At the 2013 ALA Annual Conference, the YALSA board discussed possible methods to increase accessibility between members and the board, as well as improve transparency of the work of the board. The topic surfaced after the board received positive feedback when I “live-tweeted†the 2013 Midwinter board meetings. You can read the full board document that supported the discussion here. The board agreed to adopt the suggestions made and to evaluate the progress in 2014.
Some of the ideas have already begun to happen:
- The 2013 Annual board meetings were again live-tweeted. You can follow the new board fellow, Carla Land, on Twitter for her future updates!
- On the YALSA web page about the current board, Twitter handles are listed along with each member’s name and email. YALSA members are encouraged to follow and reach out to board members with any questions or ideas you might have regarding the organization!
- In an effort to share more details on board work, blog posts are have been written to elaborate on certain topics, such as Sarah Flower’s discussion of the work being done to increase library administrator’s buy-in on youth services and Linda Braun’s post on Organization and Bylaws committee evaluations. Keep watching the YALSA blog for future updates!
As the board continues to explore ways to be accessible and share information about board work, we encourage YALSA members to keep the flow of communication going both ways. Let board members know if you have an idea or a concern about something. Be sure to continue your involvement by volunteering for a task force or committee, or even run for board!
