As part of its ongoing effort to improve member engagement opportunities so that they better meet member needs, as well as to re-think the structure of YALSA so that it’s better positioned to carry out the work of the new organizational plan, the Board sought to review of all existing member groups at our June meeting (see Candice Mack’s blog post). The Board accomplished a lot at its meeting in June, but didn’t finish all of its work around member groups. If you haven’t already, check out June Board documents #25, #40, and #41, which were all approved by the Board. Since the Board didn’t finish its work in June, the Board will be meeting virtually Aug. 1 from 12:30-1:30 pm, eastern, to discuss the Leading the Transformation of Teen Services Board Standing Committee’s draft recommendations for the remaining member groups that were not addressed in June. These latest Board proposals on member engagement are the result of about a year’s worth of organizational planning work by the Board, exploring how best to adopt a “teens first” approach to YALSA’s work in order to better support members and to advance teen services so that all teens are prepared for college, careers and life. Any member interested in sitting in on the virtual meeting can contact yalsa@ala.org to request the access information.If you’re interested in this issue and want to get involved, don’t forget the Virtual Member Town Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 17, from 3 – 4 pm, eastern. The Town Hall will be an opportunity for YALSA members to learn about the outcomes of the Board meeting on Aug. 1 and to explore ways to get involved in expanding and transforming member volunteer opportunities so that there are more virtual, short-term and opt-in opportunities. These next 12 months or so will be one of flux for YALSA as we all work together to re-envision the organization, and it’s a great time for members to share their ideas and input. Information on how to access the virtual Town Hall space will be sent out via the weekly YALSA eNews.
Stay tuned to the YALSAblog for further information and updates from the Board, and thank you for all you do for teens! If you can’t make the August town hall, hopefully you can make the next one! It’s scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 5-6 pm, eastern. Since the organizational plan was adopted in April, we’re now in the implementation phase and we hope that members will want to engage in that work. The Town Halls are a way for members to get updates about how the implementation is going and to explore ways to be a part of it.
And don’t forget to take the 5 minute member survey if you haven’t already–it’s an easy way to share your thoughts and ideas with YALSA. The deadline to respond is Aug. 1 and the link to the survey was in your latest eNews.
