Audience Tools

Specializations

  • Design & Children's Librarianship
  • Reflective Practice in Professional Development
  • STEM/Computational Thinking in Informal Learning Environments

Biography

Dr. J. Elizabeth Mills is a research consultant. Her research explores the nature and role of reflection in the ways public librarians produce storytimes for young children. Elizabeth has collaborated on several research studies, including librarians’ use of new media with young children and the role of social justice, value-centric outcomes in public libraries’ outreach efforts with families. She has extensive experience presenting at both academic and professional conferences and workshops, as well as offering research-based training to practitioners and teaching at UW’s MLIS program.

Elizabeth is co-author and co-editor of Supercharged Storytimes: An Early Literacy Planning and Assessment Guide and Create, Innovate, and Serve: A Radical Approach to Children’s and Youth Programming.

Awards

  • Graduate School Presidential Dissertation Fellowship - UW Graduate School, 2020
  • 2015 President's Award (to the VIEWS2 Team) - Washington Library Association, 2015

Publications and Contributions

  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Access, Advocacy, and Impact: How Public Libraries Are Contributing to Educational Equity for Children and Families in Underserved Communities (2022)
    Journal of Research in Childhood Education Authors: Kathleen Campana, J. Elizabeth Mills, Jacquie Kociubuk, Michelle H. Martin
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Many Hands Make Rich Work: Mentorship and Collaboration in a Diverse Scholarly Space (2021)
    Research on Diversity in Youth Literature (RDYL), 3(1) Authors: Michelle H. Martin, J. Elizabeth Mills, Maria Roxana Loza, Breanna J. McDaniel, Nadia Mansour, Karen Chandler
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Understanding Social Justice Through Practitioners’ Language (2021)
    The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion, 5(2), pp. 54-70 Authors: J. Elizabeth Mills, Jacqueline Kociubuk, Kathleen Campana
  • White Paper
    Engage, Cultivate, Provide, and Assess: An Outreach Model for Serving All Children and Families (2019)
    Authors: J. Elizabeth Mills, Kathleen Campana, Michelle H. Martin
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    To Tech or Not to Tech? The Debate about Technology, Young Children, and the Library (2019)
    Children and Libraries: The Journal of ALSC, 17(2) Authors: Kathleen Campana, J. Elizabeth Mills, Claudia Haines, Tess Prendergast, Marianne Martens
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Where Are We Now? The Evolving Use of New Media with Young Children in Libraries (2019)
    Children and Libraries, 17(4) Authors: Kathleen Campana, J. Elizabeth Mills, Marianne Martens, Claudia Haines
  • Conference Paper
    An Ecological Model of Outreach: Examining Library Programs, Services, and Partnerships Using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model (2018)
    Libraries in a Digital Age Conference Authors: J. Elizabeth Mills, Kathleen Campana, Michelle H. Martin
  • Conference Paper
    Designing to illuminate children’s scientific funds of knowledge through social media sharing (2018)
    Proceedings of ACM Interaction Design and Children Authors: J. Elizabeth Mills, E. Bonsignore, T. Clegg, J. Ahn, Jason Yip, D. Pauw, L. Cabrera, ,
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Every Child Ready to Read: ECRR Outside the Library: Providing Meaningful Family-Focused Community Outreach (2018)
    Children & Libraries, 16(2), pp. 35-36 Authors: Kathleen Campana, J. Elizabeth Mills, Michelle H. Martin
  • Conference Paper
    Like Raindrops on Granite: A Dialogic Analysis of Full Cicada Moon as Crossover Scholarship (2018)
    Children's Literature Association Conference Authors: J. Elizabeth Mills, Michelle H. Martin
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Like Raindrops on Granite: A Dialogic Analysis of Full Cicada Moon as Crossover Scholarship (2018)
    Research on Diversity in Youth Literature, 1(1), pp. 1-17 Authors: Michelle H. Martin, J. Elizabeth Mills
  • Conference Poster
    Public Libraries--A Valuable Anchor in Early Childhood: Supporting Early Learning for Families Who Need It Most (2018)
    The National Research Conference on Early Childhood Authors: Kathleen Campana, J. Elizabeth Mills, Michelle H. Martin
  • Conference Paper
    Where the wired things are: A study of current technology use in public library programming for young children (2018)
    Connected Learning Summit Authors: J. Elizabeth Mills, Kathleen Campana, Marianne Martens
  • Conference Poster
    More Than Form and Function: Developing a Design Course for Graduate Library Education (2017)
    ALISE 2017 Authors: J. Elizabeth Mills, Rachel Clarke, Jin Ha Lee, Helene Williams, David G. Hendry, Jason Yip
  • Conference Paper
    Connected Learning Meets Radical Change: A Conference in a Classroom (2016)
    ALISE 2016 Authors: Kathleen Campana, Annette Goldsmith, J. Elizabeth Mills
  • White Paper
    Digital Youth Seattle Think Tank White Paper (2016)
    Authors: Karen Fisher, Katharine Davis, Jason Yip, Negin Dahya, J. Elizabeth Mills, Michael Eisenberg
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Early Literacy in Library Storytimes: A Study of Measures of Effectiveness. (2016)
    Library Quarterly, 86(4), pp. 369-388, ISBN/ISSN: 00242519 Authors: Kathleen Campana, J. Elizabeth Mills, Janet L Capps, Eliza Dresang, Allyson Carlyle, Cheryl A. Metoyer, Ivette Bayo Urban, Erika Feldman, Marin Brouwer, Kathleen Burnett, Bowie Kotrla
  • Creative Writing
    Goblin Drums (2016)
    Many Worlds to Walk In: Exploring Diversity in Children’s Literature, Librarianship, and Education Author: J. Elizabeth Mills
  • Conference Paper
    Intentionality, Interactivity, and Community (2016)
    American Library Association Annual Conference, Library Research Roundtable Forum Authors: Kathleen Campana, J. Elizabeth Mills
  • Conference Paper
    Learning by Design: Creating Knowledge Through Library Storytime Production (2016)
    ASIS&T Annual Meeting Authors: J. Elizabeth Mills, Kathleen Campana, Rachel Clarke
  • Journal Article, Professional Journal
    Supercharge Your Storytimes: Using Intentionality, Interactivity, and Community (2016)
    Children and Libraries Authors: Kathleen Campana, J. Elizabeth Mills, Saroj Ghoting, Judy Nelson
  • Book, Non-Scholarly-New
    Supercharged Storytimes: An Early Literacy Planning and Assessment Guide (2016)
    Authors: Kathleen Campana, J. Elizabeth Mills, Saroj Nadkarni Ghoting
  • White Paper
    Impact, advocacy, and professional development: An exploration of storytime assessment in Washington state (2015)
    Authors: J. Elizabeth Mills, Kathleen Campana, Sean Fullerton, Marin Brouwer, Allyson Carlyle, Cheryl A. Metoyer,
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Putting youth first: The radical Eliza T. Dresang (2015)
    Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults, 5(Unknown Issue) Authors: J. Elizabeth Mills, A. Y. Goldsmith, K Campana, B J Patin, S A Evans
  • Journal Article, Public or Trade Journal
    Results from the Young Children, New Media, and Libraries Survey: What Did We Learn? (2015)
    Children & Libraries, 13(2), pp. 26-35 Authors: J. Elizabeth Mills, Emily Romeijn-Stout, Cen Campbell, Amy Koester
  • Research Report
    Storytimes matter: A research to real world roundtable brief (2015)
    Authors: J. Elizabeth Mills, Kathleen Campana, Erin Okuno, CiKeithia Pugh, Lily Lengua
  • Conference Workshop Paper
    Youth perspectives on equity, access and information exchange in educational technology: Implications for research, practice, and policy (2015)
    Workshop, Digital Media & Learning Conference Authors: Katharine Davis, Karen Fisher, Negin Dahya, Jason Yip, Michael Eisenberg, J. Elizabeth Mills
  • Conference Short Paper
    Connecting Collections and Cultures By Creating a Community of Children’s Librarians Around Early Literacy Storytimes (2014)
    ASIS&T Authors: Kathleen Campana, Marin Brouwer, Ivette Bayo Urban, J. Elizabeth Mills,
  • Book Introduction
    Youth perspectives on social media and technology (2014)
    AM:STARs: Social Networking & New Technologies, 25(3), pp. xvii-xxi Authors: M. A. Moreno, Katharine Davis, J. Elizabeth Mills
  • Journal Article, Academic Journal
    Early literacy in library storytimes Part 2: A quasi-experimental study and intervention with children's storytime providers
    Library Quarterly Authors: J. Elizabeth Mills, Kathleen Campana, Allyson Carlyle, Bowie Kotrla, Eliza Dresang, Ivette Bayo Urban, Janet Capps, Cheryl A. Metoyer, Erika Feldman, Marin Brouwer, Kathleen Burnett
  • Conference Paper
    Engaging Communities through Research and Practice: A New LIS Curricula
    ALISE 2017 Authors: Kathleen Campana, J. Elizabeth Mills, Linda Braun
  • Conference Paper
    Mind the Gap: Bringing Research Methods out of the Classroom and into Everyday Youth Services to Build Research Literacy
    ALISE 2018 Authors: Michelle H. Martin, J. Elizabeth Mills, Kathleen Campana
  • Conference Poster
    Neighborhood Walks and Community Talks: A Research Study Examining Public Library Family Outreach Strategies and Challenges
    ALISE 2018 Authors: Michelle H. Martin, J. Elizabeth Mills, Kathleen Campana

Presentations

  • Black Kids Camp Too, Don’t They? Wildness in African American Children’s Picture Books (2022)
    ALSC Institute - Kansas City, MO
  • Cicadas, Pebbles, and Stillness in Patterned Gardens Examining the Child’s Gaze in Nature (2022)
    Social Science History Association Conference - Chicago, IL
  • Co-Constructed Scholarship: A Tale of Collaboration in Children’s Literature Research (2022)
    University of British Columbia, CHIL 500 - Vancouver, BC, CA
  • Rooted in Community: Using Community Values in Public Library Outreach (2022)
    PLA 2022 - Portland, OR
  • Cicadas, Pebbles, and Stillness in Patterned Gardens: Examining the Child’s Gaze in Nature (2021)
    Children’s Literature Association Conference. 12 June 2021. Virtual
  • Knowledge, Artistry and Reflection: Designing Thoughtful Programming for Children (2021)
    Youth Services Institute, Vancouver, BC - Virtual
  • Knowledge, Artistry, and Reflection: Designing Thoughtful Programming for Children (2021)
    Youth Services Institute, British Columbia Library Association - Virtual
  • Black Kids Camp, Too: Children's Literature & Immersive Nature Experiences for Children of Color (2020)
    National Council for Teachers of English 2020 Virtual Conference - Virtual
  • Diversifying Your Outdoor Experience (2020)
    Natural Start Conference (National alliance of Nature-Based Preschools) - Virtual
  • Leverage Assessment and Advocacy to Demonstrate Community Outreach Impact (2020)
    Public Library Association - Nashville, TN
  • Welcoming Black Children into Literary Wildscapes: Wildness in African American Children's Picture Books (2020)
    Nature-Based Early Learning Virtual Conference - Virtual
  • Engage, Cultivate, Provide, and Assess: An Outreach Model for Serving All Children and Families (2019)
    2019 ALA Annual Conference - Washignton, DC
  • Forgotten and Invisible Childhoods (2019)
    Children's Literature Summer School - Antwerp, Belgium
  • From Solitude and Silence to Stories: Exploring Social Grief in Long Way Down and We Are Okay (2019)
    International Research Society for Children’s Literature 2019 Congress - Stockholm, Sweden
  • Guest lecture on Project LOCAL (2019)
    LIS 553 Info and Social Justice - Seattle, Washington
  • Keeping it Local: A Research-Based Model of Public Library Outreach Programs for Families and Children in Underserved Communities (2019)
    UW iSchool Research Symposium - Seattle, Washington
  • Media Literacy, Computational Thinking, and Connected Family Learning: Positioning New Media across the Evolving Landscape of Children’s Services (2019)
    2019 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference - Washington, DC
  • Reaching beyond library walls: A mixed-methods study of library outreach to families in underserved communities (2019)
    Library Research Seminar (LRS VII) - Columbia, SC
  • Reading Life Between the Lines: Using Children’s & Young Adult Literature to Have Tough Conversations About Diversity (2019)
    CAYAS Fall Workshop - Lacey, Washington
  • Reading life between the lines: Using Children’s Literature to have Tough Conversations about Diversity (2019)
    Washington Library Association First Tuesday Webinar - Online
  • Reading life between the lines: Using Children’s Literature to have Tough Conversations about Diversity (2019)
    ALSC Webinar: Early Childhood Expertise Beyond Libraryland - Online
  • Resistance through Racial Counteraggressions (2019)
    Children's Literature Summer School - Antwerp, Belgium
  • The Role of Community Data in Helping Public Libraries Reach and Serve Underserved Communities (2019)
    iConference 2019 - Washington, D.C.
  • Welcoming Black Children into Literary Wildscapes: Wildness in African American Children's Picture Books (2019)
    Children's Literature Association Conference - Indianapolis, IN
  • A Library for Everyone: Community Centered Design to Promote Inclusive Librarianship (2018)
    ALA Annual - New Orleans, LA
  • A Library for Everyone: Community Centered Design to Promote Inclusive Librarianship (2018)
    American Library Association Annual Conference - New Orleans, Louisiana
  • An Ecological 14 Model of Outreach: Examining Library Programs, Services, and Partnerships Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model (2018)
    LIDA 2018 - Zadar, Croatia
  • Bats, Bubbles & Boogaloo: Cultivating Fully-Engaged Learning with Camp Read-a-Rama (2018)
    Washington Library Association Conference - Yakima, WA
  • Building a Future Through STEM Learning for Children in Underserved Communities (2018)
    Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T 2018) - Vancouver, Canada
  • Expanding Literacies Across the LIS Education Universe (2018)
    Association of Library and Information Science Education Conference (ALISE) - Westminster, Colorado
  • Like Raindrops on Granite: A Dialogic Analysis of Full Cicada Moon as Crossover Scholarship (2018)
    Children’s Literature Association Conference - San Antonio, Texas
  • Mind the Gap: Bringing Research Methods out of the Classroom and into Everyday Youth Services to Build Research Literacy (2018)
    Association of Library and Information Science Education Conference (ALISE) - Westminster, Colorado
  • Neighborhood Walks and Community Talks: A Research Study of Public Library Family Outreach Strategies & Challenges (2018)
    Works-in-Progress Poster Session, Association of Library and Information Science Education Conference - Westminster, Colorado
  • Public Libraries—A Valuable Anchor in Early Childhood: Supporting Early Learning for Families Who Need It Most (2018)
    National Research Conference on Early Childhood - Arlington, Virginia
  • Reading Life Between the Lines Using Children’s and Young Adult Literature to Have Tough Conversations about Diversity (2018)
    School Library Journal Basecamp, Seattle Public Library Central Branch - Seattle, Washington
  • Reading Life Between the Lines: Using Children's and Young Adult Literature to have Tough Conversations about Diversity (2018)
    University of Washington College of Education - Seattle, WA
  • To Tech or Not to Tech: The Debate and the Research Around Technology, Young Children, and the Library (2018)
    ALA Annual - New Orleans, LA
  • Like Raindrops on Granite (2017)
    iDiversity Month Brown Bag Lunch, University of Washington - Seattle, Washington
  • More Than Form and Function: Developing a Design Course for Graduate Library Education (2017)
    ALISE 2017 - Atlanta, GA
  • No Mirrors in My Nana's House: Celebrating Children's Diversity through Multicultural Literature & Artwork (2017)
    Virginia Hamilton Conference on Children's Literature - Kent, OH
  • Supercharged Storytimes! (2016)
    American Library Association Annual Conference - Orlando, FL
  • VIEWS2: Dresang's Radical Research (2016)
    ALISE - Boston, MA
  • Digital youth: The state of affairs (invited panelist) (2015)
    Digital Media and Learning - Los Angeles, CA
  • Seattle Digital Youth Think Tank 2014: Inaugural Reporting Out. (2015)
    Annual Meeting of the American Library Association - San Francisco, CA
  • Communities of Practice and Connected Learning: Breaking Down Walls Through the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (2014)
    iConference - Berlin, Germany
  • Encouraging a Virtual Community for Librarians: Program Delivery Choices that Impact Perceptions of Community (2014)
    Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) - Philadelphia, PA
  • Every Child Ready to Read 2 - Does it Really Work? Evaluating the Program (2014)
    American Library Association - Las Vegas, NV
  • Project VIEWS2: Supporting School Readiness (2014)
    Starting Strong, ESD123 - Pasco, WA
  • Research and Practice: Learning from One Another (2014)
    ECFS 412, University of Washington - Seattle, WA
  • State Library Advisory Meeting 2 (2014)
    Seattle, WA
  • Educator strategies and children's early literacy development milestones in group library storytime settings (2013)
    Society for Research in Child Development - Seattle, WA
  • Project VIEWS2 (2013)
    University of Washington Information School Research Fair - Seattle, WA
  • Project VIEWS2 and You (2013)
    2013 Washington Library Media Association Conference - Yakima, WA
  • State Librarians Advisory Meeting (2013)
    Seatac, WA
  • Valuable Lessons in Early Literacy That Work Successfully (2013)
    INFO 470, Dr. Katie Davis, University of Washington Information School - Seattle, WA