Annual Conference is coming soon, and there are tons of cool YALSA programs happening there. We’ll hopefully be seeing a lot of you at the Michael L. Printz award event, the Margaret A. Edwards luncheon, the Coffee Klatch and many more! If you haven’t gotten your ticket for one of these events, there’s still time. Plus, you can get them at the door, too. So these events are not just a chance to see something cool, they’re a great opportunity to give back to YALSA.
Proceeds from the sales go back to YALSA to support grants, awards and scholarships for members. Each year YALSA’s Financial Advancement Committee has a goal to raise $16,000 to support these grants, awards and scholarships. So far this year we’ve raised $5,375. Please consider giving to YALSA to help us stay on track to raise the $16,000 we need by this December.
The Financial Advancement Committee is super passionate about supporting YALSA, and we think it’s important to share that enthusiasm because we know it’s one of the building blocks that helps YALSA achieve awesomeness. Here’s what some of our committee members have to say about why they give to YALSA:
Melissa McBride:
“Giving to YALSA is something I feel strongly about! I have been a member for 12 years and an active participant in the organization for the last seven. I’m not sure I would be where I am professionally without YALSA! My years of participating on committees have allowed me to meet fabulous people, help support a wonderful organization, and most importantly given me the confidence to take an active leadership role in my school district. I can’t think of a better way of showing my appreciation than by giving to YALSA and allowing them to help out other librarians – just like me!”
Dora Ho:
“Giving to YALSA helps strengthen library services to teens through its programs and initiatives. YALSA empowers librarians to serve teens each and every day in the libraries where teens can enrich their literacy skills and engage with their community.”
Gretchen Kolderup:
“Every day, library staff change teens’ lives in both big and small ways by giving them employment opportunities, by recommending books and turning them into lifelong readers, by providing them with access to technology, by helping them pursue their personal or academic interests, by bringing like-minded teens together and building community among them, or simply by being an adult who cares about them. YALSA supports that work with webinars, toolkits, national advocacy efforts, grants and scholarships, conferences, and more, so I support YALSA by donating and volunteering my time.”
Franklin Escobedo:
“I know it can be hard to give money, especially when a lot of us aren’t rolling in the dough. But I feel that giving to YALSA doesn’t only benefit me, but it benefits all YA Librarians out there, members and nonmembers. YALSA mission is to advocate for teens and the librarians who work with teens. I believe even if you give just a little, that little bit will go a long way to help. YALSA is investing in our future, through leadership programs, national advocacy days, as well as helping to promote YA Services in libraries. They continue to press the point that Young Adult/Teen Services are vital to the future of libraries across this nation. We have strength in numbers, so every little donation and every large donation is going to help their cause, my cause, our cause. None of us became librarians for a fame and fortune, we became librarians because we have a passion to better society and to advocate for teens who oftentimes get overlooked in their own communities. “
Personally, I give to YALSA because I know YALSA will make something awesome out of it. That awesomeness comes out in many ways: the Future of Teens in Libraries report, the Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers list, new discoveries in the research journal, librarians and library workers who just learned something new on one of YALSA’s webinars, the look on a teen’s face when their teen services librarian gives them something fabulous to read they discovered on the Books for Teens app…I could go on.
If you want to see proof of the awesome, just check @yalsa out on Twitter. I find myself inspired by dozens of awesome things YALSA is doing for and with teens in libraries every day. Check it out. Better yet, you could give to YALSA too, and make sure we continue to create the awesome. And remember, every amount helps, no matter how little or how large.
See you in San Francisco!
P.S. Want a super easy way to donate to YALSA? Text ALA TEENALA to this number: 41518 to make a $10 donation
