Get ready to vote! The YALSA election runs from March 19 through April 25, and to help you be an informed voter, we’re sharing interviews with each of the 2014 candidates for YALSA Award Committees.
This week we are focusing on the Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award Committee, which honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 - October 31 publishing year.
Candidates, who will be presented in alphabetical order, were asked to craft “Twitter-length” responses (i.e. around 140 characters). Full biographical information on all of the candidates can be found on the sample ballot.
Today we have an interview with Annette Goldsmith.
Name and current position: Annette Y. Goldsmith, Guest Faculty, University of Washington iSchool; and Librarian, Sephardic Temple of Los Angeles
Why did you decide to run for a YALSA selection committee?
My teaching and book projects have been increasingly focused on YA so I am keen to move into YA committee work as well.
In a nutshell, what will you bring to the committee?
Years of YA librarianship, online teaching of YA grad courses, and scholarship in YA literature (HIV/AIDS, autism, & international books).
What experience do you have with materials selection and evaluation?
Now on California FOCAL Award committee. Past member of Schneider jury, USBBY Outstanding International Books, & Batchelder (also chair).
What makes you a good fit for this committee in particular?
I am an experienced teacher of YA nonfiction and enjoy promoting it.
How do you plan to manage the reading load required by selection committee participation?
By judicious planning. I already read YA nonfiction for my teaching, and while on the committee would reduce my other reading.
What have been some of your favorite past winners of this particular award?
By “winners” I include shortlist books: The Nazi Hunters; Courage Has No Color; Bomb; Wheels of Change; and Charles and Emma.
What books should have won the award, but didn’t?
Anne Frank (Metselaar, 2009) is extraordinary; Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem (Schanzer, 2011) is a favorite of my grad students.
What else do voters need to know about you?
I think of contributing to an award committee as serious fun. And of course I include teen input when I can.
This interview was cross-posted on The Hub and the YALSAblog.
