Take an e-course from YALSA

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Registration is now open for two online courses from YALSA: “New Technologies & New Literacies for Teens” and “Power Programming for Teens.”

Courses will run from July 17th to August 17th, 2006. Registration for the courses is available online from July 10 through 17th at www.ala.org/yalsa. Each course is the equivalent of a one day face-to-face workshop. Class size is limited to 25 participants.

New Technologies & New Literacies for Teens: will run for four weeks and participants will become familiar with the tools and techniques teens use to communicate and collaborate online, learn how to inform their own community about best practices that support teen’s technology-based print literacies, have the opportunity to talk with others about teen use of technology and how that use improves literacy skills, and create framework for a program or service at their library that supports teen technology-based print literacy. The course will be taught by Linda Braun. The cost is $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for non members.

Power Programming for Teens: will run for four weeks and will help participants attain a higher level of service to teens at their library or school. This course is designed for library staff who would like to expand their teen programs. Participants will learn how to develop and implement more programming ideas that will work at their facility and will be taught by Amy Alessio. The cost is $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for non members.

Linda Braun is an educational technology consultant with LEO: Librarians & Educators Online. In her job she works with schools, libraries, and other types of educational institutions to help them figure out the best way to integrate technology into their programs and services. She is an adjunct faculty member at Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science, a columnist for VOYA, and has written several books on topics related to teens and technology.

Amy Alessio has enjoyed the constant advice of her Teen Advisory Board for over 8 years in her capacity as Teen Coordinator for the Schaumburg Township District Library in Illinois. She is the YALSA Fiscal Officer and the editor of the YALSA online journal YAttitudes in addition to being active in the Illinois Library Association. She has presented locally and nationally on teen services and writes about young adult literature for Teenreads.com and Crimespree magazine.

Additional courses will be offered in October. More tips on taking online courses can be found here.For more information about YALSA, please contact us via email, yalsa@ala.org; or by phone at 1-800-545-2433 ext. 4390.
Posted by Beth Yoke

Your input needed for DOPA hearings

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YALSA members & leaders,

ALA’s Washington Office has asked YALSA to testify at the Congressional hearings for the proposed DOPA legislation (if passed this would require schools & libraries receiving the e-rate to block all “social networking” sites). As per YALSA’s Board of Directors’ discussion at their meeting, YALSA opposes DOPA. The hearings are Tuesday July 11th.

I’m working with the ALA Washington office on an official statement, but I can fold in comments and personal stories from YALSA members and/or their teens. If you or your teens have any compelling stories about how MySpace and other social networking sites have made a positive impact on your library and/or your patrons, please send them to me ASAP. Thank you for your efforts to protect teens’ access to information.
-Beth Yoke
byoke@ala.org

10 Things to Do Now that You’re Home from the ALA Conference:

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1. If you want to serve on one of YALSA’s Selection Committees, like Great Graphic Novels or the Alex Awards, you need to be appointed by Paula Brehm-Heeger, YALSA’s President-Elect. To be considered for appointment, fill out YALSA’s Committee Volunteer Form . Process Committee appointments aren’t made until the spring. Be sure to indicate which committee you’re really interested in-saying “anywhere” isn’t always helpful.

2. If you’d like to participate in one of YALSA’s Discussion or Interest Groups, contact the convener and let him or her know. Click here for contact information.

3. Follow up with any colleagues you met at the conference.

4. Share something you learned at the conference with coworkers or colleagues.

5. For purposes of documenting your professional development, mark which programs you attended in the conference program and save it for future reference.

6. Follow up with any questions about YALSA that may have come up during the conference with the YALSA Office at yalsa@ala.org or 1.800.545.2433 x4390.

7. Look for your summer issue of Young Adult Library Services (YALS) in the mail.

8. Start planning your Teen Read Week celebration (October 15-21). For more information and/or to register, go to the TRW site .

9. Check out the Conference section of YALSA’s blog for a synopsis and musings on any programs you may have missed.

10. Visit YALSA’s web site for handouts from some of YALSA’s programs at the conference.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the YALSA Office at yalsa@ala.org or 1.800.545.2433 x4390. We’re looking forward to seeing you in Seattle for ALA’s Midwinter Meeting, Jan. 19-24, 2007! YALSA will have special events to kick off our 50th anniversary and launch Teen Tech Week (Mar. 4-10, 2007). On Friday Jan. 19th we’ll also be hosting an institute about reaching wired teens, and since last year’s Gaming Night was so popular, we’ll be offering it again.

Posted by Beth Yoke

Get Your YALSA Swag at the ALA Conference

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YALSA will be selling 50th anniversary mugs and YALSA pins at the ALA store at the Annual Conference. Mugs are $7 and pins are $5. ALA members get a 10% discount. Any proceeds from these sales will go to Friends of YALSA. These items are not available online at this time, but only through the store at the conference.
-Posted by Beth Yoke

Be sure to welcome new members at the conference

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Once again YALSA will have 2 types of general member ribbons at the Annual Conference: just plain ol’ “member” ribbons (orange) and “new member” ribbons (now in peach!). If you happen to see anyone wearing a “new member” ribbon, please be sure to approach them and welcome them. As you well know, the ALA conference can be quite daunting for 1st timers, so anything you do to make newbies feel more relaxed and welcome is greatly appreciated. We now have 5,122 members, which is about 500 more members than we had this time last year.

Also, be on the lookout for new “YALSA Author” ribbons. You can chat with these individuals about how you can get your book published with YALSA. You’re also likely to see “Friend of YALSA” ribbons. Ask these members about why they think making a monetary donation to YALSA is worthwhile, or find out for yourself by going to www.ala.org/yalsa and clicking on “Give to YALSA” from the left menu.

Thanks for all the hard work you do for YALSA, and we’re excited to be seeing you all in New Orleans! I am in the YALSA office through Tuesday, and Nichole and Esther will be in the office through Wednesday. If you need to find us in the convention center, the ALA/YALSA office area is level 2 in the La Nouvelle Orleans Ballroom.
-Posted by Beth Yoke

New Orleans is Ready for ALA!

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Hello all,

Well, we are finally getting some rain…so hopefully we can get out of the 100+ year drought…worse drought in New Orleans since record keeping began.

The buzz word in the city is “The librarians are coming!” Taxi drivers are excited and ready…first big convention since Katrina.

The major hotel chains have brought in additional workers from their other properties to make sure we all have a good time. The weather will be hot(as we all know, plus the usual humidity…so bring cool and comfortable clothes).

Starting on Monday, June 19th, the city is suppose to do a major clean-up of the Convention Center area, Central Business District (CBD) and the French Quarter.

New Orleans has come along way since Katrina….especially the areas that ALA will be using. A large part of the city is still a hurricane war torn disaster.

The only other thing I would suggest you bring with you is a supply of patience. Some things move a little slower, make take longer, but the people are more than willing to go out their way to give you a warm welcome. If you need assistance, directions, etc. please ask ’em.

See you this week!

Terry Young
YALSA’s Local Arrangements Chair
-Posted by Beth Yoke from yalsacom

Announcing LibLand for SLIS Students

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A few ALA staff and members put together a wiki geared toward Library Science students and new librarians. It’s a work in progress, so please feel free to add information or suggest improvements. The wiki includes contact info and links to all of the ALA student chapters, blogs and web sites for new librarians, information about ALA resources specifically for students and more.
Posted by Beth Yoke

Special Registration Rate at ALA Conference

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ALA is now offering a special one-day rate for Monday, June 26, during the Annual Conference in New Orleans (June 22-28). Members may attend for $99, and non-members will pay $125. Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday will be at the regular rate.

YALSA has a day full of great YA events for those who plan to come on Monday:

  • AASL/ALSC/YALSA Joint Youth Council Caucus
  • I Can Get My Teens to Review Anything & You Can, Too
  • YALSA’s President’s Program, “How Adult is Young Adult”
  • YALSA’s Membership Meeting
  • Michael L. Printz Award Program & Reception

For program descriptions, locations and registration go online

To learn more about the special Monday registration rate, click here.

We hope to see you in New Orleans!
Posted by Beth Yoke

Help YALSA Oppose DOPA

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The ALA Washington Office is seeking testimony to submit to Congress to oppose the proposed Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA). They would like your answers to the following:

  1. What are some positive ways that social networking sites, such as MySpace, are used in your library and/or with your patrons?

  2. What do you think will be the impact on your library patrons if social networking sites are blocked on library computers?

If you are willing to contribute to the testimony that’s being gathered, please submit answers to these questions to yalsa@ala.org and be sure to provide your name and full contact information. Answers need to be received by no later than Tuesday June 13th.

To learn more about DOPA, go to: http://tinyurl.com/q885f

Thank you for all the hard work you do for the teens in your community!
Posted by Beth Yoke

Blogger Reception at ALA Conference

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I just found out that there’s a Blogger Reception at Annual. It will take place in Leslie Burger’s Suite after the Scholarship Bash (Sat. from 10:30 pm to midnight). In order to be able to attend, you need to send an RSVP by June 14th here: rsvp@ala.org . Leslie said that it is an informal thing that started at Midwinter and is primarily for conference attendees who have their own blog.

Posted by Beth Yoke