Get Smart with YALSA this Summer YALSA is offering two online courses this summer, including a brand-new class called “Beyond Booklists: Serving Today’s Diverse Teens.” We’re also offering the very popular “Pain in the Brain,” which examines adolescent behavior and libraries. Both classes meet for four weeks and for YALSA members, are an affordable way to stay current on your professional development — courses start at $135. Read course descriptions and register online at YALSA’s Online Courses page.

Advanced Registration for Annual Ends Thinking about coming to Chicago? Register online at www.ala.org/annual by next Friday, May 22, for savings on your registration (YALSA members will save $50 over onsite registration feeds).  YALSA has a great lineup events, including the Genre Galaxy preconference, the YALSA Happy Hour & Fashion Show, the Edwards Luncheon, the Morris Award Presentation & YA Authors Coffee Klatch, the Printz Awards Program & Reception … and so much more! See what we have planned at the YALSA Wiki.

After the jump, news on the 2010 YALSA Symposium!

Apply for a 2010 Symposium Stipend YALSA is giving away up to $1,000 to two members to attend the 2010 Young Adult Literature Symposium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Nov. 5-7. One stipend will go to a YALSA member who works directly with teens in a library setting; the other will go to a student enrolled in an ALA-accredited library science program (you must be enrolled in an MLIS program as of Nov. 5, 2010). Details and applications  available online at the symposium website.

2010 Symposium Theme Announced YALSA announced the 2010 symposium theme! Beyond Good Intentions: Diversity, Literature, and Teens. Today’s generation of teens is the most diverse ever. Does today’s young adult literature reflect the many different faces, beliefs and identities of today’s teens? What impact is this generation having on young adult literature and vice versa? Join YALSA as we explore the depth and breadth of contemporary literature in search of an answer to these questions. Applications for programs and paper presentations will be available online later this month.

That’s it for this week’s update! To stay up to date on the latest from the YALSA Office, sign up to follow YALSA on Twitter or become a fan of YALSA on Facebook!