What is the YALSA Board? What do they do? Who is on the YALSA Board? These could be questions you may have and if they are you’ve come to the right place. Each month, two YALSA Board of Directors are interviewed and their responses are shared here in order to help members get to know more about the Board members, the Board itself and things the Board is working on.
YALSA’s board of directors has the principal responsibility for fulfillment of YALSA’s mission and the legal accountability for its operations. The board has specific fiduciary duties of care, loyalty, and obedience to the law. As a group they are in charge of:
- establishing a clear organizational mission
- forming the strategic plan to accomplish the mission
- overseeing and evaluating the plan’s success
- hiring a competent executive director
- providing adequate supervision and support to the executive director
This month meet Trixie Dantis, Teen Services Librarian at Arlington Heights Memorial Library and YALSA Board Fellow.
What drew you to the Board?
I am very passionate about increasing library staff diversity. When there was a call for members to serve on YALSA’s Board Diversity Task Force, I jumped at the opportunity. Working on this task force piqued my interest in governance, learning how the organization works. I decided to apply for the Board Fellow Program a one-year commitment to get better understanding of the organization and Board.
What do you do on the board?
Since this is the first year of a 3-year organizational plan we’ve been focusing on realignment of existing structures within the organization to better serve members working towards the envisioned future of library services for and with teens. I’m on the standing board committee concentrating on Leading the Transformation of Teen Library Services priority. In preparation for Midwinter, I worked with colleagues to develop a couple of board documents
What the board is doing for its members?
There are some exciting opportunities on the horizon for YALSA members! The board is laying the groundwork for upcoming leadership development and cultural competency curricula. For those looking to get involved, there will be more short-term, virtual volunteer opportunities to fit busy schedules. For those looking to connect, revitalized Interest Groups can help you build your local or topical network. One thing I cannot stress enough, we want member feedback. Let us know what you’re struggling with when it comes to serving teens – we want to help!
What book you are reading or what is your most favorite recent teen program?
I recently finished, All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. It’s the third book in the Naturals series. It centers a group of teens recruited by the FBI to help apprehend serial killers and bring them to justice, like YA Criminal Minds.
