Colleagues-
February may have been only 28 days long, but it was a busy month. Here are some highlights.
Accomplishments
- Attended ALA Midwinter in Denver where I:
- Presided over the YALSA Board and Executive Committee meetings. To read about the Board’s governance work at MW click here.
- Presented a proposal to the ALA Executive Board about building stronger ties between the ALA Affiliates and ALA
- Emceed the 2018 Youth Media Awards.
- Lunched with YALSA past-presidents
- Attended joint meetings with AASL, ALSC, and REFORMA
- Attended the Edwards and Nonfiction Awards event
- Met with the 2nd cohort of participants selected to take part in the Future Ready with the Library: Connecting with Communities for College and Career Readiness Services
- Participated in two conference sessions focused on YALSA’s new Teen Services Competencies for Library Staff
- Worked with YALSA Board and ALA HR to begin process of hiring a new YALSA Executive Director. For an update click here.
- Wrote thank you letters to outgoing chairs of committees, taskforces, and juries.
- Prepared for the March Board chat where we discussed concerns brought forward by YALSA members re: appropriate volunteer behavior and the committee appointment process. Be on the lookout for Board actions in response to both of these topics.
- Wrote President’s column for the spring issue of YALS focused on small, rural, and tribal libraries
Stats and Data
- Funds raised in Jan. = $1,275
- Member stats for Jan. = 4,792 (down 1.1% over this time last year)
Don’t Forget!
- Make sure to vote in ALA/YALSA election, which opened 3/12. Before you vote, check out the following resources YALSA has compiled:
- Sample ballot
- Candidate interviews and town hall
- Statement on ALA ballot initiative on Executive Director credentials –YALSA’s Board recommends that members vote no on their ballot. A “no” vote means that an MLS degree should be preferred but not required for the ALA Executive Director
- List of YALSA members running for ALA positions
If you cannot locate the email from ALA, please contact JoAnne Kempf at jkempf@ala.org or 312.280.3212. Voting runs through April 4th.
Last year the Board voted to put a measure on the 2017 ballot to standardize all award committees so that all positions are appointed, instead of some having appointed positions and some elected positions. Click here to view the board document . The membership voted last year to pass the board’s proposal, so 2018 is the first ballot where there are no award committees on the ballot (that info is also shared in the Election FAQ). They’ll all be appointed in the fall of this year
- We are looking for volunteers for two short-term virtual taskforces to craft proposals for two new awards that will directly benefit members. If you’re interested fill out the Committee Volunteer Form by no later than Mon. March 19
- Applications are open for a member to serve as liaison to ALA groups for 2018 – 2019. Find out more here.
- Check out the YALSA Blog and The Hub for great ideas and the latest on YA services and resources!
- Check out the Current Projects page to stay updated on what’s going on!
Thank you!
- To the YALSA Board, YALSA ED, and YALSA staff for representing YALSA at ALA Midwinter
- To the Award & Selected List Committees for identifying great resources for teens
- To the member award juries for selecting the latest round of honorees
- To Amanda Barnhart for serving as YALSA’s Liaison to ALA committees at MIdwinter
- To all our members for all that you do to support teens and teen library services in your communities.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandra Hughes-Hassell
YALSA President 2017-2018
Follow me on twitter @Bridge2Lit
