As the 2013 ALA Annual Conference gets underway in Chicago, librarians of every ilk are looking to make the most of their conference time by participating in programs and conversations that are important to the profession. We at Little eLit know one particular Conversation Starter we’d love to have you join at the conference.

Building A to Zoo for Apps: Time-tested librarian skills meet cutting edge technology for kids

Saturday, June 29, 2013 | 10:30-11:15 a.m.

McCormick Place Convention Center S102d

“We can’t afford to ignore digital content in the one institution most ideally set up to help the rest of society navigate the next few decades.” – Carisa Kluver, Digital-Storytime.com and Digital Media Diet founder.

Children’s librarians are now in the software design and app curation business. This panel will begin the discussion about why librarians are ideally poised to curate the children’s book-based and educational app space, build the tools to do so and provide leadership for early childhood educators, parents and children’s app developers on the use and development of interactive media for children.

Attendees at this interactive panel discussion will have the opportunity to share their concerns and hopes about how libraries can best use apps to support early learning, now and in the years to come.

Speakers:

• Lisa Guernsey, Director, Early Education Initiative at the New America Foundation and Author of Screen Time: How Electronic Media – From Baby Videos to Educational Software – Affects Your Young Child,
• Sarah Houghton, Director for the San Rafael Public Library and the Librarian in Black,
• Carisa Kluver, Founder of Digital-Storytime.com and the Digital Media Diet,
• Cen Campbell, Founder of LittleeLit.com, and LibrarianAPProved.com
• Board Members Allison Tran and Trista Kunkel