2026 ILA Conference

This session is designed for both school librarians and children's services librarians who want to transform the upcoming Goldfinch Award and Iowa Children's Choice Award book lists into engaging experiences. Participants will explore adaptable storytimes, programs, and lesson plans aligned to next year's award titles. The session will include time for guided exploration of sample plans as well as a hands-on, creative work period in which participants can collaboratively design new programming ideas to take back to their libraries. These activities are intended to spark anticipation for reading, elevate visibility of award titles, and create a shared literary experience that bridges school and public libraries.

Participants are welcome to engage at a level that feels most comfortable: observing, participating actively, or moving between the two. The session emphasizes collegial collaboration, idea-sharing, and practical takeaways that can be immediately implemented.

Attendees will be able to identify strategies for using children’s choice literature to build anticipation and highlight new library materials. Apply collaborative approaches that bridge school and public library services through shared literary programming.