YALSA Board at #alaac19: Membership Engagement and Volunteer Opportunities

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In the last half of 2018, YALSA’s Division and Membership Promotion Committee did a deep dive to evaluate YALSA’s membership engagement around volunteer opportunities. Here are some key highlights of their evaluation and recommendations for improvements:

  • Increasing communication about the specific work done by the committees, task forces, and juries. Specifically, calendars or timelines, desired skills, and member workloads or expectations for each group.
  • Improved communication after a member has submitted a volunteer application, including but not limited to increasing awareness on volunteer opportunities that are still open after specified positions have been filled.
  • Improving the transparency of various volunteer and committee work using social media.
  • Create a requirement that YALSA committees, task forces, and juries share their work via YALSA blog posts (where applicable–some committees cannot do this per the confidentiality of their work).
  • Create a task force to evaluate YALSA 101, 201 (currently not active), and 301 sessions to evaluate their effectiveness, and the possibility to additionally hold them at other conferences or virtually.
  • Survey current YALSA volunteers about how they want to be acknowledged for their work.

At Annual in Washington, D.C., the YALSA Board will review recommendations by the Division and Membership Committee and may discuss what further actions need to take place or need to be assigned to committees, the YALSA Board, or YALSA Staff. Learn more in Board Document 5.

See the full agenda of the Board of Directors at ALA Annual in Washington, D.C. All Board meetings are open to attendees, and you can learn more about the Board meetings on the YALSA Conference wiki.

YALSA Election Info: Proposed By-Law Change

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Proposed YALSA By-Law Change

On the 2019 ballot, YALSA members will see a proposed by-law change:

To amend the YALSA Bylaw, Article V, Board of Directors Sec. 1 by changing the number of Directors‐at‐Large from seven to six and to add an Advocacy Member.

 

The section will now read:
The Board of Directors shall be composed of the President, President‐elect, the Immediate Past President, seven six Directors‐at‐Large, the Fiscal Officer, the Secretary, and the Division‐Elected YALSA Councilor. The Executive Director, the Board Fellow, the Advocacy Member and the chairs of the Strategic Planning, Financial Advancement and Organization & Bylaws Committees serve ex officio (without vote).

Why are we asking for this by-laws change?

  • This change was embraced by the Board as part of the 2015 – 2016 strategic planning process, and is included in the first-year Implementation Plan. It is also part of the current
    2018-19 Implementation Plan.
  • The inclusion of advocates to the Board who work beyond the library teen services space can bring a unique perspective and help broaden the organization’s outlook on serving youth.
  • A more diverse Board can strengthen its capacity by bringing in relevant skills or knowledge from beyond the library community.
  • By including advocates on the Board, YALSA is modeling the behavior it wants members to adopt at the local level in terms of reaching out into the community to forge partnerships that increase their ability to meet teen needs.
  • The viability of this idea has been demonstrated by the recruitment of Kathy Ishizuka to the 2017 slate and her subsequent election to the Board and service.
  • A three year commitment may not be ideal for this type of position, so adding the Advocacy Member position as an “ex-officio” position allows for the greatest flexibility.
  • An outcome of this position would be a mutually beneficial partnership where there is a sharing of knowledge, experiences, and support for both partners to grow together.

To learn more about the backgroung that led to this change, see the following:
2017 Midwinter Conference Board Document #27, “Broadening the Board’s Composition”

2016 Annual Conference Board Document #4, “Organizational Plan Potential Bylaws Impact”

Dealing with Disruption and Competition to the Association Industry

Other 2019 ALA Election Resources

Looking for help learning more about ALA Council candidate info? Andromeda Yelton has provided a quick and easy site to extract information about each candidate’s unit membership: ALA Council Candidate Sorter 2019 . This is especially helpful, if you’re interested in seeing which candidates for Council are also YALSA members as you can filter them accordingly on this site.

Please also refer to recent YALSA Blog posts for all 2019 YALSA Canditiate Interviews:

YALSA Board @ Midwinter 2019: Advocacy Board Position

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At the 2016 ALA Annual Conference, YALSA Board directed the Leading the Transformation for Teen Services Board Standing Committee to explore the idea of changing or expanding the makeup of the YALSA Board of Directors to include board members who are from outside the organization. At the ALA Midwinter Conference the Board discussed document #27 to broaden the scope of the Board to accommodate advocates. The Board has had several follow up discussions regarding the makeup of the YALSA Board, most recently with Board document #12.

The Board has voted to create, with membership approval, an ex-officio (non-voting) board position for person with a non traditional background or experience who will act as an advocate for YALSA outside of the Library profession. This change was embraced by the Board as part of the 2015 – 2016 strategic planning process, and is included in the first-year Implementation Plan. It is also part of the current 2018-19 Implementation Plan. The inclusion of advocates to the Board who work beyond the library teen services space can bring a unique perspective and help broaden the organization’s outlook on serving youth. A more diverse Board can strengthen its capacity by bringing in relevant skills or knowledge from beyond the library community. By including advocates on the Board, YALSA is modeling the behavior it wants members to adopt at the local level in terms of reaching out into the community to forge partnerships that increase their ability to meet teen needs.

In order to make this change the number of At-Large Board members will decrease by one, and we will add an additional ex-officio position to the board. This member will be appointed by the President-Elect for a one year term, with the option to renew for a second term if so desired. This change will require a vote by membership (Board doc #13), so please look for more information closer to the March elections. Please feel free to contact Board member Melissa McBride, mcbride.melissa@gmail.com, with any questions.

22×20 National Campaign Taskforce

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22×20 is a national campaign established by The Learning and Multimedia Project (LAMP) and CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement. Targeting the 22 million teens who will be eligible to vote in their first presidential election in 2020, this initiative seeks to build media literacy and civic engagement.

Since the project supports concepts central to YALSA’s vision and desired impact, the Board wanted to partner and support the initiative. Additionally, 22×20’s goals of equipping teens with the skills needed and connecting them with the resources and space to understand, evaluate, and respond to political messages support content areas of YALSA’s Teen Services Competencies for Library Staff.

In early-November, the YALSA Board discussed and voted on an in-kind contribution to support 22×20. Early this year, a taskforce will be appointed to create resources supporting the initiative. To learn more, read Item #11 on the Board’s 2019 Midwinter Meeting agenda.

Interested in serving on the taskforce? Watch the weekly YALSA e-News for taskforce volunteer opportunities.

2020 Award committees have been seated

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Hello YALSA members and interested parties,

I appreciate your patience as we have pivoted to the new model for seating award committees. Thank you to everyone who applied!

The following members have volunteered, have been selected and have accepted their positions on the six 2020 Award Committees:

Michael L. Printz Award:

Chair, Kim Farnsworth

Members: Tegan Beese, Elisa Garcia, Connie Hollin, KE Ellen Hones, Connie Lin, Cameron Riesenberger, Stacey Shapiro, Jenny Zbrizher

YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award:

Chair, Rachel Adams

Members: Alicia Blowers, Jennifer Cooper, Heather Dickerson, Elizabeth Nelson, Joe Prince, Erica Ruscio, Carolyn Vidmar, Stephen Zampino

Alex Awards:

Chair, Paula Gallagher

Members: Pat Couts, Marianne Follis, Jennie Law, Candace Reeder, Carrie Shaurette, Lauri Vaughan, Courtney Waters, Rachel Webb

William C. Morris Award:

Chair, Terrence Young

Members: Diane Fuller, Carrie Kausch, Kristen Kwisnek, Jessica Lundin, Katrina Ortega, Anjelica Rufus-Barnes, Beth Saxton, Rachel Zuffa

Margaret A. Edwards Award:

Chair, Dawn McMillan

Members: Therese Bigelow, Lisa Brennan, April Dawkins, Rachel Wadham

Odyssey Award: (co-administered by ALSC and YALSA)

(ALSC selects the chair for even-numbered award years)

YALSA Members: Robin Brenner, Martha Karavatis, Beth Anne Klein, Drue Wagner-Mees

 

Thanks again to everyone who volunteered and to those who have been selected!

Don’t forget that strategic committee volunteer opportunities are available now and will remain open until February 1.

All the best to you in 2019!

Todd Krueger, YALSA President-Elect

Strategic Committee Volunteer Opportunities – Now Available!

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Greetings YALSA members:

Are you looking for leadership opportunities and being a part of moving YALSA forward, while networking with colleagues? Serve on one of YALSA’s strategic committees, advisory boards or task forces! Most are virtual and do not require conference attendance. I will make appointments in February and March, work starts July 1 and are one year appointments (unless noted). The Committee Volunteer Form is NOW OPEN for 2019-20 opportunities.

Groups include:

  • AASL/ALSC/YALSA Committee on School & Public Library Cooperation
  • District Days
  • Division & Membership Promotion
  • Editorial Advisory Board (for YALS & the YALSAblog)
  • Financial Advancement
  • Hub Advisory Board
  • JRLYA Advisory Board
  • Organization & Bylaws
  • Research Committee
  • Summer Learning
  • Teens’ Top Ten Committee

Before submitting your Committee Volunteer Form (scroll down under “Sign Up to Participate”), view the committee FAQ and the committee responsibilities section in the YALSA handbook. Fill out the form by Feb. 1. Questions? Please contact me at todd.yalsa@gmail.com.

Thanks!

Todd Krueger, YALSA President-Elect

Leadership Symposium and DC visit report

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Dear YALSA members,

Each fall, the President-Elect of our organization joins the YALSA Executive Director to attend a leadership event to better understand the tenets of leading a nonprofit organization and how leadership styles may mesh and what improvements can be made to ensure a seamless transition and continuity for YALSA. Earlier this month, Executive Director Anita Mechler and I had the opportunity to attend ASAE‘s CEO Symposium in Washington DC, led by representatives from Tecker International. Tecker has worked with ALA and many of its divisions over the years to help with decision-making, strategic planning and training.

Held at the historic Watergate Hotel, this year’s event was of particular importance to YALSA leadership, as it was the first time that Anita had attended the event, so both of us were new to the training. Before the program started on Thursday, we took the opportunity on Wednesday afternoon to meet with local partners. Anita met with the ALA Washington Office and discussed matters of advocacy affecting YALSA and teens in general. Then the two of us connected and met with Kelcy Shepherd, Tim Carrigan and Sarah Fuller of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) where we had a very fruitful meeting discussing potential grant opportunities and partnerships that our organizations could jointly tackle. Finally, it was our great pleasure to meet with Abby Kiesa of 22×20 to further establish our working relationship. More information about all of these relationships will be forthcoming.

The ASAE CEO Symposium brought hundreds of nonprofit leaders from various fields together to discuss Board and leadership issues, trends, and behaviors. Key to the two-day event was the time that Anita and I spent speaking one-on-one on how our backgrounds and knowledge inform our decision-making and leadership styles. We took a modified Myers-Briggs test and learned our strengths and potential pitfalls as individuals and as partner leaders.  Responsibilities of Board members, fiduciary issues, governance models, and case studies were all covered in this whirlwind learning opportunity. As the next YALSA Strategic Plan will be determined in the coming months, the timing of this event was fortuitous to create a strong understanding between the Board leadership and our Executive Director. An added bonus was to spend time with fellow attendees ALSC Executive Director Aimee Strittmatter and ALSC President-Elect Cecilia McGowan. The four of us talked at great length about potential partnerships, both official and unofficial, between our divisions and simply enjoyed getting to know each other.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Todd Krueger, YALSA President-Elect

todd.yalsa@gmail.com

Board Document – Committee Impact Report

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The YALSA Board discussed the Committee Impact Report produced by the Organization & Bylaws Committee in September 2018.  A key recommendation of the report is to revamp the Quarterly Chair Report to do two things: 1. Better measure the work of committees and taskforces.  2.  Yield more information on how our committees and taskforces implement the strategic plan and their progress on achieving the Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) goals of the association.

To complement the changes to the Quarterly Chair Report, the board also considered adding a dashboard- a visual tool to give information at a glance so that it can quickly track the work of a committee or taskforce, identify patterns and irregularities, and also potential problems so that they can be solved in a swift manner.

Another key recommendation is to create an End of Term Report for committees, juries and taskforces. This report will capture committee accomplishments. It will also identify YALSA Stars so that they can be encouraged to be YALSA leaders in the future.

These changes will assist the board making decisions for the association so that it better serves the membership and will help provide a clear picture to the membership of how we are working to achieve plans and goals now and into the future.

The Board passed this document on October 10th. The document can be viewed here.

Margaret A. Edwards Award Celebration Update

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Late in August, the YALSA Board voted to approve Board Document 33. For a two-year pilot period, the Margaret A. Edwards Award Celebration will be moved from its current iteration as an event at the Annual Conference to the YALSA Symposium, beginning at the November, 2019 Symposium in Memphis, TN.

The Margaret A. Edwards Award, established in 1988, honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. The annual award is administered by YALSA and sponsored by School Library Journal magazine. It recognizes an author’s work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world. The Edwards award celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2018.

The rationale for this change is outlined in Board Document 33. By moving the Edwards Celebration from Annual to the YALSA Symposium, we believe that there will be a greater focus on the accomplishment made by the winner of the prestigious award. Having the Edwards Celebration among so many other options at the Annual Conference can create difficulties for those wanting to attend but unable, whether due to timing or cost of multiple ticketed events. Another benefit to moving the Edwards Celebration to the Symposium is the addition of the Member Awards to this event. We would like to highlight the significant accomplishments of members and invite them to be celebrated in an appropriate venue. We have received the endorsement of School Library Journal in piloting the changes to the event.

Related to this, back in February, the YALSA Board had approved a proposal to eliminate the requirement for an author to accept the Edwards Award in person as a condition of the award. School Library Journal also endorsed this change.

A group will be formed in the coming months to explore the best ways to enact these changes and plan an event befitting the Edwards and Member Awards recipients.

Thanks!

Todd Krueger

YALSA President-Elect

Interested in serving on a Book Award Committee?

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Happy September! Are you a member of YALSA and would like to serve on one of the Book Award committees? Click on the Committee Volunteer Form (found under Sign Up to Participate). If you apply, be sure to indicate any previous experience you have with book discussion groups, award or selection list skills, and/or review writing. I will be looking for a diverse field of potential appointees for each award committee comprised of members with varying levels of experience.

As a reminder, all of the YALSA Book Award committee members are appointed beginning with the 2020 awards, based on a membership ballot decision. Appointments will be made in October, so you must volunteer no later than September 30 to be considered. Members will serve a one year term beginning Feb. 1, 2019.

The six award committees are:

Consider being selective in your choices: although you are able to select all of the committees on the form, I will be able to better gauge specific interest if you do not choose them all (or even most of them). Before the form, please be sure to review the resources on this web page to make sure that committee work is a good fit for you.

Finally, please remember that this is a substantial obligation; in many cases, you will be reading or listening to up to hundreds of titles in 2019 to determine the best of the best. Bear in mind when deciding whether or not to volunteer if the obligations of your personal & professional lives can also include this major commitment.

I thank everyone in advance for their desire and interest in volunteering to serve on these prestigious committees. Due to the limited allotted spots available, not everyone will receive the opportunity to serve.

Thank you!

Todd Krueger, YALSA President-Elect