ALL - Building a Home Library for Literacy

ALL - Adult Lifelong Learning

*** Program registration and payment required ***

Building a Home Library for Literacy
Thursday, October 24 & 31 at 2:00 pm

Session One: From the classics to Captain Underpants, literature for youth has seen big changes in the last 100 years! What we read is tied to why we read, and this first session will go over a little bit of history, a little child development, and some of the specific skills that reading builds from birth through 
adulthood.

Session Two: We will talk about trends in publishing, changes in literacy instruction, and how to find great books to fit the kids and teens in your family. We’ll even talk a little bit about AI chatbots like ChatGPT, and how they will affect the literature landscape.

Each 1.5hr course led by:
Whittney Mahle, who has been with the Marion Public Library for 16 years where she has served in a number of roles from Reference Librarian, to now managing the Youth Services Department. 
Growing up in rural Ohio, books were her gateway to a world of experiences not otherwise available. She spent many very happy hours growing up with Anne of Green Gables, visiting other 
planets with Rod Albright, and laughing with the children of Wayside School. Now, her focus is helping families find great books that they will enjoy, in the same way her childhood library did for her.

Whittney will be assisted in these sessions by two of our marvelous Youth Services librarians. Danielle Underhill joined MPL in 2021 and can often be found delighting children in story times. She is a whiz at Canva, and creating engaging crafts for families, and keeps on top of the newest popular chapter books. Danielle Tanner, our Teen Librarian, has been with the library since 2016. Her escape rooms and D&D/tabletop gaming programs have a dedicated following and she is a wonderful resource for 
tweens and teens navigating our collections.