Sue McCleaf Nespeca

Sue McCleaf Nespeca heads Kid Lit Plus Consulting, providing speeches, training, and consulting to librarians, teachers and early childhood educators on topics such as children's literature, early literacy and family literacy. With over 30 years experience in youth services library work, she is also an adjunct Instructor at Kent State (Ohio) University's School of Library and Information Sciences. She has a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University and a Master's Degree in Library Science from the University of Pittsburgh. Having written several books and journal articles, two of her books include Picture Books Plus: 100 Extension Activities in Art, Drama, Music, Math and Science (written with co-author Joan Reeve) (ALA) and Library Programming for Families with Young Children (Neal Schuman). Presently she is an author for Upstart's Very Ready Reading Program, which employs a "7 Days, 7 Ways" philosophy encouraging parental involvement in young children's early literacy skills. Active in the American Library Association, she served on the 2013 Geisel Committee, the 2008 & 1993 Caldecott Committees and was chair of the 2003 Sibert Committee for informational books. Previously she was one of six national trainers for the "Every Child Ready to Read" Project, a national early literacy project sponsored by the American Library Association, and is currently offering early literacy workshops to support the Every Child Ready to Read 2nd Edition Initiative. She has spoken at over 500 conferences and workshops throughout the United States.

Sue has spoken in the following states (some states, many times!):
Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Illinois, Tennessee, Florida, Michigan, Idaho, Delaware, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Nevada, Washington, Kentucky, Kansas, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Arizona, Oregon, Missouri, New Hampshire, Maryland and Minnesota.

Here are just a few of the places at which she has presented:
American Library Association Conferences; twelve New York Regional Library Systems; State Library of Pennsylvania; State Library of Ohio; Arkansas State Library; Wisconsin Library Association; Massachusetts Regional Library Systems; Idaho State Library Summer Institutes; Oklahoma State Library; Pennsylvania Library Association; West Virginia Library Association; University of Texas at Austin Library School; Las Vegas Public Library; Children's Literature Conference, Ohio State; State Library of Florida; Kentucky State Library, Kentucky & Pennsylvania Library Associations; Tacoma Public Library; Southeast Library Cooperative, Minnesota; Virginia Hamilton Conference; NOLA, NEO, OVAL, NORWELD, MOLO & GCLC Regional Library Systems, Ohio; Ohio Library Conferences; International Reading Association; Ohio AEYC Conference; Kent State's Annual Early Childhood Conferences; and many other library and school in-services.