Children's literature electronic discussion groups

I want to share a few of my favorite electronic discussion groups but I'm not entirely sure what the right term for them is these days. I used to call them bulletin boards, and then newsgroups, and more recently I called them listservs... but I don't think any of these names are correct any more.

No matter what you call them, electronic discussion groups are wonderful resources. They focus on a particular topic... and all members of the group receive all the e-mails posted to the group.If you prefer, you can elect to read the posts in digest form, where all the posts of the day are combined into one e-mail.

Here are are some of the discussion groups about children's literature that I enjoy reading and have found particularly helpful. Click on the links for instructions about how to join each group.

CCBC-net: Cooperative Children's Book Center discussion group. This is a wonderful group that focuses on specific topics about children's books. The discussion changes every two weeks. Subscribers include librarians, teachers, editors and authors.

Child_lit: Children's Literature. This group talks about a wide variety of topics related to theory and criticism of children's books. Very informative and very interesting. Subscribers include children's literature professors, authors (including Philip Pullman, Jane Yolen and Julius Lester), teachers and librarians.

PUBYAC: Public Libraries serving Young Adults and Children. I highly recommend this group if you're a children's or young adult librarian at a public library, or if you're planning to be one. This group is full of practical recommendations, suggestions and advice. It's an excellent resource. Subscribers are primarily librarians.

Kidlitosphere: Kidlit bloggers. This is a newly created group for people who blog about children's literature. It's a great place to share advice and ask questions about blogging. If you write a blog about children's books, or are planning to start one, this list is just the place for you. Subscribers are primarily bloggers and include librarians, authors, teachers, parents, and many others. To cut down on spam, the Kidlitosphere moderators have asked bloggers not to post direct links to the group... so here's how to join: Go to Yahoo Groups and search for Kidlitosphere. Once you've been approved, add your blog to the directory and then join the discussion.

I find all of these groups to be invaluable places to learn and discuss with colleagues around the country, and around the world.