I would like to tell you about an exciting program that I am involved with at the upcoming ALA conference in New Orleans. It is called “The Power of Play” and will be taking place on Saturday, June 25, 2011 from 4:00pm – 5:30pm in Convention Center Room 344.

This program is sponsored by ALSC. The description reads: “Play is a powerful learning tool, yet today’s children get significantly less play time than their parents had. Although research supports the value of play, schools have been cutting recess from their schedules and parents seem to prefer programmed time rather than free time for their children. Hear about research that supports therapeutic and developmental opportunities offered through play and learn ways to integrate play into library programs for children of all ages. In addition, hear about the value of inclusive play for children with and without disabilities.”

The presenters are:

Carrie Banks, Director, The Child’s Place for Children with Special Needs at the Brooklyn Public Library
Christy Burgess Estrovitz, Early Literacy Specialist, San Francisco Public Library
Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen, Library Programming Consultant, Mother Goose on the Loose, LLC
Tess Prendergast, Children’s Librarian, Early Years Community Program, Vancouver Public Library

Please join us for this program!
Betsy