by Paula Holmes

I am always thrilled to attend events and conferences that promote world kid lit and provide opportunities to network and connect with other World Kid Lit contributors and supporters. This November in Boston after the regional USBBY conference, I had the opportunity to catch up with and interview Christina Moorehead, USBBY General Secretary.

Paula Holmes: Can you explain what happens at a United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) Regional Conference?

Christina Moorehead: For those who are new to the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY), I’ll take a few steps back. USBBY is one of 85 global sections of IBBY—the International Board on Books for Young People.  IBBY was founded in Zurich, Switzerland in 1953. It is a non-profit organization focused on the principles of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child in order to promote peace and international collaboration through children’s literature and literacy.  

While each IBBY Section is organized differently, we all share the same focus on making young lives better through children’s literature and literacy programs.

There are IBBY Regional Conferences all over the world, which offer specific global regions a chance to gather to share expertise, experiences, and ideas for the future of children’s literature and most importantly for young readers themselves. In addition to Regional Conferences, IBBY holds an international Congress every two years, offering all IBBY Sections a chance to gather to exchange ideas, collaborate on challenges, and join together to plan for the future.

USBBY is part of the North American Region, so our Regional Conferences include Mexico and Canada. Regional conferences can differ wildly in theme, and in enrichment activities offered before, during, and after the main conference. However most Regional Conferences typically include: keynote speakers, general sessions, panel discussions, poster sessions, and book signings.

Regional conferences also offer the hosting country/state/community a chance to share particularly exciting local literacy-centered activities and locations such as libraries, museums, university collections, public events, and much more. And of course all of this is planned to include plenty of opportunities to relax and exchange ideas over shared snacks and meals which often lean into local specialties.

For USBBY, every Regional Conference we host has a dedicated Bookbird display where attendees can learn more about this excellent IBBY journal, explore current as well as archive editions, and purchase copies if they wish. We also make sure there are QR codes available as well as physical address information accessible for those who want to subscribe on the spot. 

PH: One of my favorite things is the silent auction which has books and artwork at a variety of price points. The auction raises funds for USBBY projects. Can you explain more about the projects it funds and how else people can donate to these projects?

CM: The Silent Auction is a much-anticipated part of our Regional Conferences, and a part we could not do without the amazing generosity of authors, illustrators, publishers, USBBY members, and many others.   

All of the proceeds from the Silent Auction go to specific projects and funds that are in particular need. This year our proceeds will support the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund. This fund provides vital support for children whose lives have been disrupted by war, civil disorder, or natural disasters. The money we raise is dedicated to providing supplies and spaces for bibliotherapy for the affected children, focusing on using books therapeutically through storytelling and book-related activities.  

This focus on bibliotherapy takes on many different forms depending on the nature of the upheaval, cultural needs and beliefs, and specific needs of the children. Currently USBBY supports IBBY with Children in Crisis projects in Gaza, Ukraine, Lebanon, El Salvador, Iran, Afghanistan, and along the US/Mexico Border.  

Those wishing to donate to the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund, or to any of our ongoing funds and programs, can do so via the USBBY website, or can reach out to me at usbby@nl.edu if they wish to donate via check. 

PH: This was the first year for the William Teale Lecture, and the fabulous translator Helen Wang was the inaugural lecturer. The conference also features the Briley Lecture. What is the significance of the two lectures? Is there a recording of those lectures or a transcript? 

CM: The Dorothy Briley Lecture has been a much-anticipated part of IBBY Regional Conferences for many years, and we were delighted to add the William H. Teale Lecture to this year’s program.  

The Dorothy Briley Lecture is named in honor of renowned children’s book editor Dorothy Briley. A committee is assembled during even-numbered years to select a speaker for this lecture from outside the United States.  

This year we introduced the inaugural William. H. Teale Lecture, created in honor of the distinguished and far-reaching work of William Teale in the field of children’s literature.  Our inaugural Teale Lecturer was the award-winning translator Helen Wang, prolific translator of Chinese literature for young readers including Hans Christian Andersen Laureate Cao Wenxuan’s Sunflowers and Dragonfly Eyes.

Unfortunately, these lectures are not recorded. However, we are considering creating transcripts for our next IBBY Regional Conference in 2027. 

PH: Can you tell us more about USBBY membership benefits?  What happens during non-conference years? How can someone get involved?

CM: There are so many answers to this question! The benefits of membership for USBBY—and I suspect most memberships in organizations such as ours—rests in the community.  USBBY has a long history of bringing together educators, librarians, literacy professionals, authors, illustrators, publishers, and many others who all share a passion for the power of children’s literature to enlighten, educate, and support. I came to USBBY with nearly 30 years as an early childhood and kindergarten teacher, where beautiful books were my partners in sparking an early curiosity and love for our shared stories, which in turn nurtured the curiosity to learn how to read. So USBBY’s locally- and globally-focused mission drew me in from the start.  

Our biennial IBBY Regional Conferences essentially are experiences that concentrate the best of the USBBY mission and community into a few days. During non-conference years, we have the benefit of time to dig deeper into our committee work (including with the Outstanding International Books Committee, the Hans Christian Andersen Award Nominating Committee, the Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities Committee, to name a few), to plan and carry out sessions and panels at literacy conferences throughout the year, and for volunteers to promote USBBY as a State Ambassadors. All of these volunteer opportunities are open to all members.  More information—and a volunteer sign up form—can be found at https://www.usbby.org/volunteer-with-a-committee.html.  

PH: The USBBY website offers more information on events and how to get involved, but also has a treasure of resources of interest available for those in the World Kid Lit community. Can you highlight some of the award lists and projects?

CM: USBBY is honored to sponsor and/or participate in a large number of book list and award nominating committees.  Among these is the Hans Christian Andersen Award Nominating Committee whose job it is to nominate a U.S. author and illustrator of international stature to be considered for the international award, and which are then presented at the biennial IBBY World Congress. The Outstanding International Books Committee is another notable USBBY project. Here Committee members annually select the best books from other countries that have been published or distributed in the U.S. during the previous year.  Other award or book list committees of note are the IBBY-ASAHI Reading Promotion Award, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Committee, and of course committees in charge of selecting speakers for the Dorothy Briley Memorial Lecture and the William Teale Lecture, both of which take place at our IBBY Regional Conferences.  

PH: USBBY conferences are held every two years with the next one in Kansas City in 2027. I am excited that in August 2026 the location for the IBBY conference will be in Ottawa, Canada. How can people find out about attending an IBBY conference?

CM: As one of over 85 global sections of IBBY, the USBBY community stretches around the world.  To learn more about IBBY World Congresses, or to learn more about IBBY Regional Conferences around the world and/or closer to the U.S., the main IBBY website is a great place to start. The upcoming IBBY World Congress in Ottawa, Canada has a webpage. And of course to keep up with the 2027 IBBY Regional Conference in Kansas City, MO, simply check in periodically at the USBBY website! 

PH: Thank you for sharing your knowledge about USBBY and IBBY. We are lucky to have you as our USBBY General Secretary. Can you explain your role?

CM: That’s an interesting question! I think my role may be akin to the early telephone switchboard operators. I am very happy—and honored—to be the first landing point for incoming questions. I also troubleshoot and keep people connected and information flowing. At the Secretariat I maintain early USBBY physical archives as well as digital archives, intake books for various award and list committees, maintain our Bookbird journal archives, and assist in creating various outreach materials, including the yearly Outstanding International Books bookmark. I also assist in maintaining our membership database, and help with updating our website and other social media.  However when it is time for our IBBY Regional Conferences, that’s when my job really ramps up with preparations of every kind for the event ahead! 

PH: World Kid Lit readers are global. Can you give some suggestions on how they can find their local IBBY section?

CM: For anyone interested in learning more about their local IBBY section, I encourage them to visit the website and check the map for contact info.  And for those  members in the U.S. interested in working with USBBY on a more local level, they can consider becoming a USBBY State Ambassador. More information is available on our website.

I’d like to thank you and your readers for jumping in to learn more about USBBY!  On behalf of USBBY I send everyone bright hopes and warm wishes for the year to come. 

About Paula Holmes

Paula Holmes is strong supporter of #worldkidlit translations. She has served in a variety of volunteer capacities for the Association for Library Service to Children (a division of the American Library Association) and USBBY (United States Board on Books for Young People). She currently serves on the University of Alabama School of Library and Information Science MLIS National Advisory Board.  When not championing translations you can find her at the ballet barre, weaving potholders, or trying to learn Finnish.

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