About the Network

The purpose of the IRA CL/R SIG Network is to provide a mechanism for members around the world interested in children’s literature to communicate with one another so that we can work more concertedly in spreading awareness of children’s literature and ideas for using it to develop literacy.

The network concept, an idea of Kaye West (Anderson), was approved by the Board of Directors in 1997. At this time the first two of the three components are under active development:

• A website which describes our organization to members and potential members so they are empowered to use their creativity to fully participate in the group and assist in fulfilling its purposes,

• A Network Directory listing on our website members in the group with email addresses / websites in order that people can readily communicate with and take the initiative to collaborate with one another, and

• An unmonitored email Children’s Literature Listserve which anyone, anywhere, anytime (even nonmembers) can subscribe to in order to share information related to children’s literature and the development of literacy and to discuss ideas related to our common interests. (This feature will be added in the future.)

Membership in this SIG is required to be listed on the Network Directory, but everyone is welcome to use the information on the website and to use the Listserve.

[top]


Benefits to Joining the Network:
As a member of the Network, we recognize you as a leader for literacy via children’s literature. Our hope is to facilitate networking and collaborating among other such leaders near you. The more individuals who are listed on the Network Directory, the more possibilities there are for initiating and implementing projects in your area.

You can readily

• Contact others in your geographic area to collaborate on a common goal or problem area
• Become acquainted with others in your geographic area who have similar interests as you
• Encourage others to join this group so they can share their work and ideas
• Contact our Executive Committee, our Board of Directors, and Chairs / Members of various committees so that you can volunteer your talents and/or share your ideas and influence with them.

As a leader in your area, you are also invited to

• Volunteer to champion a suggested project related to children’s literature and share your results with us (see goals below)
• Make proposals to the Board of Directors to initiate projects, establish partnerships with other groups, etc.

And, when you establish your own website, tell us, and we will add a link to your website so that you can readily

• Advertise your programs, projects, and events
• Share your work immediately and in as much detail as you wish

There is more work which needs to be done than can be done by the officers, board members, and committee members. This is YOUR organization, and you are invited to help shape the implementation of our common purposes. As we learn to use the Network to our advantage, we will be able to do more than we ever dreamed of doing independently!

[top]


How to Join
To join, please send the following information to the Webmanager, Kaye West (kanders@csulb.edu):

• Name
• Institutional affiliation (if applicable)
• City and State
• Email address
• IRA Number and expiration date
• Dragon Lode expiration date (from mailing label, upper left-hand corner)
• URL of your personal / professional website (if you have one)

[top]


Ideas to Extend the Network

• Duplicate the Membership and Subscription Form and invite folks you know to join this SIG and/or subscribe to The Dragon Lode

• Organize an IRA State Special Interest Council (SIC) devoted to Children’s Literature.

• Read about other ideas of things YOU can do in YOUR situation to help enrich others’ lives by knowing about this group and the work we are collectively doing.

• Encourage everyone you know to sign up for our Children’s Literature ListServe –– an ongoing, unmonitored email chat experience regarding children’s literature open to anyone and absolutely free.

• More ideas.

[top]


Possible Future Goals

Working alone, all of the following are IMPOSSIBLE. But working together, we can accomplish much! Some possibilities include:

• Encourage social service organizations you know to purchase books from the Notable Books for a Global Society and Los Angeles’ 100 Best Books lists and donate them to schools in their area so every school has ready access to these outstanding books

• List / Link to Children’s Literature Festivals, Authors Conferences, University Children’s Literature Programs, historic sites, etc. in every state (or province, region, nation)

• List / Link to Young Reader Book Selection Programs and other state award programs related to children’s literature

• List / Link to Published Authors from each state

• Arrange for presenters in every state (province, region, nation) to share the most recent list of Notable Books for a Global Society at their state* IRA conference

• Arrange for presenters in every state (province, region, nation) to share the most recent list of Los Angeles’ 100 Best Books at their state* IRA conference

• Find someone in every state (province, region, nation) who will identify the children’s literature instructors (junior college and university level) in their state and encourage them to join our group

• Find someone in every state (province, region, nation) who will encourage every university library in their state* to subscribe to The Dragon Lode

• Find someone in every county in every state (province, region, nation) who will encourage every public library in their county to subscribe to The Dragon Lode

• Find someone in every school district who will encourage every school in their district to subscribe to The Dragon Lode

• Establish “topic watchers” of children’s literature who maintain an annotated book list related to a topic of their special interest and ways to use the books to develop literacy

[top]


How Can YOU Help?

Contact the Webmanager, Kaye West (kanders@csulb.edu), to discuss what YOU would like to do or share news of what you HAVE DONE!

No time to take on a big job? Perhaps you have a retired friend, a student, or relative who would be willing to do work which you supervise in exchange for mentoring (an interesting technique for expanding your outreach)

Place a high priority of doing ONE thing, even a very small one, each and every week. Fifty small things add up to something great in a year. If 10 people do that, the result is 500 small things; if 100 people do it, it results in 5,000 small things! If everyone would do a small part on a regular basis, together, we WILL accomplish these and other marvelous goals!

[top]