Tag Archives: SOIS

DU in Italy: SOIS Students at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair

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In early April, an intrepid group of SOIS students set off on a trek across the globe in search of the newest and best literature for young people. Sounds exciting, right? Well, it is! New books and gelato around every corner. Getting to meet world famous authors and stuff yourself with tortellini. Learning from and with a group of passionate book-people and exploring a new country with your colleagues.

Maybe you’ll join us in 2027? Here’s what you can expect…

Exploring Bologna: Gorgeous Bologna is the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and home to the oldest university in the world (University of Bologna was founded in 1088!). Known as the Fat City (for mouthwatering food), the Red City (for the red-tiled roofs and leftist politics), and the Learned City (for the university), Bologna has something for everyone’s tastes. Explore the endless list of restaurants and markets, but be sure to try the tortellini or Bolognese that the region is known for. Wander the very-walkable city for amazing architectural sites spanning from the Etruscans to modern times. The stunning Biblioteca Salborsa (main library) and associated city government buildings are some of my favorite spots to explore. Or spend your first day in one (or many) of the free museums dotting the city—occupying your mind and belly is a great way to fight the first day jet lag!

Small cup of green gelato
Vegan pistachio gelato–yum!
Libreria Per Raggazi, Bologna (my favorite children’s book store in the city.)
This excavation is hiding right under the main library, with ruins going back to the the 1st century BC.

Excursion to Florence: Bologna is a great jumping off point to explore the region. In past years, DU students have ventured to Modena, Verona, Florence, Ravenna, and more. This year, the group decided on a day in Florence to explore museums, gardens, churches, and more. The ItaliaRail express train gets you there in just 37 minutes and gives plenty of time to get your 20,000 steps in before heading back to Bologna.

A visit to the Pitti Palace
Famous sandwiches of Italy 🙂
View of Florence from the Boboli Gardens

BCBF Day 1: Then to the main event—book fair day. The class joined thousands of book industry professionals in a celebration and exploration of kid lit from around the world for the 63rd year of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. Did you know nearly 40% of all international kid’s book rights are bought and sold right here? The scope and scale of the event are massive, spanning five halls of the sprawling Bologna Fiere conference complex. Day one highlights include: the lovely opening ceremonies, early childhood reading experiences through play and fairytales, and a fantastic program focusing on children’s reading habits from around the world (and what we can learn from each other’s data).

BCBF Day 2: More to see and do with the global community of book lovers! The fair includes awards, programming, author and illustrator presentations, visual showcases, and publisher booths (for showing off and the buying/selling of international book rights). Day two highlights include: the new BBPLUS AI Summit, programming focused on reading promotion, and Jacqueline Woodson’s in conversation with Maria Russo on “The Global Majority and the Future of International Children’s Publishing.”                                                      

Some familiar DU faces at an early literacy event.

Individual travel: SOIS students branched out on their own this year too, exploring Rome and Venice on their free day or before/after the official class travel. If you’re already headed to Italy, you should check some extra things off the bucket list while you’re traveling, right?

Sneak Peek at 2027: Keep an eye out for an official Information Session in Fall 2026 to discuss the Spring 2027 course, including coursework, itinerary, associated costs, and more. And save the date for travel—BCBF 2027 will take place April 5-8, 2027, with Poland as the guest of honor country. Are you an SOIS alum or interested in participating as a student at large? Reach out to butler@dom.edu with questions. Arrivederci, friends!

ALA Annual 2023—Sweet Home Chicago Edition

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Believe it or not, this is the first time I’ve attended the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago (more or less where the Butler Center lives–check out the links to find us). I’m used to catching a flight and totally submersing myself in a new town and new experience. This year was not that! It was lovely to explore some Chicago hot spots and then end up in my own bed after a long day of conferencing, even if it did mean fighting Chicago rush hour traffic—yikes! Balancing a conference and home schedule over Annual weekend—also yikes!

Opening Session with Judy Blume—fangirl sigh…

Judy Blume was nothing less than a delight. But her sweet demeanor masks a passionate advocate for books and literacy, and a sharp wit focused on connecting kids with books no matter the challenge. In conversation with S&S executive Justin Chanda, she enchanted the audience with stories from her illustrious career, including her first experience with her own books being challenged (by her children’s principal, no less) and teaching the young actresses from the new Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret movie how to do the exercise. Her thoughts on book challenges coming from a place of fear will stay with me long after this year’s event.

DU SOIS Table

In a hometown twist, I was able to spend time at Dominican’s School of Information Studies booth. I’ve never been on the other side of the table at ALA and it was a great change of perspective. The chance to visit with DU alumni (I spoke with a librarian that graduated from (then) Rosary College the year I was born!) and potential MLIS and PhD candidates was a thrill. ALA is a bit of a captive audience of those that support libraries, therefore something of a weekend-long love song to librarians and library school.

DU Alumni

And I didn’t just chat up DU alumni at our booth. The exhibit floor was teeming former SOIS students as vendors, speakers, and attendees. Be sure I’ll connect with many of them to participate in Butler Center and SOIS events in the future. Another benefit of the Chicago setting—enough alumni to plan a party! SOIS gathered at Fatpour Tap Works, across from the convention center, to unwind and reconnect after a long day of learning and working. Good food, good company, and good networking for all!

Conference Sessions—Book Banning

There was a definite, though not intentional, theme to my sessions this year. As you might expect, book banning was the topic of the conference. From Judy Blume, to Alexi Giannoulias (IL Secretary of State), to Ellen Oh (WNDB), nearly every session I attended touched on book banning in some way, shape, or form. The American Association of School Librarians hosted an especially emotional and thought-provoking panel for their Freedom to Read Ambassadors. An author, academic, and several librarians discussed their experiences with book banners and the support they needed and received through some heartbreaking professional and personal trials. Their commentary on the stories they are trying to protect and the young readers they are championing were truly inspiring.

New Books

And, despite my best efforts to be circumspect in my book haul, I brought home so many fabulous books for the BCLC collections. Signed copies, new picture books, ARCs galore, and SO MANY tote bags. Thank you to all our amazing publishers (and a few new publishing friends) for all the goodies and your ongoing support of BCLC and libraries–we appreciate your partnership! If you’re in the area, stop in to see the new collection additions and maybe I’ll share some swag. Puppet anyone?

Hope to see you all next year in San Diego, CA at #ALAAC24!

Will We See You in Peoria?

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Headed to Peoria for the Illinois Library Association Annual Conference?
Want to connect with us while you’re there?

Screenshot-2018-10-4 Annual Conference

Visit us in the ILA Exhibits— you’ll find DU in the Peoria Civic Center at booth 214. Stop by to chat about what’s going on with Dominican, the SOIS program, and the Butler Center.

OR

Meet up at the Dominican iSchool Alumni Reception. Join fellow Dominican grads and prospective Dominican grads for a chat, a snack, and some networking. You’ll find us on Tuesday, October 9, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. in the Cheminee Ballroom in the Marriott Pere Marquette Hotel.

Better yet, try both. Hope to see you there!

Jen Clemons
Curator, Butler Children’s Literature Center