Consultation on Children’s/Youth Issues

NEKLS consultants are available to assist library staff members with any questions or concerns regarding youth services. Mickey Coalwell is the primary consultant for children and young adult issues and for school library issues. This assistance can include guidance with children’s programming, collection development, library policy, room arrangement for children’s areas, or other needs. Contact Mickey Coalwell at the NEKLS office (888-296-6963) or by e-mail at mcoalwell (at) nekls.org.

NEKLS staff members recognize the importance of providing training to library personnel who work with children, and offer workshops focused on assisting youth service librarians at all major continuing education events. Please feel free to suggest topics that you feel would be of interest to children’s librarians for inclusion in future seminars.

Programming for young children will continue to be an important focus of NEKLS continuing education, but the definition of youth services has been expanded to include the needs of children through their middle and high school years. NEKLS strives to offer continuing education designed to meet the unique challenges of providing library services to this age group as well.

Summer Reading Program

The NEKLS Children’s Consultants participate in the planning of the Statewide Summer Reading Program, including the selection of theme and materials. NEKLS and the State Library help to fund themed materials for the program, and distribute them to local libraries.

The annual Summer Reading Workshop provides an opportunity for member librarians to meet and share ideas for the coming summer’s program. A committee of NEKLS librarians provides input on content and format of the workshop which is usually planned for late February.

NEKLS will reimburse libraries up to $250 for Summer Reading presenter mileage accrued between May 15 and August 31. Libraries should submit a consolidated reimbursement request to NEKLS, along with substantiating documentation, no later than September 15. Performer mileage reimbursement claims cannot exceed the current Federal mileage reimbursement rate per travel mile.

2010 Summer Performer Mileage Reimbursement

Summer Institute for School Librarians

Every summer, NEKLS partners with the School of Library and Information Management at Emporia State University to hold a two-day seminar for school librarians in Kansas and surrounding states. The 2010 Summer Institute has already been held. See the Summer Institute page for more information about this year’s event.