• iREAD will introduce the 2024 summer program Read, Renew, Repeat with a webinar on November 3, 2:00pm-3:00pm. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GNLlSml9QxKq4XLCEsL00Q#/registration . This webinar will be recorded and available for later viewing.

• The 2024 Resource Guide will be available for download in November. Each public library will receive a code for accessing the guide.

• OLIS will provide public libraries with free iREAD themed posters and bookmarks. Look for a request form later this year.
  

• The iREAD online store is now open with 2024 themed items that libraries may purchase at their own cost, https://www.ireadprogram.org/store

• Learn more about the 2024 artists and find the PSA at https://www.ireadprogram.org/resources/summer-2024-read-renew-repeat
• iREAD is looking for 2025 Resource Guide Team Volunteers and submissions for the 2025 resource guide. All RI library staff are invited to participate and contribute.
  

Friday, November 17

10:00am-4:00pm

Join your neighbors for the annual New England Teen Summit! Library staff throughout New England are invited to this free, virtual event focused on teen services. Author Tiffany D. Jackson will kick off a day of sessions designed to help library staff reimagine teen programs, collections, and engagement.

RI DEM educators have created a new habitat focused kit for RI libraries. The Home Sweet Habitat kit includes activities and hands-on materials for facilitating programs about the state's forest habitats.

Request the Home Sweet Home Rhody Critter Kit at https://olis-ri.libcal.com/equipment/item/163464

Don't have time to participate in the Kid Reading Across RI committee, but have a few favorite books to recommend? Use the form below to suggest up to three books for 2024 consideration. The form will be open through December 1 and you may submit as many forms as you like.

Is teen mental health something you are thinking about? Would you like to gain skills in building positive teen well-being? As a part of the IMLS-funded Nourishing Minds initiative, The Seattle Public Library is seeking six U.S. public libraries to participate in a series of activities over the next year that will give library staff the opportunity to:

• Build strategies for proactively creating services in support of teen mental health
• Move away from a crisis approach to teen mental health
• Attend a series of participatory design training sessions and build skills in support of teen mental health
• Receive coaching from Meridian Library District (ID) and Charles County Public Library (MD) staff
• Facilitate a programming series in support of teen mental health and library space that support teen mental health

Those selected to participate will receive a $6000 stipend to use in support of learning about and providing services in support of teen mental health.

Onboarding of selected library staff begins in November 2023, learning sessions for selected staff will begin in early 2024, and libraries selected will facilitate their mental health centered programs from February through July 2024.

The Civic Engagement Series is a new panel discussion featuring Rhode Islanders who use their time and talent to create space for all of us to engage civically in unique ways. This inaugural event is centered around Storytelling as a form of civic engagement. The panel will feature Tina Cane, Rhode Island Poet Laureate, Marta Martinez of Nuestras Racies, and Val Tutson of Rhode Island Black Storytellers, and be moderated by Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore.

Date and time: Wednesday, October 11 5:30pm-7:30pm

Parking: Free parking is available in the large lower legislative lot next to the State House.

Location: The State Library is located the second floor the State House, directly above the Smith Street entrance of the Rhode Island State House (82 Smith Street, Room 208, 82 Smith Street, Providence).

The Rhode Island Festival of Children's Books and Authors is taking place on Saturday, October 14th, from 9 - 5, at Lincoln School in Providence with a star studded line up. There will be 30 minute author presentations and book signings. We will also have food trucks, The Rhode Island Black Storytellers, glitter tattoo artists, Ricky Rainbow Beard, Music Together with Miss Jen and so much more!

Teachers and librarians are invited to kick off the festival on Friday, October 13th with a panel discussion on Banned Books.The panel will feature three award-winning authors: Anika Aldamuy Denise, Shannon Hale, and Grace Lin, along with school librarians Lisa Girard, and Marianne Mirando. Beatrice Pulliam, Director of Director of Technology and Information Services will round out the panel with Cheryl Space, Library Director of the Community Libraries of Providence, leading the discussion. Admission to this event is $5 per person or $10 per family, granting access to both the Friday night panel and the Book Festival on Saturday. Early reservations is encouraged as seating is limited. Books will be available for purchase and authors will sign 5:00pm to 6:45pm. The panel discussion will run from 7:00pm to 8:00pm and the Rocket food truck will be on-site from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.

Write Rhode Island is a short fiction competition for Rhode Island students in grades 7-12. The competition is open to all public, private, parochial or home-school students. Winners in various categories by grade level will receive prizes, awards, and an opportunity to be published.

Attached is a flyer for you to hang up and distribute.

As part of the program instructors can be provided to lead workshops like "Introduction to Fiction" and "Jumpstart Your Story" and "Ghost Stories" to get students excited to write a story. Workshops for 7-12th graders can be scheduled as stand-alone or multi-week series at your library. Workshops can be after-school, evenings, weekends.

If you'd like to host a workshop please contact Diana Champa at dianac@school-one.org.

I’m Your Neighbor Books is honored to partner with the publisher Child’s Play Inc. and the nonprofit Welcoming America to offer a free StoryWalk designed to create conversations on immigrant welcoming and belonging. I’m Your Neighbor Books and Welcoming America are two nonprofits that care deeply about creating spaces where immigrants are welcomed and where we all belong. I’m Your Neighbor Books does this work with children’s book engagement and has long admired the Spanish/English bilingual picture book Nieve en la jungla/Snow in the Jungle. The book explores the emotions of the character Nieve/Snow who has migrated to a new place, language, culture, and (hopefully!) to a new group of friends. Each of the Bienvenida e Integración/Welcoming & Belonging StoryWalk® signs has not only a page from the book; but also a bilingual conversation starter. Learn more and download the StoryWalk® at https://imyourneighborbooks.org/projects/storywalk/