Every other year ICfL’s Read to Me team hosts a two-day in-person early learning event for Idaho library staff working with young children. However, due to the uncertainty of federal funding, The Read to Me Rendezvous will follow a different format this year.

A virtual training facilitated by a professional children’s musician and music therapist will be held in December, followed by regional in-person meet-ups in February to debrief and share how the training concepts are being incorporated and can be implemented in the library setting.

2025-2026 Theme: Sound Strategies: Enhancing School Readiness Through Music in Libraries

Music in library programs can support children’s development of phonological awareness, gross and fine motor skills, and a variety of other strategies that prepare them for success in school. Whether you’re just beginning to plan library programs or have been leading music and movement sessions for years, this virtual workshop and in-person share/network meet-up will help you enhance your ability to intentionally integrate school readiness skills into fun, joyful activities.

Who should attend?

This hands-on library training is for Idaho library staff working with children from birth through about age six. Public librarians (including volunteer and community libraries) and school librarians may attend.

Hybrid Training: Virtual Workshop and Music in Action Meet-Ups

While attending a Music in Action meet-up is not required for participants attending the virtual workshop, we highly encourage you to take part in both. The meet-up offers a valuable opportunity to connect with fellow library staff and to see how others are putting the concepts from the virtual workshop into practice. However, in order to attend the Music in Action meet-up, you must have either participated in the virtual workshop or watched the recording.

Virtual Workshop: December 15, 2025, 1:00 – 4:00 pm MST/Noon – 3:00 pm PT

Topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Intentional Song Selection and Planning
  • Music and Sensory Processing
  • Immediate Resource Support
  • Supporting Healthy Families at Home
  • Implementation tips

See “Workshop Content” banner below.

All participants attending the live session will receive digital copies of Early Childhood Songs Volume 1 and Volume 2.

Songbooks include:

  • MP3 recordings and backing tracks
  • Chords, melody notation and lyrics
  • Implementation tips for more than 60 songs

This training session will be recorded and available to watch for one year. However, only those attending live will receive access to the songbooks.

Presenter: Stephanie Leavell, MT-BC (Music educator, performer, board certified music therapist, mom)

Stephanie is the creator of Music for Kiddos, a website that provides high-quality music and music resources for music therapists, music educators, library staff, and parents. Stephanie is a Berklee College of Music graduate and is passionate about using music to help kids succeed. She specializes in working with babies and kids through age 6.

In-person “Music in Action” Meet-Ups: 1:00 – 4:00 local time

  • Southwest (Boise): February 10 (Boise Public Library, Hillcrest)
  • Eastern Idaho (Inkom): February 19 (South Bannock District Library, Inkom)
  • North Idaho (Lewiston): February 25 (Lewiston City Library)

These meet-ups will be held in conjunction with ICfL’s February summer learning workshops. (Summer in the morning, Early Learning in the afternoon, short lunch break.) You can choose to attend both, or just the Early Learning session in the afternoon. If you plan to attend both, register for Summer Learning Workshops separately.

An agenda and more information about the meet-ups will be provided in January.

Travel Reimbursement: In accordance with ICfL’s Travel Guidelines, regional events are not eligible for travel reimbursement.

Cost:

There is no registration cost. This event is sponsored by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and is funded in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the Library Services and Technology Act.

At this time there is no registration cap; however, seats in the Music in Action meet-ups may be limited for some venues. If we begin to near capacity we may need to establish wait lists. Register early!

The virtual workshop is hands-on and interactive. This is not a webinar. All participants will be expected to fully participate as if attending the workshop in person. Participants must commit to actively participating for the full three hours. Breakout sessions are scheduled for the last half-hour of the workshop. Attendance will be noted at the beginning, mid-point, and in the breakout rooms.

All participants must have access to a working camera and microphone, and will be expected to have cameras on at different points throughout the workshop. You can request a virtual conference kit from ICfL for this event: https://form.jotform.com/icfl/virtual-conference-kit-application

If you cannot commit to attending all three hours of the virtual workshop live, please register to watch the workshop recording instead.

Intentional Song Selection and Planning

  • Using music therapy strategies to choose energy-appropriate songs
  • Selecting movement songs, transitional songs, and books to match energy levels, attention, and engagement
  • Incorporating rhythm and rhyme to reinforce early literacy concepts
  • Practical approaches to planning for success
  • Setting up the library space for engaging and effective story times

Music and Sensory Processing

  • Recognizing sensory seeking and sensory avoiding behaviors
  • Strategies to support sensory regulation and modulation
  • Group management tools for sensory-related behaviors
  • Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in practice
  • Multi-sensory music strategies librarians can use right away
  • Songs to illustrate and reinforce these concepts

Immediate Resource Support

  • Greeting and goodbye songs
  • Transitional songs
  • Movement songs
  • Soft-skills songs (getting along, expressing emotions, solving problems, etc.)
  • Songs that reinforce development, including early literacy
  • Flexible implementation tips for varying ages and group sizes
  • Modifications for children with higher support needs

Supporting Healthy Families at Home

  • Encouraging strong family connections beyond the library
  • Sharing engaging resources families can use at home
  • Reinforcing literacy and kindergarten readiness through music

Can school librarians attend this event?
Yes, as long as they are working with children age 6 or younger.

Is the number of staff at each branch limited?
The short answer is “no.” Our Zoom license allows up to 100 live participants, and we expect that registration for the live workshop will not exceed that capacity. However, we will be monitoring the number of registrants for each Music in Action meet-up, as some of the venues have more restricted capacity.

I would like to attend the live virtual workshop, but I need to be on the desk for part of the time. Can I register?
Though the workshop is virtual, it is not a passive webinar. All attendees will be expected to participate at the same level as if attending an on-site workshop in person. If you are not able to attend fully for the entire workshop, please register to watch the recording instead.

Note: Only those attending the live virtual workshop will have access to the free songbooks provided.

How do I access the recording of the workshop?
A link to the recording will be provided on December 16 to those who register. The recording link will also be provided to those who attended live. The recording will be available until December 15, 2026.

What can I expect at the Music in Action meet-up? 
Though the precise agenda is not finalized, these sessions are designed to give library staff the experience of connecting, sharing, networking, and learning from one another that they would experience if attending the Rendezvous in person. We’ll be asking everyone to demonstrate and share how they are incorporating the content from the workshop. This will be a safe space to ask questions, address challenges, and gain insights from others.

How do I edit my registration form?
If you need to switch how you view the December 15 workshop, cancel registration at a meet-up, etc., use the “edit” link provided on the registration confirmation that was emailed to you. If that is not accessible or meets your needs, contact masha.velichko@libraries.idaho.gov.

How do I register for the Summer Learning Workshop held in the morning on the Music in Action session?
Registration information is available in the December 13 issue of The Scoop, and on our webpage: Summer Learning Workshops – Idaho Commission for Libraries

  • Register one person per form. If multiple staff are registering, each must submit a separate form.
  • Choose format of virtual option: Attend live or watch the recorded meeting. Only those attending live and for the entire session will receive access to the songbooks.
  • If registering for the live workshop, confirm you will have access to a device with a working camera and microphone. This is an interactive workshop, not a passive webinar. Treat it as if you were attending an off-site in-person training. Virtual conference kits with cameras and/or microphones can be requested: https://form.jotform.com/icfl/virtual-conference-kit-application
  • Choose the February Music in Action Meet-Up you plan to attend. These are on the same days as ICfL’s Summer Learning Workshops (Summer in the morning, Early Learning in the afternoon, short lunch break.) You can choose to attend both, or just the Early Learning session in the afternoon. If you plan to attend both, register for Summer Learning Workshops separately.
  • REGISTER HERE

Register to attend by December 15!

Staci Shaw

Staci Shaw

Youth Services Consultant
Email Staci / 208-639-4178
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