YALSA President's Report
Happy Teen Tech Week™!
Five Great Reasons to Join YALSA at ALA's Annual Conference in New Orleans
Give Them What They Want: Reaching Reluctant YA Readers: YALSA Annual Preconference
Learn More about YALSA’s Interest & Discussion Groups
Interest & Discussion Group Spotlight: Serving New Adults
Meet YALSA's March Member of the Month: Rob Bittner
Free Advocacy Tool: YALSA's New Issue Paper
Upcoming Webinars: The Librarian of Many Hats
Apply for YALSA's Mentoring Program
Help YALSA with Its Strategic Plan
See a Sample Ballot for the 2011 ALA/YALSA Election
How It Works: The YALSA Nominating Process
Submit Your Summer Reading Program for YALSA's Summer Reading Manual
Propose a 2012 ALA Annual Conference Program
ALA's Teen Video Contest Could Net $3K for Your Library!
Share Free Advocacy Resource with Your Elected Officials
If you'd like to submit an item for a future
YALSA E-News issue, please contact YALSA Web Services Manager Stephanie Kuenn at
skuenn@ala.org. Submissions should relate directly to YALSA activities; submissions about YA services in general may be more appropriate for the YALSA Blog or the quarterly journal
Young Adult Library Services. YALSA E-News mails on the second Tuesday of the month; content is due one week before the mail date (for the April issue, content is due on April 5).
If you want to share or reprint any of the content in
YALSA E-News with your colleagues, on your library blog, or anywhere else that's appropriate, please feel free to do so! Just make sure to credit the original items to YALSA and
YALSA E-News.
YALSA President's Report
Kim Patton had a busy February! Visit the YALSA blog in the next few days to see her president's report!
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Happy Teen Tech Week™!
Teen Tech Week is this week, March 6-12! As you Mix & Mash @ your library, be sure to include the following in your celebration:
Five Reasons to Join YALSA at ALA's Annual Conference in New Orleans This June
Why come to the conference? Here are five great reasons:
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Free stuff! ALA is the largest library conference in the world. That means unbeatable opportunities to see over 900 exhibitors (and authors!) who can help you try new products, obtain special discounts, receive free galleys galore and more.
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Expand your horizons! There are ample opportunities to share ideas with teen services librarians from all over the country and overseas. You’ll leave the conference energized and ready to try new things in your library.
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Get your learning on! Take part in continuing education to help you with our daily work. Each day of the conference is filled with multiple sessions designed to help you grow professionally. There’s a session for everyone, regardless of your interest and expertise!
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Find a buddy! The conference is the place for you to build a network of support. Are you the only teen services librarian in your library? Feel a bit lonely sometimes? There will be over 800 YALSA members at the conference who share your passion for teen services. Connect with them at the conference and continue the networking afterwards through one of YALSA’s discussion lists, interest groups or other means.
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Get noticed! Job seeking? Take advantage of ALA’s on-site Job Placement Center. Looking for leadership opportunities? Do you want to write, present or consult? Meet and mingle with the leaders in the field and learn about opportunities to advance your career.
Advance registration closes May 13. YALSA has more than 100 teen services-focused meetings, events and professional development sessions planned for this year. Learn more at
YALSA's Annual wiki or at
www.alaannual.org.
Give Them What They Want: Reaching Reluctant YA Readers Workshop
Join YALSA for this ticketed event on Friday, June 24 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. in New Orleans! Tickets cost $129 and you don't have to register for Annual to participate.
Reluctant YA readers are everywhere, except maybe in a library. Learn strategies for reaching today's teen reluctant readers through collection development, marketing, outreach and more. From passive programs to use of web 2.0 tools, explore ways to get more teens in your community reading and using the library. Learn from Linda Braun how to best utilize technologies to get the attention of reluctant readers. Discover new ways to engage groups as author Chris Grabenstein demonstrates improvisational activities to engage teen creativity. Get some ideas for new programming to engage different types of readers as author and librarian Julie Halpern features her popular anime and fantasy clubs. Hear other best practices and tricks from colleagues in a panel presentation. Find out how Walter Dean Myers connects with his following of reluctant readers and keeps them coming back for more. The afternoon will be packed with ideas and information useful for communities and schools of every size.
To register only for the two half-day preconferences, please fill out page 13 of
this form (skip Section I) and either mail or fax it to 800-521-6017 or mail it to: ALA Registration and Housing Headquarters, 568 Atrium Dr., Vernon Hills, IL 60061. You can also add ticketed events if you've already registered! You have two options: (1) By phone: Call ALA Registration at 1-800-974-3084 and ask to add a workshop or special event to your existing registration; (2) Online: Add an event to your existing registration by clicking
this Annual Registration link. Use your login and password to access your existing Annual registration and add events in the “Your Events” section (screen 6). Then simply check out and pay for the events you’ve added.
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Learn More about YALSA’s Interest & Discussion Groups
By Linda W. Braun, YALSA Past President
Last month, YALSA sponsored a
virtual open house for members to learn more about the association’s discussion and interest groups. The event gave interest group conveners the chance to talk about the work of their groups and participants the chance to ask questions about the groups. The session was recorded and is available for viewing at
http://tinyurl.com/yalsa-igdgoh.
YALSA’s interest and discussion groups are flexible, member-driven groups that any member can opt into. They are not meant to stick around forever, because they are driven by current topics and can be active for a period of time and then no longer be needed when the topic is no longer as compelling as it once was. The groups can be run entirely virtually, which of course means that those involved don’t need to attend any meetings or conferences in person. Participants do not need to be appointed to be part of the group.
Currently there are interest groups on topics such as managing teen services and music in young adult services.There is a student interest group geared specifically to those in library school or those that work with library school students. A full list of groups is available on the
YALSA website.
If you are interested in joining an interest group, feel free to contact one of the conveners. Contact information is available on the
YALSA website.
If you have an idea for a new YALSA interest group, you can learn how to get one started by reading the
Interest & Discussion Group FAQ.Feel free to contact me, Linda W. Braun, at
lbraun@leonline.com, to talk through the steps of starting a group.
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Interest & Discussion Group Spotlight: Serving New Adults
By Penny Johnson, Convenor
Teen patrons are becoming accustomed to library programs and collections geared to their interests and needs. But what happens when these same patrons graduate or leave school? Usually they are unceremoniously kicked out of teen events, or they continue to hover around the edges. Unfortunately these new adults eventually drift away, not finding the public library relevant again until they have children of their own. We have worked so hard to build library loyalty in our teen patrons. What can we do to continue this good relationship as they age out of the teen focus?
The purpose of the YALSA “Serving New Adults” interest group is to discuss issues relating to serving young adults in their late teens and early twenties. We seek to develop and exchange ideas on how libraries can continue to best serve these "new adults" as they navigate life after the high school years. Identifying the needs of this age group, compiling & sharing collection and programming guidelines to address those needs, and considering ways to provide participatory opportunities for them is a focus of this interest group
If you would like to join the conversation, we invite you to subscribe to our YALSA email discussion list,
serving-otya@ala.org, or you can contact the interest group convener
Penny Johnson.
Meet YALSA's March Member of the Month: Rob Bittner
Name: Rob Bittner
Job: Graduate Student, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
YALSA Member Since: 2010
I Joined YALSA: I am interested in young adult literature, and YALSA gives me the opportunity to find out more about services for young people and the ways that teens are being educated by library services.
The Best Part of Being a YALSA Member: The best part of being a YALSA member is being able to stay connected with such a vibrant community of librarians and library students. I love being able to ask questions from so many people and get a variety of responses. The members are always quite encouraging and enlightening.
Hobbies: I read a lot. I think that's my hobby. Reading and watching old movies. I wish I could say I did stamp collecting or model airplane building, but I just like to read lots and lots of YA books.
Favorite YA Book: Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan,
Saints of Augustine by P. E. Ryan, and
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
To see yourself in
YALSA E-News or to nominate a colleague, fill out the
YALSA Member of the Month form.
Free Advocacy Tool: YALSA's New Issue Paper
YALSA published a new issue paper,
The Importance of a Whole Library Approach to Public Library Young Adult Services, by Linda Braun for YALSA and approved by YALSA's Board of Directors at Midwinter Meeting 2011 in San Diego. In the paper, Braun details why it's important for all library staff, not just those in the youth or teens department, to offer high-quality services to teens and to treat those ages 12-18 with respect. Learn more,
read the paper, and share it with the staff at your library.
Upcoming Webinars: The YA Librarian of Many Hats
Learn about the latest trends in teen services! YALSA’s upcoming webinars include the YA Librarian of Many Hats (March 17, 2 p.m. Eastern, hosted by Mary Hastler). Being a YA librarian is a multifaceted job! Today librarians are challenged in all areas of the library ranging from budgeting to collection development to working with social issues of teens. Hastler, director of the Harford County Public Library in Maryland, has worked in many different library settings ranging from working in a large urban system to now directing a library with more than 11 branches in a suburban, rural setting. She will share her knowledge of how to balance the hats of readers advisory, collection development, budgeting, teen social issues and programming.
Learn more and register today! Webinars cost $39 for YALSA members or an unlimited number of librarians can gather around a computer and participate for a $195 group rate.
Did you miss a webinar? All YALSA members have free access to Webinars-on-Demand, two months after the webinar's original airdate! You can access past webinars through the
Members' Only Webinar page (you will need your ALA website login).
Apply for YALSA's Mentoring Program
YALSA is now accepting applications from members for its 2011-2012 mentoring program. The program will pair an experienced librarian (6 years experience or more) with a new librarian (fewer than 6 years experience) or graduate student in a library science program. The program will encourage both the mentor and protégé to provide guidance and support for one another.
Applications for the mentoring program will open online March 7 and close April 15. Applicants will be notified of their status in July, with training and matching to follow. The mentoring period is August 2011 to July 2012.
For more information, visit www.ala.org/yalsa/mentoring or contact Eve Gaus, YALSA program officer for continuing education, at egaus@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5293.
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Help YALSA with Its Strategic Plan
By Priscille Dando, Strategic Planning Committee Chair
Want to help determine the future of YALSA? It's time to revise YALSA's Strategic Plan, and the YALSA Board needs your input. The current plan was established in 2008, and the new one will be in place by Midwinter 2012. The Strategic Plan is the driving force behind all the committees, initiatives, actions and accomplishments of YALSA. It's the backbone of the Association, and it's critical that member priorities, concerns, and interests are reflected in it. Please take a few minutes to complete the Strategic Plan survey, and please feel free to share with nonmembers! The survey closes March 31. In the meantime, look to the YALSA Blog this month for a series of posts highlighting what the Strategic Plan means to members.
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2012 Frances Henne/YALSA/VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) Research Grant
The 2012 Frances Henne/YALSA/VOYA Research Grant of $1,000 was awarded to Shannon Crawford Barniskis, Youth Services Librarian from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, for her proposal, "Graffiti, Poetry, Dance: How Public Library Art Programs Affect Teens." Congratulations, Shannon!
Now it’s time to think about the
2012 Frances Henne/YALSA/VOYA Research Grant, which provides $1000 in seed money for research projects. Whether you are a practicing librarian, library administrator, or library and information science educator, this grant is an excellent opportunity to support research related to the YALSA Research Agenda, which highlights the themes of access, demographics, evaluation, information seeking, interdisciplinary, technology, and history.
Applications for the grant are due in the YALSA Office by December 1, 2011. The application includes these components:
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Title
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Objectives
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Problem Statement/Questions
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Methodology, including data collection and analysis
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Significance of the project and connections to existing research
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Projected timeline (Completion expected in 12 to 18 months, with report to YALSA within six months after study)
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Budget
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Brief biographical data
For details on how to apply, please visit the
Henne Award webpage. For more information, contact us via e-mail,
yalsa@ala.org or by phone at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4390.
How It Works: The YALSA Nominating Process
By Judy Nelson, YALSA Nominating Committee
Associations function because of the work of their volunteer members, and every year YALSA, with its more than 5000 members, looks for about 30 dedicated folks to run for various elected positions, for award committees and executive and board positions.
But who finds these candidates? YALSA has a nominating committee made up of five dedicated professionals: the immediate past president and four involved members. (I’m one of the five members.)
And what do they do? YALSA maintains spreadsheets of volunteer information with all the names of those who have submitted a volunteer form for a process or selection committee. The Nominating Committee looks over that information. But that is just one step in a process that takes about nine months – the creating of “the slate”.
Want to know more? Read the rest of this article on the
YALSA Blog.
See a Sample Ballot for the 2011 ALA/YALSA Election
The ALA/YALSA Election begins March 16 and runs through April 22. You will receive a link to your ballot via email from ALA, but to prepare for the upcoming election, YALSA wanted all of its members to view this
sample ballot (PDF), which can help you think about how you'll be voting this spring. On Tuesdays, the YALSA Blog will post podcasts with YALSA candidates for office at
http://yalsa.ala.org/blog.
If you would prefer a paper ballot, the deadline to request one is April 9. Contact ALA Customer Service at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5.
For more information on the ALA Election, visit the
ALA Election webpage.
Submit Your Summer Reading Program for YALSA's Summer Reading Manual
If you have successfully run a summer reading program for teens and tweens in your library and would like to have information about it published in YALSA’s upcoming book,
YALSA’s Complete Summer Reading Manual for Teen and Tween Services,please consider submitting it to Editor Kat Kan by May 1! To download the submission form and learn more details, visit
YALSA's website. Questions? Contact Kat Kan at
teenlibn@hotmail.com.
Propose a 2012 ALA Annual Conference Program
Interested in presenting a program for YALSA at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, June 22-26? YALSA is looking for creative, innovative proposals that address new topics, or that address current topics in a unique way.
Submit your proposal by filling out
this survey by May 31.
ALA's Teen Video Contest Could Net $3K for Your Library!
Teens could help win up to $3,000 for your library! ALA President Roberta Stevens launched the Why I Need My Library video contest for teens at the ALA Midwinter Meeting that encourages teens ages 13 to 18 to create original videos on why they think libraries are needed now more than ever. The contest runs through April 18. Full contest guidelines and information on how to enter can be found on ALA’s advocacy website,
ilovelibraries.org.
Prizes will be awarded in two age categories – ages 13 to15 and 16 to18 – to a school or local public library selected by the winners. In each age category, two second place finalists will receive $2,000 each for their selected library and three third place finalists will receive $1,000 each for their selected library. The winning contestant or group of contestants from each age category will receive $3,000 for their selected library. In addition, each member of the winning group will receive a $50 gift card to an online bookseller.
YALSA is a co-sponsor of the contest. Promote the contest at your library with a
promotional video from ALA!
Share Free Advocacy Resource with Your Elected Officials
The International City/County Management Association has release a new paper,
Maximize the Potential of Your Library. From ICMA's website: "Learn how public libraries can help local governments tackle critical community priorities such as economic development, public safety, environmental sustainability, cultural diversity, education, and literacy. This new report and accompanying case studies provide examples and instructive guides on how public libraries in jurisdictions large and small are partnering with local governments and organizations to develop innovative solutions for important strategic community initiatives."
