

44 min 47 sec

The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. The award memorializes Sydney Taylor, author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family series.

April Halprin Wayland and Stephane Jorisch, author and illustrator of New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story, Robin Friedman, author of The Importance of Wings, and Margarita Engle, author of Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba, are the 2010 winners of the prestigious Sydney Taylor Book Award.

The winners were revealed at the 2010 council meeting of the Association of Jewish Libraries in January, 2010 in Manhattan, NY. Awards chair Kathe Pinchuck made the official announcement, and then shared her thoughts on this year’s winners.

Click here for the press release about the 2010 winners.

Click here for the complete list of 2010 awards, honors, and notable books.

17 min 02 sec

This session included two sections.

The Power of the Buzz: Libraries and Word of Mouth Marketing, presented by Peggy Barber of Library Communication Strategies and Judy Hoffman, Marketing Specialist at North Suburban Library System.

Learn how to harness the power of personal communication to raise your library’s profile to new heights. The tols for success won’t cost you a dime: a good plan, responsive customer service and simple well-crafted messages.

From Wish List to Reality: Preparations for Library Fundraising, presented by Barbara Kemmis of the American Theological Library Association and Lorraine H. Olley of the Univeristy of Saint Mary of the Lake

Librarians almost always have a longer list of projects to fun, as well as collections and other things to buy, than annual budgets can cover. Participants will learn the skills and processes necessary to move from wish lists to securing special funds.

This session was presented at the 2009  Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Chicago, IL.

1 hr 6 min 47 sec

At each year’s AJL convention, members of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee participate in a panel presentation to discuss the best and worst of recent Jewish literature for children and teens. In this podcast, you can hear members Susan Berson, Barbara Bietz, Kathy Bloomfield, Debbie Colodny, Rachel Kamin, and Kathe Pinchuck sharing their delight and dismay over juvenile Judaica published during 2008, reviewed while seeking the winners of the 2009 Sydney Taylor Book Award.

This panel was presented at the 2009 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Chicago, IL.

1 hr 33 min 02 sec

Author Richard Michelson and illustrator Raul Colon won the 2009 Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Younger Readers category for As Good As Anybody: Martin Luther King and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Amazing March Toward Freedom. They had the opportunity to present their book to an appreciative audience at the Association of Jewish Libraries annual convention on July 7, 2009 in Chicago, IL.

46 min 30 sec

Author Karen Hesse won the 2009 Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Older Readers category for Brooklyn Bridge. She had the opportunity to present her book to an appreciative audience at the Association of Jewish Libraries annual convention on July 7, 2009 in Chicago, IL.

29 min 10 sec

Judaism has a built-in mechanism for coming-of-age, but are there ways that contemporary books for middle and high school readers deal with Jewish girls’ development in addition to or beyond the Bat Mitzvah ceremony? How has the Bat Mitzvah been positively and negatively portrayed in recent books? What are the pressures that Jewish tweens, teens, and young women face and how does the current body of literature address or contribute to the conflicting messages about beauty, body image, and self-esteem that are prevalent in our society?

June Cummins is an Associate Professor in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at San Diego State University, where she specializes in children’s literature and Jewish-American Literature. She gave this presentation at the 2009 Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Chicago.

32 min 20 sec

Followers of children’s literature have recently witnessed an unusual amount of illustrated books about the Holocaust being published. Along with the many narratives and memoirs for older readers, there is a large subgroup of supposedly simple picture books that are being offered to a younger crowd. After taking a look at almost everything about the Holocaust published in picture book format, one could come to the conclusion that children these days are seemingly prepared to absorb much of the horrors of 20th century at a tender age. Clearly this subject cannot be hidden from children who hear references to it often, but perhaps the bibliography discussed in this presentation will be of some assistance to teachers, librarians and booksellers who are at a loss as to which of thses pictrue books are most appropriate for various age groups, grades 4 through high school.

Presented by Lisa Silverman of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.

Click here for Lisa’s bibliography of books mentioned in the presentation.

Click here for Lisa’s article in School Library Journal, “Bearing Witness Through Picture Books” March 2007.

1 hr 7 min 10 sec

How do librarians enhance the level of collaboration with classroom teachers? Deborah Lazar and Pam Strom believe the core of collaboration is the development of relationships. They will talk about the theory and practice of collaboration and offer suggesions on how to develop relationships with the teachers in your building. They will also share examples of successful collaborative projects in which they and other New Trier High School librarians have partnered (including the incorporation of Web 2.0 tools across the curriculum).

Deborah Lazar and Pam Strom are librarians at New Trier High School in Northfield, IL. They gave this presentation at the Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Chicago, IL on July 6, 2009.

45 min 24 sec