Monthly President’s Report – July 2011
My first month as YALSA President has been a busy one. Below is a summary of activities that I have completed or am working on.
Completed Tasks
- Presented two webinars for new chairs of ‘ process committees, task forces, and juries about their roles and responsibilities.
- Presented (with Beth Yoke) a webinar for new board members about the relationship of YALSA and ALA.
- Had phone conversations with several YALSA committee chairs about the upcoming work of their committees.
- Had phone conversation with Lesley Farmer, YALSA’s IFLA representative, about the upcoming IFLA Conference and about what information about YALSA she should share there.
- Set up the @yalsapresident Twitter account, and began tweeting information about YALSA activities and linking to articles on teens and libraries.
- Filled a vacancy on the Best Fiction for Young Adults committee.
- Appointed members to a task force charged to write a manual for the Odyssey Award Committee.
Works in Progress
- Had a phone conversation with Mary Fellows, ALSC President, about the joint ALSC/YALSA Presidents’ Program for Annual 2012.
- The YALSA Board approved some new committees and task forces at the Annual Conference. I am currently appointing members for:
- A committee to oversee and market YALSA’s portfolio of national guidelines.
- A task force to evaluate the effectiveness of YALSA’s interest and discussion groups.
- In August, the Strategic Planning Committee, our consultant, Beth Yoke, and I will be meeting by phone to discuss the strategic planning input that we received at Annual, and start creating goals for the revised plan.
‘ Media & Outreach
- Spoke with Libby Goldman from Good Housekeeping about the impact of the Harry Potter books (http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/books/harry-potter)
‘ Important YALSA News & Reminders
- The deadline for submitting comments on YALSA’s draft research agenda is Friday, August 15.
- YALSA’s Board of Directors will meet via conference call on Fri. Aug. 26th from 3:00pm to 4:30pm, eastern, to review and discuss Quarterly Chair Reports.’ Any YALSA member who would like to sit in on the call may do so.’ Please contact Letitia Smith, YALSA’s Membership Coordinator, for the phone number and access code.
- Submit volunteer forms by September 30 for YALSA Selection and Award Committees; President-Elect Jack Martin will be appointing those committees in October.
- Vote now through August 15 for which programs YALSA will offer at the 2012 Annual Conference.
‘
Thank Yous
- Thanks to Priscille Dando and the Strategic Planning committee for facilitating the strategic planning process, before, during and after ALA Annual Conference.
- Thanks to the Teen Read Weekâ„¢ Committee who read and evaluated all of the applications for the TRW mini grants and selected the winners, and congratulations to the winners!
- And finally, a big thank you to all the chairs and committee members who finished their terms on June 30. YALSA depends on its member workers and we appreciate all you do. A special thanks to Tamera DiBartolo, Angela Germany, and the whole 2011 Local Arrangements Committee for all their hard work in preparing for and being hospitable at ALA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans.
‘
Respectfully Submitted,
Sarah Flowers
YALSA President
