The Massachusetts Library System is pleased to announce that we have contracted with PCI Webinars to provide our members with access to their live webinars.  These webinars are free to MLS members who register through our calendar. Please do not register directly with PCI. Members who register directly with PCI are responsible for paying their registration fee. 

Please help us keep MLS sponsored training free for all members. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, please cancel your registration. A cancellation link can be found in your confirmation email, or you may contact Sarah Donnelly at sdonnelly@masslibsystem.org to cancel. 

Because we are working with an outside vendor, it is important that you cancel your registration in the event that you are unable to attend the live webinar.  A recording of the webinar will be available on the PCI Webinars Niche Academy website about a week after the live webinar.  If you have any issues registering or signing into the PCI Webinars Niche Academy website, please let us know.  Please do not contact PCI Webinars or Niche Academy directly about their live webinars or webinar recordings.

Description

Looking for inspiration for your next storytime, library, or display? Join us for an energetic tour of the best picture books published in 2025. From laugh-out-loud adventures to creative works of art, this presentation features stories that spark joy, prompt reflection, and celebrate one another’s experiences.

Whether for classrooms, storytimes, or family reading, you’ll leave ready to refresh your programs and collections with new gems that showcase the beauty of illustration and embody the heart of storytelling.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

• Build a “go-to” list of the year’s top read-alouds and visual standouts.
• Gather ideas for using these titles in programming, curriculum, collection development, reader’s advisory, and family engagement.
• Learn simple ways to evaluate picture books.
• Discover new authors and illustrators who reflect today’s diverse world.

Presenter

Katie Clausen holds an MLIS from Dominican University and an MA in Children’s Literature from Simmons College. She has held positions across multiple public library systems, both large to small, in various leadership roles. Katie has presented widely on children’s literature, storytelling, and fairy-tale studies, with her writing featured in Children & Libraries and Marvels & Tales. She is a current PhD candidate in Information Studies at Dominican University.

Please note: Registration through the link below is limited to staff at Massachusetts Library System member libraries. Registrations for anyone who does not work at an MLS member library will not be honored by PCI.