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http://fpg.unc.edu/resources/baby-talk-archive

This is a free, one-way listserv that is focused on "resources to support the people who work with infants and toddlers." It condenses new, interesting, useful, reputable, and/or important information such as research findings and activity ideas into manageable chunks that link to longer articles. The email newsletter format is useful in that content is delivered to you rather than a reader having to seek it out or comb through large amounts if web content. It synthesizes content from a number of sources and can also be easily transformed into a flyer or handout for library patrons.

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Association of Library Service to Children

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Association of Library Service to Children

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http://www.ala.org/alsc/

ALSC is the "world's largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children."  ALSC's network "includes more than 4,000 children's and youth librarians, children's literature experts, publishers, education and library school faculty members, and other adults dedicated to creating a better future for children through libraries." Because ALSC is focused on children's librarianship, early literacy is necessarily a fundamental part of its mission. Supporting children's informational needs and growing them as readers are priorities. Babies Need Words Every Day is an initiative of ALSC that involves free, shareable, high-quality resources for librarians to disseminate in their communities to promote early literacy.

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http://www.earlylit.net

This early literacy expert's site includes information on Every Child Ready to Read, an initiative of The Public Library Association (PLA) and Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)'s "to focus on educating parents and caregivers of children newborn to age five on early literacy so that they can help their children enter school ready to learn to read." This program must be paid for and ordered by libraries, but this site can guide librarians in deciding whether the program fits their needs, and knowing how to best employ it. This site also includes research, professional development resources (online trainings), storytime resources (including exact wording for "early literacy asides" to say to parents during storytime that are paired with specific books), and guidance on how to create early literacy physical environments in libraries. This site is rooted in research and is useful for drawing a clear connection between scientific research findings related to early literacy and how to embody them in the library.

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https://iowareadingresearch.org/resources/web

This is a research-based collection of resources focused on children and reading.  There is a section on early literacy that includes articles, videos, booklists, tip sheets, and more.  This, as the name implies, is a great place to gain knowledge about the science and research behind early literacy and child development in order to form a firm foundation to scaffold your library programming. It is in-depth, local, reputable, and covers a wide array of topics of interest to anyone invested in children and reading.

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https://storytimekatie.com

This is a blog filled with early literacy programming information and inspiration, including "baby bundles early literacy kits," which are circulating boxes of books, sensory toys and activities, and activity sheets.  The information given is based on child development research and documented early literacy needs.  It is accessible, updated frequently, and useful.

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https://jbrary.com/category/storytime-resources/

This is a blog and YouTube channel that started as a project done by two children's librarians when they were MLS students, and has become a wealth of resources for early literacy programming.  The creators call it their way "to participate in the virtual youth services world." Here a librarian can find professional development resources; videos of songs, rhymes and fingerplays used in programs; booklists; storytime guides; blank outlines to use for planning storytimes for different age groups; and more. This site is is a veritable treasure trove of tried-and-true early literacy activities, all based in sound research on child development and early literacy needs.

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http://www.readingrockets.org

Launching Young Readers is a PBS video series that "explores reading and writing development in young children." This is one of several useful resources that again contribute to becoming knowledgeable about child development, the importance of building early literacy skills, and how early literacy skills are formed. Building this firm foundation of knowledge allows children's librarians to pass on important information to parents in a concise and accessible way and also to plan programming and select resources for young patrons that support the development of early literacy skills. This site includes research as well as practical suggestions for sharing early literacy activities, such as "hints on how to read aloud to a group."

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http://iowacity.citymomsblog.com

"Passionate about Iowa City and the moms who live here," ICMB seeks to create connections between and among Iowa City moms, as well as introduce Iowa City moms to all the community has to offer.  I selected this resource, which may seem at first not to fit, because it's very important for those librarians planning early literacy programming and services to be tuned in to the community.  This blog is a good way to connect with the targeted clientele for these programs, gain ideas for presenters for programs, and gain insight into what this population values and needs.

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https://icpl.beanstack.org/reader365

This is an interactive early literacy program that invites parents to track each book they read to their child, with the goal of 1,000 books read before kindergarten.  Titles can be tracked online, or a paper bookmark can be given at signup at the library where boxes are checked for each reading.  Prizes are given as each 250 milestone is reached, including a bookplate with the child's name placed inside a library book as that child's "legacy."  The mission of this program is:

to promote reading to newborns, infants, and toddlers

to encourage parent and child bonding through reading

This resource was chosen because it is a high-quality program that has been used successfully for years at ICPL, and provides a good connection between home and library: beyond just bringing a child to storytime, parents can continue the learning at home. The ICPL site this links to includes not just the 1,0000 BBK signup, but also booklists, summer reading program sign-up, and a library events calendar, and so provides an even more extensive connection between the early literacy activities done at home and appropriate library resources.

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https://www.zerotothree.org

A clearinghouse for research and information on all things regarding the very young, this site also contains a prominent section on early literacy  specifically.  For a background in the science and research regarding infant and toddler development and learning, so that activities planned may coalesce with the latest research, this is an excellent resource.  There are concrete suggestions for how to implement this research authentically, often in the form of short, accessible videos that present information visually.  A goal of this site is "providing professionals with knowledge and tools that help them support healthy early development," and this information can be passed on to parents and caregivers through the activities you go on to plan using other resources.