Helping YALSA During Difficult Economic Times
Individually, we are all probably feeling the effect of the current economic downturn and I know that I am. In addition, my library system had budget cuts this year both from local and state support. We are also facing furloughs in the upcoming fiscal year (begins July 1) as well as additional cuts. I wish that I could say that YALSA and ALA are immune to the economic troubles but they are not. However, both ALA and YALSA have been proactive in seeking new revenue funding streams as well as implementing cost savings. So what does this have to do with YALSA members?
There are ways that we can support YALSA and as a group get through the economic crisis together. Here are a few ideas.
- Committees can maximize the use of free or inexpensive tools to accomplish this work, such as Twitter or SurveyMonkey.
- Committees who are working on programs can think about minimizing or curtailing the use of AV at conferences.
- Members can also actively participate in continuing education opportunities such as ecourses and online blog discussions.
- Members can also continue to support the Friends of YALSA and the YALSA Leadership Endowment. Both of these iniatiatives provide support to YALSA’s mission of continuous learning; advocacy; research; teen literacy & young adult literature; and planning for the future.
I am sure there are other ways that we can continue to support YALSA and would love to add to the above list.
While I love YALSA and want to see it weather the rough economic waters, I imagine there are quite a few members wondering what YALSA can do to help them. Those of us just graduating from LIS programs are finding a job market that is decidedly not what was advertised to us when we began, while plenty of employed folks are facing tough budget decisions (as you mention).
Clearly YALSA can only help its members if it stays afloat as an organization, but I think many of us are really hungry for more acknowledgment (and answers) from our professional organizations
What a great question and comment. I recently read an article on the not so cheerful outlook for new grads and it does remind of past times when our economy has had major problems. To answer your question, YALSA is continuing to provide the level of service to its members that will help them develop their professional skills and knowledge through programs, ecourses, and other online resources. I was looking at the comprehensive employment resources that YALSA has available online yesterday morning. The networking opportunities through YALSA are very useful to everyone, including new grads. Our members have access to other members throughout the country who can be excellent resources for job leads; and serving on a YALSA committee/jury/taskforce, blogging, etc., really adds to your resume.
It is a difficult time to be job hunting in any field including the library world. New grads are competing against seasoned staff who have been let go, but for those of us who have gone through this before (unfortunately several times), it does eventually turn around. Until then, here is a list of YALSA member resources that may help us get through these times.
CURRENT RESOURCES:
• Help with your day-to-day job:
o Learn how to better advocate for teen services w/ this free advocacy toolkit & wiki resources: http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/Main_Page#Advocacy
o Library Legislative Day: YALSA leaders will be in DC advocating for teen services. Find out how you can be a part of it at: http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/National_Library_Legislative_Day?alawikis_yalsa__session=bb64bf9e0e903b26bbaa41850b66b4d4
o A plethora of free resources from YALSA are compiled into a page on the wiki: http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/Free_Downloadable_Resources_from_YALSA
• Career advancement opportunities:
o Apply to be one of YALSA’s 2 sponsored ALA Emerging Leaders and get travel stipends to ALA conferences and leadership training (applications open later this month for the 2009 – 2010 cadre: http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders/index.php/Main_Page )
o Apply to be YALSA’s Spectrum Scholar and get a full scholarship for your master’s degree (applications open in the fall http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/diversity/spectrum/spectrum.cfm )
o Participate in affordable professional development to stay current & position yourself as an indispensable employee and/or to have an edge over other job applicants.
The next session of YALSA e-courses is June 1 to 26 and registration is open now. Choose from “Pain the Brain: Adolescent Development & Library Behavior” or “Beyond Booklists: Serving Diverse Teens.” Courses are $135 for members http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/onlinecourses/info.cfm
Attend the Moving Up the YA Career Ladder workshop on July 10th from 12:30 to 5:30 in Chicago. The member rate is $129: http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/Moving_up_the_YA_Career_Ladder
o Apply for over $30,000 in YALSA member grants, awards and scholarships: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/awardsandgrants/yalsaawardsgrants.cfm
o Find out about YA-focused jobs via the job posting page on wiki: http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/Job_Postings_%26_Resources?alawikis_yalsa__session=bb64bf9e0e903b26bbaa41850b66b4d4
o Build your leadership skills by serving on a member group or running for an elected position http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/Get_Involved_in_YALSA?alawikis_yalsa__session=bb64bf9e0e903b26bbaa41850b66b4d4
• Financial opportunities:
o Supplement your income by publishing a book w/ YALSA, teaching a YALSA e-course, presenting a licensed institute for YALSA and more (for details contact Beth Yoke at byoke@ala.org)
UPCOMING RESOURCES:
• A member taskforce is currently planning a new mentoring program to provide personalized professional development opportunities to those new to the profession
• Read the fall ’09 recession issue of YALS which will feature tips and ideas on how to weather the tough economic times
• Get ideas for stretching your budget dollars with Cool Teen Programs for Under $100, which is a book that YALSA will publish in the fall of 2009
Thank you Mary for starting this conversation. Admittedly, I did take a bit of a second glance at the title for this blog post, echoing mk’s sentiments. While there are many YALSA members poised to be able to help YALSA in difficult economic times in the suggested ways, there are many members who look to YALSA for help. I look forward to reading the recession issue of YALS as well as participating in the other upcoming resources. Thank you Mary for your response.
I think though that YALSA is Us. YALSA is its members. It’s not just an elected board and an executive director, program officer, communications specialist and administrative assistant. Each of its members has a responsibility, if able, to help each other out in these tough economic times, particularly by sharing information though the mechanisms that YALSA already has in place such as the blog, wikis, and publications. If we each make a contribution, however small we think it might be, we never know what difference it can make to someone else.