Teen Tech Week kept us all busy in March as we explored and shared the joys of technology with our teens. Thank you to all the YALSA members who participated in Teen Tech Week activities with the teens in your libraries!’ …and speaking of YALSA members, have you ever wondered just who it is that makes up the YALSA membership? Here is a’ snapshot that shows just who your fellow members are:
Total membership: 5,416 (1.3% increase over this time last year)
11% are academics
24% are students
26% are school librarians
37% are public librarians
2% are other (retirees, friends, etc.)
‘ Completed:
- Notified winners of the “Why I’m a YALSA Member Contest‒ which were chosen by the’ Division & Membership Promotion Committee which is chaired by Melissa McBride. Congratulations go to:
‘ Grand Prize winner – Kate Walker who won an e-reader and a free year membership in ALA/YALSA
Twitter winner – Jennifer Hopwood who won of a box of books.
Essay winner – Kathryn Bradley who won of a box of books.
- ‘ Notified the winners of the “Thinking Big Advocacy Contest.†Kathy Mahoney, the Thinking Big Advocacy Contest TF Chair, remarked that the “The top two finishers were highly rated by virtually every member of the committee, and it was such a closely contested race that it was almost a dead heat.†Winners are:
First Place: Michele Gorman, Teen Services Coordinator, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Second Place: Jennifer Lara, District Director of Instructional Media Centers, O’Fallon Township High School Vernon A. Ohlendorf Instructional Media Center
Fourth Place: Lynn Silbernage, Middle School Librarian, Catlin Gabel School
Fifth Place: Michael Giller, Assistant Director of Library Services, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities
- ‘ Congratulations also to Alexandra Tyle-Annen, the winner of the YALSA stipend that we give out for a member to attend National Library Legislative Day.’
- Congrats’ also to’ the YALSA members named 2011 movers & shakers: Jennifer Valasquez & Joanna Axelrod.’
- Conducted a conference call with several committee chairs to discuss the work and progress of the committees.
- Finalized new appointments to recently added taskforces as a result of board decisions made at Midwinter. These included: Selected List and Awards Changes Evaluation Taskforce, Guidelines for Public Libraries Taskforce and the 2012 Midwinter Institute Taskforce. These task forces have all began their work.
- Worked with Priscille Dando, Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee to kick off YALSA’s next round of the Strategic Planning process with a survey to begin gather information about the YALSA membership and the services needed.
- Sent Thank you letters to the supervisors of former committee chairs who have recently completed their terms..
- Officiated Board Conference Call on March 2, to review, discuss and handle committee concerns and other board matters. The draft minutes are available here.
- Represented YALSA at the Oklahoma State Library Conference
- Represented YALSA at the Youth Privacy Conference in Chicago, IL
‘ In Progress:
- Working with the board to establish a Midwinter Marketing & Local Arrangements Taskforce to help promote what YALSA does at Midwinter which will soon be appointed. This group will help out on site with the newer events YALSA has added to our busy MW Conference schedule, including the Morris & Nonfiction reception, the paper presentation that’s hosted by the Past Presidents, etc.’ Having members assist with important Midwinter events will help ensure the success of these additions.
- Planning for Board meetings and Board trainings at the ALA Annual Conference in June.‘
Press:
- Interviewed for a Chicago Tribune story “Libraries teach computer literacy” http://triblocal.com/morton-grove/2011/03/14/libraries-teach-computer-literacy/
- ‘ Interviewed with Judlyne Lilly Gibson of The Second Street Dreams Audio Network regarding 2011 Printz winner
- ‘ Interviewed with Dan Angelo host of “Education Today†on’ ‘ KUCR, ‘ University of California, Riverside regarding library technologies and teen patrons.
‘ Upcoming Events:
- The new round of Teen’s Top Ten titles have been announced. See which 25 titles are nominated here.
- Picture It @ your library, is the theme for Teen Read Week 2011! Check here for program ideas, planning resources, publicity tools, official products from ALA Graphics, mini grants from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation,’ and more.
- Join us in New Orleans, June 23-28 for ALA’s Annual Conference. Advanced registration ends’ May 13.’ See what YALSA has planned (including our Reluctant Readers and YA Nuts & Bolts preconferences and other special events) at Annual this year on the YALSA Wiki.
- Registration now open for’ upcoming YALSA’s webinars! ‘ Job Hunting Simplified (April 21), Best Practices in Teen Space Design (May 19), Street Smart (June 16), and’ Reading Unbound: E-Readers and Your Library (July 14). Learn more.
- Think you have something to share with a new professional? YALSA is taking applications for the YALSA 2011-2012 Mentoring Program! We’re matching experienced librarians with new librarians or grad students for reciprocal mentoring. ‘ ‘ Apply here.
- Propose a YALSA program for ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim in 2012. Proposals due May 31.
- YALSA seeks a presenter for Midwinter Meeting Paper Presentation, sponsored by YALSA’s Past Presidents. You could win up to $1,500 to defray attendance costs to present on trends impacting young adult library services at the 2012 Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, Jan. 20-24. Learn more.
- Submit your summer reading program for publication in YALSA’s upcoming book, YALSA’s Complete Summer Reading Manual for Teen and Tween Services. Learn more.’
-Repectfully submitted by Kim Patton, ‘ YALSA President
