Caldecott Flash Mob at ALA

Two years ago at ALA in New Orleans, librarians joined together to participate in a flash mob freeze to advocate for libraries. It was an incredible moment of community engagement and spontaneous joy. You can watch it here. 

This year the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is celebrating 75 years of the Caldecott Award, the award for the most prestigious picture book. In a time when the value of picture books is challenged and when access to these formative reading materials is still limited for many children, I think it's an opportunity to support picture books and advocate for their importance in children's - and our - lives. 

With your help and participation, I would like to create a Caldecott flash mob + sing-a-long at ALA. 

I have created a song called "Read Caldecotts From our Libraries," which you can hear here. Together we can sing the song and show everyone how much we heart picture books. Caldecott cosplay is appreciated (think tiny hats, carrots galore, anything green, penguin pendants, tiger print, and yarn), but dressing up is not required. All we need is enthusiasm, a willingness to sing (or lip-sync if that's your thing), and a love of literacy. This is also a chance to meet other awesome librarians who share the same passion for picture books. I'll provide signs, Caldecott merch for anyone who joins, and together we'll have an unforgettable experience. I have created a Google doc for those interested in signing up to manage the signs for specific verses, as well as documenting this event. The lyrics are also included. You can access it at http://bit.ly/11EnsSa. 

The Caldecott flash mob is scheduled for Sunday, June 30. Participants should meet up outside the exhibit hall (which will be in the south building) at 8:30 to start the flashmob at 8:45. 
The exhibit hall opens at 9:00, which makes this a perfect time to get the message across.

This is a collaborative event so please invite your friends and share any ideas you have to make this flash mob amazing. 

You can join the Facebook event here.