Specializations
- Design & Children's Librarianship
- Reflective Practice in Professional Development
- STEM/Computational Thinking in Informal Learning Environments
Courses
- LIS 547 - Design Methods For Librarianship
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
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Journal Article, Academic JournalAccess, 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
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Journal Article, Academic JournalMany Hands Make Rich Work: Mentorship and Collaboration in a Diverse Scholarly Space (2021)Research on Diversity in Youth Literature (RDYL), 3(1)
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Journal Article, Academic JournalUnderstanding Social Justice Through Practitioners’ Language (2021)The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion, 5(2), pp. 54-70
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White Paper
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Journal Article, Academic JournalFrom 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
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Journal Article, Academic JournalTo Tech or Not to Tech? The Debate about Technology, Young Children, and the Library (2019)Children and Libraries: The Journal of ALSC, 17(2)
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Journal Article, Academic JournalWhere Are We Now? The Evolving Use of New Media with Young Children in Libraries (2019)Children and Libraries, 17(4)
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Conference PaperAn Ecological Model of Outreach: Examining Library Programs, Services, and Partnerships Using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model (2018)Libraries in a Digital Age Conference
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Conference PaperDesigning to illuminate children’s scientific funds of knowledge through social media sharing (2018)Proceedings of ACM Interaction Design and Children
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Journal Article, Academic JournalEvery Child Ready to Read: ECRR Outside the Library: Providing Meaningful Family-Focused Community Outreach (2018)Children & Libraries, 16(2), pp. 35-36
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Conference PaperLike Raindrops on Granite: A Dialogic Analysis of Full Cicada Moon as Crossover Scholarship (2018)Children's Literature Association Conference
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Journal Article, Academic JournalLike 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
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Conference PaperMind the Gap: Bringing Research Methods out of the Classroom and into Everyday Youth Services to Build Research Literacy (2018)ALISE 2018
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Conference PosterNeighborhood Walks and Community Talks: A Research Study Examining Public Library Family Outreach Strategies and Challenges (2018)ALISE 2018
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Conference PosterPublic Libraries--A Valuable Anchor in Early Childhood: Supporting Early Learning for Families Who Need It Most (2018)The National Research Conference on Early Childhood
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Conference PaperWhere the wired things are: A study of current technology use in public library programming for young children (2018)Connected Learning Summit
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Conference PosterMore Than Form and Function: Developing a Design Course for Graduate Library Education (2017)ALISE 2017
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Conference PaperConnected Learning Meets Radical Change: A Conference in a Classroom (2016)ALISE 2016
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White Paper
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Journal Article, Academic JournalEarly Literacy in Library Storytimes: A Study of Measures of Effectiveness. (2016)Library Quarterly, 86(4), pp. 369-388, ISBN/ISSN: 00242519
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Creative WritingGoblin Drums (2016)Many Worlds to Walk In: Exploring Diversity in Children’s Literature, Librarianship, and Education
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Conference PaperIntentionality, Interactivity, and Community (2016)American Library Association Annual Conference, Library Research Roundtable Forum
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Conference PaperLearning by Design: Creating Knowledge Through Library Storytime Production (2016)ASIS&T Annual Meeting
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Journal Article, Professional JournalSupercharge Your Storytimes: Using Intentionality, Interactivity, and Community (2016)Children and Libraries
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Book, Non-Scholarly-New
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White PaperImpact, advocacy, and professional development: An exploration of storytime assessment in Washington state (2015)
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Journal Article, Academic JournalPutting youth first: The radical Eliza T. Dresang (2015)Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults, 5(Unknown Issue)
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Journal Article, Public or Trade JournalResults from the Young Children, New Media, and Libraries Survey: What Did We Learn? (2015)Children & Libraries, 13(2), pp. 26-35
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Research ReportStorytimes matter: A research to real world roundtable brief (2015)
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Conference Workshop PaperYouth perspectives on equity, access and information exchange in educational technology: Implications for research, practice, and policy (2015)Workshop, Digital Media & Learning Conference
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Conference Short PaperConnecting Collections and Cultures By Creating a Community of Children’s Librarians Around Early Literacy Storytimes (2014)ASIS&T
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Book IntroductionYouth perspectives on social media and technology (2014)AM:STARs: Social Networking & New Technologies, 25(3), pp. xvii-xxi
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Journal Article, Academic JournalEarly literacy in library storytimes Part 2: A quasi-experimental study and intervention with children's storytime providersLibrary Quarterly
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Conference PaperEngaging Communities through Research and Practice: A New LIS CurriculaALISE 2017
Presentations
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Black Kids Camp Too, Don’t They? Wildness in African American Children’s Picture Books
(2022)
ALSC Institute - Kansas City, MO
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Cicadas, Pebbles, and Stillness in Patterned Gardens Examining the Child’s Gaze in Nature
(2022)
Social Science History Association Conference - Chicago, IL
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Co-Constructed Scholarship: A Tale of Collaboration in Children’s Literature Research
(2022)
University of British Columbia, CHIL 500 - Vancouver, BC, CA
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Rooted in Community: Using Community Values in Public Library Outreach
(2022)
PLA 2022 - Portland, OR
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Cicadas, Pebbles, and Stillness in Patterned Gardens: Examining the Child’s Gaze in Nature
(2021)
Children’s Literature Association Conference. 12 June 2021. Virtual
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Knowledge, Artistry and Reflection: Designing Thoughtful Programming for Children
(2021)
Youth Services Institute, Vancouver, BC - Virtual
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Knowledge, Artistry, and Reflection: Designing Thoughtful Programming for Children
(2021)
Youth Services Institute, British Columbia Library Association - Virtual
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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
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Diversifying Your Outdoor Experience
(2020)
Natural Start Conference (National alliance of Nature-Based Preschools) - Virtual
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Leverage Assessment and Advocacy to Demonstrate Community Outreach Impact
(2020)
Public Library Association - Nashville, TN
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Welcoming Black Children into Literary Wildscapes: Wildness in African American Children's Picture Books
(2020)
Nature-Based Early Learning Virtual Conference - Virtual
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Engage, Cultivate, Provide, and Assess: An Outreach Model for Serving All Children and Families
(2019)
2019 ALA Annual Conference - Washignton, DC
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Forgotten and Invisible Childhoods
(2019)
Children's Literature Summer School - Antwerp, Belgium
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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
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Guest lecture on Project LOCAL
(2019)
LIS 553 Info and Social Justice - Seattle, Washington
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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
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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
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Reaching beyond library walls: A mixed-methods study of library outreach to families in underserved communities
(2019)
Library Research Seminar (LRS VII) - Columbia, SC
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Reading Life Between the Lines: Using Children’s & Young Adult Literature to Have Tough Conversations About Diversity
(2019)
CAYAS Fall Workshop - Lacey, Washington
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Reading life between the lines: Using Children’s Literature to have Tough Conversations about Diversity
(2019)
ALSC Webinar: Early Childhood Expertise Beyond Libraryland - Online
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Reading life between the lines: Using Children’s Literature to have Tough Conversations about Diversity
(2019)
Washington Library Association First Tuesday Webinar - Online
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Resistance through Racial Counteraggressions
(2019)
Children's Literature Summer School - Antwerp, Belgium
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The Role of Community Data in Helping Public Libraries Reach and Serve Underserved Communities
(2019)
iConference 2019 - Washington, D.C.
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Welcoming Black Children into Literary Wildscapes: Wildness in African American Children's Picture Books
(2019)
Children's Literature Association Conference - Indianapolis, IN
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A Library for Everyone: Community Centered Design to Promote Inclusive Librarianship
(2018)
American Library Association Annual Conference - New Orleans, Louisiana
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A Library for Everyone: Community Centered Design to Promote Inclusive Librarianship
(2018)
ALA Annual - New Orleans, LA
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An Ecological 14 Model of Outreach: Examining Library Programs, Services, and Partnerships Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model
(2018)
LIDA 2018 - Zadar, Croatia
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Bats, Bubbles & Boogaloo: Cultivating Fully-Engaged Learning with Camp Read-a-Rama
(2018)
Washington Library Association Conference - Yakima, WA
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Building a Future Through STEM Learning for Children in Underserved Communities
(2018)
Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T 2018) - Vancouver, Canada
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Expanding Literacies Across the LIS Education Universe
(2018)
Association of Library and Information Science Education Conference (ALISE) - Westminster, Colorado
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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
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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
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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
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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
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More Than Form and Function: Developing a Design Course for Graduate Library Education
(2017)
ALISE 2017 - Atlanta, GA
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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
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Supercharged Storytimes!
(2016)
American Library Association Annual Conference - Orlando, FL
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VIEWS2: Dresang's Radical Research
(2016)
ALISE - Boston, MA
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Digital youth: The state of affairs (invited panelist)
(2015)
Digital Media and Learning - Los Angeles, CA
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Seattle Digital Youth Think Tank 2014: Inaugural Reporting Out.
(2015)
Annual Meeting of the American Library Association - San Francisco, CA
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Communities of Practice and Connected Learning: Breaking Down Walls Through the Use of Information and Communication Technologies
(2014)
iConference - Berlin, Germany
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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
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Every Child Ready to Read 2 - Does it Really Work? Evaluating the Program
(2014)
American Library Association - Las Vegas, NV
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Project VIEWS2: Supporting School Readiness
(2014)
Starting Strong, ESD123 - Pasco, WA
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Research and Practice: Learning from One Another
(2014)
ECFS 412, University of Washington - Seattle, WA
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State Library Advisory Meeting 2
(2014)
Seattle, WA
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Educator strategies and children's early literacy development milestones in group library storytime settings
(2013)
Society for Research in Child Development - Seattle, WA
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Project VIEWS2
(2013)
University of Washington Information School Research Fair - Seattle, WA
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Project VIEWS2 and You
(2013)
2013 Washington Library Media Association Conference - Yakima, WA
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State Librarians Advisory Meeting
(2013)
Seatac, WA
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Valuable Lessons in Early Literacy That Work Successfully
(2013)
INFO 470, Dr. Katie Davis, University of Washington Information School - Seattle, WA