- Registration is required for this event.
- Registration will close on April 14, 2026 @ 10:00am.
Program Description
Disclaimer(s)
Please let us know in advance if you will need an accommodation that will make an event accessible to you.
Event Details
Professional Development: 2 hours
This Watch & Chat is a blended webinar and roundtable experience focused on literacy and the Science of Reading. Attendees will watch a webinar together and then chat in a guided discussion to reflect and ask questions.
Our first hour together is our "Watch" session. We will be joined by Dorothy Stoltz for an LIVE webinar on Early Literacy Outreach. Early literacy skills—which children need to develop before they can learn to read—will be featured in the training, both to introduce them to new librarians and to refresh the knowledge of experienced staff. In addition, this training celebrates the spirit of collaboration through community outreach programming and aims to deepen our understanding of its values. It offers tips and best practices to help build new collaborations and strengthen existing partnerships with families, organizations, and public officials. The goal is to help you explore early literacy key components and learn strategies for adapting them to your outreach programming.
The second hour together is our "Chat" component. We will discuss takeaways from the webinar and connect what we've learned with the Science of Reading. This roundtable allows for opportunity to talk about decodable book collections, share reading initiatives, discuss literacy program ideas, and ask questions about the Science of Reading.
About our Guest Presenter:
Dorothy Stoltz is a professional librarian, author, trainer, and consultant. The majority of Dorothy’s 40-year library career was at Carroll County Public Library in Maryland, where she retired as Director for Community Engagement. She presents workshops and trainings to a wide range of libraries and library staff on many topics, including peer learning, community partnerships, advocacy, early literacy, boosting morale, and transfer of learning. She is currently serving on the boards of the ALA Learning Round Table and on DVA and More (Drug and Violence Awareness).