Category Archives: Governance

This is a late response but very much welcomed.  Here is our last interview with members of the current YALSA Board.  Ever wanted to get to know the YALSA Board of Directors more? Here’s your chance!

Name: Gail Tobin

Title & Library: Hanover Park Branch Manager, Schaumburg Township District Library

Role on the Board: Ex-Officio, Financial Advancement Committee Chair

Year on the Board: 1st year (although I was a past Board member back in 2009-2014)

What does YALSA mean to me?

GT: YALSA is where I started in ALA. The Division has always been on the front-line advocating for and supporting teens in libraries and those who work with them. I have met so many smart, talented people and learned a lot from them over the years.

What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

GT: I hope teen services will continue to be a core service for libraries across the nation, and libraries will be a safe space for teens to be themselves, learn, and have fun.

What is your favorite YALSA Committee or Committee that would love to be on again?

GT: I’ve been on so many process and award committees over the years that it’s hard to choose just one. I particularly liked the book committees – Great Graphic Novels, Morris, Edwards – because I got to read (and re-read) and discuss so many wonderful authors, and they made me read (and like!) some I would never have picked up on my own. And I got to work with and become friends with amazing people on those committees.

What’s your ultimate comfort food?

GT: My mom’s spaghetti with meat sauce. Every time I make it I can’t get enough. And cheese – any kind of cheese!

What TV show or Movie do you watch on repeat? Or a book that you love reading when you’re in between new books?

GT: I don’t have a single favorite, but there are a few I’ll watch on over and over if they come on, like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings or Star Trek and ok, Chronicles of Riddick.

What would you do or where would you go if you won the lotto? 

GT: If I won the lottery I would pay off all my debt and visit every National Park.

Want to run for YALSA Board?  We’re looking for candidates for the 2024 ALA Election. If you will be at ALA Annual Conference in Chicago this summer, join us at YALSA 301 to learn more about YALSA Governance. Want to find out what the duties and responsibilities of the Director at Large are for the YALSA Board? Find them in the YALSA Handbook here.   If you’ve been thinking about it, why not fill out the nomination form today? Just click here.

Ever wanted to get to know the YALSA Board of Directors more? Here’s your chance! We’ll be posting fun mini-interviews with each board member all month long so you can get to know them a little better.  As I interviewed myself I thought best to save mine to the end.

Name: Franklin Escobedo

Title & Library: Library Director, currently job hunting

Role on the Board: President

Year on the Board: 2nd year in this role

1. What does YALSA mean to me?

FE: YALSA has always been my professional family. We’ve grown together.  We’ve made friends, and we’ve lost friends.  Yet we all have the same passion for libraries and supporting teens that come into our libraries.  Even though my role has changed in my career, I still have the same passion for making sure that teens are treated with respect and made to feel welcome.  I’ve been around long enough to see the fruits of our labors.  The teens who came to my programs now bring their children to the library and have fond memories of their time spent there.  This wouldn’t have happened without YALSA creating standards and developing resources for libraries nationwide.  YALSA wouldn’t be YALSA without all of us.

2. What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

FE: My hope for teen services is that it will continue to be a priority for libraries across the country.  It remains a core service in every library and is given as much attention and respect as children and adult services.  We all know that our future library use is made or broken during our teenage years.   I have friends from my generation that had a bad experience and still won’t step foot or cast a vote for the library.  All because of a bad experience they had as a teen.

3. What is your favorite YALSA Committee or Committee that you would love to be on again?

FE:  I’ve learned so much from all the committees, taskforces, and juries I’ve been on.  My first committee is still my favorite Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults.  While it got sunsetted several years ago, I still feel it was one the best resources we produced each year.   It was a great way to see what teens were really reading solely based on the popularity of the title.  While I read books I hated, I knew the teens in my library loved them.  It was one of the most enjoyable committees I served on, and we all became great friends. 

4. What’s your ultimate comfort food?

FE: My go-to is Hawaiian Pizza, but it’s really the pineapple.  When I was growing up, we only had pineapple occasionally around the holidays, but it was part of the Hawaiian pizza.  Now I can find it pre-cut at the grocery store, so I tend to eat it all the time now.

5. What TV show or Movie do you watch on repeat? Or a book you love reading when you’re between new books?

FE: My go-to comfort TV show is 30 Rock, it still makes me laugh.   So many books I love, but J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is the one I read on repeat. 

6. What would you do or where would you go if you won the lotto?

FE: I would go to Puroland, Hello Kitty’s magical kingdom 1 ½ miles outside of Tokyo, Japan. 

Want to run for YALSA Board?  We’re looking for candidates for the 2024 ALA Election. If you will be attending the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago this summer, join us at YALSA 301 to learn more about YALSA Governance. Want to find out the duties and responsibilities of the YALSA President? Find them in the YALSA Handbook here.   If you’ve been thinking about it, why not fill out the nomination form today? Just click here.

Ever wanted to get to know the YALSA Board of Directors more? Here’s your chance! We’ll be posting fun mini-interviews with each board member all month long so you can get to know them a little better. 

Name: Dr. Abigail Phillips

Title & Library: Assistant Professor, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Role on the Board: Director at Large

Year on the Board: 2nd year

What does YALSA mean to me?

AP: To me, YALSA means a compassionate and empathetic division that supports the needs of youth service librarians and library workers.

What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

AP: I would love learn more about the ways in which librarians and library workers can best support the emotional and mental health needs of teens. Teens are dealing with so much and deserve support adults in their lives.

What is your favorite YALSA Committee or Committee that you would love to be on again?

AP: I really enjoyed my time on the Frances Henne Research Grant committee. I love reading about research and learning more about the wide range of research out there focusing on teens and teen services.

What’s your ultimate comfort food?

AP: Grits, being from the South, and probably mac and cheese.

What TV show or Movie do you watch on repeat? Or a book you love reading when you’re between new books?

AP: Parks and Recreation for days! One of my all-time favorite books is “Furiously Happy” by Jenny Lawson.

What would you do or where would you go if you won the lotto? 

AP: I would travel the world, read as much as possible, and being responsible I guess, pay off student debt.

Want to run for YALSA Board?  We’re looking for candidates for the 2024 ALA Election. If you will be at ALA Annual Conference in Chicago this summer, join us at YALSA 301 to learn more about YALSA Governance. Want to find out what the duties and responsibilities of the Director at Large are for the YALSA Board? Find them in the YALSA Handbook here.   If you’ve been thinking about it, why not fill out the nomination form today? Just click here.

Ever wanted to get to know the YALSA Board of Directors more? Here’s your chance! We’ll be posting fun mini-interviews with each board member all month long so you can get to know them a little better. 

Name: Liz Nebeker

Title & Library: Instruction Librarian, Lone Star College- CyFair

Role on the Board: Councilor

Year on the Board: 2nd Year

 What does YALSA mean to me?

LN: To me, YALSA is a source of encouragement, advocacy, and learning. Being able to connect with fellow library workers focused on serving young adults, especially now, inspires me.

What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

LN: I hope that teen services becomes less of a target for censorship. I hope people see the potential of encouraging our teens to be productive, thoughtful, and educated will lead to a better future.

 What is your favorite YALSA Committee or Committee that you would love to be on again?

LN:  My favorite YALSA Committee that I would LOVE to be on again is Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers. This committee encourages all readers.

What’s your ultimate comfort food?

LN: My ultimate comfort food is macaroni & cheese with hotdogs. It was something I was able to make myself after-school. It reminds me of when I would spend my afternoons reading.

What TV show or Movie do you watch on repeat? Or a book that you love reading when you’re in between new books?

LN: A movie that I watch anytime it is on is the original Jurrasic Park. I love the book as well.

 What would you do or where would you go if you won the lotto? 

LN: My bucket list trip is London. I am planning to go the summer of 2025.

Want to run for YALSA Board?  We’re looking for candidates for the 2024 ALA Election. If you will be at ALA Annual Conference in Chicago this summer, join us at YALSA 301 to learn more about YALSA Governance. Want to find out what the duties and responsibilities of the Division Councilor are for the YALSA Board? Find them in the YALSA Handbook here.   If you’ve been thinking about it, why not fill out the nomination form today? Just click here.

Ever wanted to get to know the YALSA Board of Directors more? Here’s your chance! We’ll be posting fun mini-interviews with each board member all month long so you can get to know them a little better. 

Name: Josie Laine Andrews

Title & Library: Teacher-Librarian, Nevada Union High School

Role on the Board: Director at Large

Year on the Board: 1st year

What does YALSA mean to me?

JA:  YALSA is a source of professional support and guidance for people who are in the unique position of working for and with teens. YALSA provides a sense of community for those working in teen services and helps teen library staff address and confront the issues that we face in our jobs through professional development, communication, and support. 

What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

JA: I would love to see more avenues for teen voices to be amplified, especially those in marginalized communities. It is critical that teens have the access and freedom to read and access information without judgment and fear. 

What is your favorite YALSA Committee or Committee that you would love to be on again?

JA: It’s my first year, but I loved working with CALA (make sure you check out their upcoming presentations) and I am excited to chair the President’s Task Force this coming year. 

What’s your ultimate comfort food?

JA: Any type of carb! 

What TV show or Movie do you watch on repeat? Or a book that you love reading when you’re in between new books?

JA: I’m GenX so any shows from the 80s or 90s make me super nostalgic and I can get sucked right in. When I am between books, I read the New Yorker and do the crossword puzzle!

What would you do or where would you go if you won the lotto?

JA: There are so many places to explore! I would definitely try to see as much as possible around the globe! 

Want to run for YALSA Board?  We’re looking for candidates for the 2024 ALA Election. If you will be at ALA Annual Conference in Chicago this summer, join us at YALSA 301 to learn more about YALSA Governance. Want to find out what the duties and responsibilities of the Director at Large are for the YALSA Board? Find them in the YALSA Handbook here.   If you’ve been thinking about it, why not fill out the nomination form today? Just click here.

Ever wanted to get to know the YALSA Board of Directors more? Here’s your chance! We’ll be posting fun mini-interviews with each board member all month long so you can get to know them a little better. 

Name & Library: Matt Layne,

Title & Library: Patron Experience Librarian, O’Neal Library

Role on the Board: Director-at Large

Year on the Board:  1st year

1.    What does YALSA mean to me?

 ML: YALSA means advocacy. Advocating for young adults and for the librarians who serve them. I try not to lose sight of the importance of our work in creating safe spaces and experiences for young people and librarians around the United States and the world.

What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

ML: I hope for a future where all young people are able to freely be their authentic selves while being treated with the respect and admiration they deserve. I hope for libraries and schools that are able to offer unbiased and well-researched non-fiction resources. I hope for books that reflect the beautiful diversity of the young people we represent.

What is your favorite YALSA Committee or Committee that you would love to be on again?

 ML: I have been lucky enough to serve on three committees; Morris, Printz, and Best Fiction for Young Adults.. Each one has offered me unique opportunities to build friendships with other teen advocates from all over the world. I would happily serve on any of the committees again, but for my next act, I would love to delve into Great Graphic Novels.

What’s your ultimate comfort food?

 ML:  I am a sucker for ice cream. I love to get vanilla ice cream and doctor it up with all sorts of weird things like hot honey, or balsamic reduction, or even sea salt and olive oil.

What TV show or Movie do you watch on repeat? Or a book you love reading when you’re between new books?

ML: I LOVE Star Trek, so I’m always turning on classic episodes when I’m between books and other shows. Bookwise, I have read the Lord of the Rings series multiple times over the years. When we first went into lockdown, it’s the series whose pages I first returned to.

What would you do or where would you go if you won the lotto?

ML: If I won the lottery, I would open a really cool bookstore with lots of space for folks to study and groovy drinks. I might even call it The Library.

Want to run for YALSA Board?  We’re looking for candidates for the 2024 ALA Election. If you will be at ALA Annual Conference in Chicago this summer, join us at YALSA 301 to learn more about YALSA Governance. Want to find out what the duties and responsibilities of the Director at Large are for the YALSA Board? Find them in the YALSA Handbook here.   If you’ve been thinking about it, why not fill out the nomination form today? Just click here.

Ever wanted to get to know the YALSA Board of Directors more? Here’s your chance! We’ll be posting fun mini-interviews with each board member all month long so you can get to know them a little better. 

Name & Library: Susannah Goldstein Upper Division Librarian, Horace Mann School

Role on the Board: Director-at Large

Year on the Board:  3rd year

What does YALSA mean to me?

SG: YALSA has been a lifeline for me in my career.  I’ve always relied on the expertly curated booklists for my collection development, and the webinars on demand are so great because you can watch them whenever you want!

What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

SG: I think that the past three years have taught us two major things: one is that we have no idea what any kind of future will bring, and the other is that teen-serving library staffers are amazingly creative and find ways to reach teens where they are (which we already knew, but we got to see it in a really incredible way).  I have no idea what the future of teen services is, but I am loving the present– youth librarians on TikTok, creative programming that brings teens into the library physically or virtually, and thoughtful discussions about literature.  My real hope, however, is that teen collections will be protected by communities and legislation because we know that the most important value for all teen-serving librarians is to collect and promote inclusive literature for all teens.

What is your favorite YALSA Committee or Committee that would love to be on again?

SG:   I had the most fun on Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers– it was my first selection committee, we had fabulous members, and we got to read such a wide and varied range of literature. We read more genres and formats in one year than I ever have since.

What’s your ultimate comfort food?

SG:   Fresh bread with butter!  There is truly nothing more comforting. 

What TV show or Movie do you watch on repeat? Or a book that you love reading when you’re in between new books?

SG:   I watch way too much TV to actually pick one show, but a book I read when I’m in a reading slump or just feeling sad is Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchey.  I borrowed it from my grandmother when I was a teenager, and I still have her copy many years after her death.  It’s well-worn and smells like a good book, and I love diving back into the world of Jack, Benny, Nan, and the rest of their circle.  I’ve probably read it once every year or two for the past 20 years.

What would you do or where would you go if you won the lotto? 

SG:   As a New York City resident (who has often commuted for hours a day), my first automatic response is the environmentally irresponsible one– I’d want a driver to take me everywhere!  Barring that, I’ve always dreamed of going to Japan!

Want to run for YALSA Board?  We’re looking for candidates for the 2024 ALA Election. If you will be at ALA Annual Conference in Chicago this summer, join us at YALSA 301 to learn more about YALSA Governance. Want to find out what the duties and responsibilities of the Director at Large are for the YALSA Board? Find them in the YALSA Handbook here.   If you’ve been thinking about it, why not fill out the nomination form today? Just click here.

Ever wanted to get to know the YALSA Board of Directors more? Here’s your chance! We’ll be posting fun mini-interviews with each board member all month long so you can get to know them a little better. 

Name: Kelly Czarnecki

Title & Library: Teen Loft Manager, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

Role on the Board: Immediate Past President

Year on the Board: 3rd year

What does YALSA mean to me?

KC: A national resource for serving teens in libraries

What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

KC: That all teens will be welcome no matter what library they are at.

What is your favorite YALSA Committee or Committee that you would love to be on again?

KC: Teen Tech Week was fun!

What’s your ultimate comfort food?

KC: Chili served with spaghetti noodles.

What TV show or Movie do you watch on repeat? Or a book you love reading when you’re between new books?

KC: I don’t have time to watch or read on repeat!

What would you do or where would you go if you won the lotto?

KC: I would travel. Japan is in the queue. 

Want to run for YALSA Board?  We’re looking for candidates for the 2024 ALA Election. If you will be attending the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago this summer, join us at YALSA 301 to learn more about YALSA Governance. Want to find out the duties and responsibilities of the YALSA Immediate Past-President? Find them in the YALSA Handbook here.   If you’ve been thinking about it, why not fill out the nomination form today? Just click here.

Ever wanted to get to know the YALSA Board of Directors more? Here’s your chance! We’ll be posting fun mini-interviews with each board member all month long so you can get to know them a little better. 

Name: Ziba Pérez

Title & Library: Young Adult Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library

Role on the Board: YALSA Liaison

Year on the Board: 1st year

What does YALSA mean to me?

ZP: To me YALSA means bringing great minds together from across the nation to brainstorm the best ways to serve our community of young adults.

What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

ZP: My hopes for the future of teen services are being able to attract more teens to the library by providing resources, collections, and programming that they want to see.

What is your favorite YALSA Committee or Committee that would love to be on again?

ZP: I love being a YALSA Liaison and representing YALSA at all of the ALA Committees I get to be a part of such as the ALA Conference Committee. That is why I’m taking on a second year as YALSA Liaison.

What’s your ultimate comfort food?

ZP: Persian Food in general but specifically Albaloo Polo.

What TV show or Movie do you watch on repeat?

ZP: The movie I watch on repeat is Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. 

What would you do or where would you go if you won the lotto?

ZP: If I won the lotto I would go to Japan for a month and travel to different neighborhoods each week!

Interested in becoming the YALSA Liaison to ALA?  YALSA Members can apply to become the Liaison to ALA in January each year.  The Liaison is appointed by the Executive Committee of the YALSA Board. If you will be attending the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago this summer, join us at YALSA 301 to learn more about YALSA Governance. Want to find out the duties and responsibilities of the Liaison to ALA? Find them in the YALSA Handbook here.   Applications will open in January 2024 with March 2024 deadline.  To apply for the Liaison position or to see who has served as the Liaison to ALA click here.