Category Archives: Leadership

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: Stacey Shapiro

Title & Library: YA/Programming Librarian, Cranford Public Library

Role on the Board: Director-at-Large

Year on the Board: 1st year in this position

1. What does YALSA mean to me? 

SS: YALSA means access to a network of other young adult librarians who I can collaborate with and brainstorm with, all people who are dedicated to serving teens.

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

SS:  I hope that libraries all over the country realize how important it is to have a dedicated teen librarian and that welcoming them at this age means they’ll be library patrons for life.

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

SS: It’s impossible, but I loved my Printz Committee, both the work, no matter how tiring, and the friends I made.

4. What’s your ultimate comfort food?

SS: Probably pizza!

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

SS: Well last year I reread the Locked Tomb series twice before Nona the Ninth came out. I keep hoping a character death won’t happen the second time….

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

SS: I would take at least a month off work (being realistic here!) and travel to the other side of the world: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea. I want to do Hobbiton especially.

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: Melanie Wachsmann

Title & Library: Library Director, Lone Star College-CyFair

Role on the Board: Director at Large

Year on the Board: 1st year, 2nd year, 3rd year: (MW: Not really sure how to answer this one since I have been filling in for people who drop off)*

What does YALSA mean to me?

MW: YALSA feels like home. As a brand new librarian, YALSA was the group that welcomed me and gave me the opportunity to get involved in meaningful ways. It allowed me to meet people from all over the country and to advocate and provide services to my teens. I love that I still get to work with people I met almost 20 years ago. 

What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

MW: My hope is that all teens find what they need, whether it’s a place of acceptance, support, or a place to simply be a teen. Teens truly are the future, and I hope the work that we, the members of YALSA, do will inform and advocate for this amazing group of young people. 

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

MW: Amazing Audiobooks will always have my heart. I hope to one day be able to serve on the Odyssey Award committee. 

What’s your ultimate comfort food?

MW: Turkey, brie, and apple sandwich

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

MW: Schitt’s Creek for TV and Dirty Dancing for the movie.  Depending on my mood: Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt, Denton Little’s Death Date by Lance Rubin, or For Everyone by Jason Reynolds

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

MW:  I would like to spend my time being a professional volunteer at an animal shelter and take a cruise around the world. 

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.

*Note: Melanie began this term as the Chair of O&B, but stepped up to fill a vacancy when a Director-At-Large had to resign.

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

Name: Colleen Seisser

Title & Library: Assistant Director, Westmont Public Library

Role on the Board: President-Elect

Year on the Board: 1st year

1. What does YALSA mean to me?

CS: I was a teen librarian for almost ten years and YALSA was a resource rich organization I could turn to when I needed help with things like collection development, programming, and reviewing standards and best practices for teen services in libraries. Now it is an organization that I want to give back to because it had such a huge impact during those years. I also really have found that volunteering for YALSA has allowed me close friendships that span the US, and I am so thankful for those.

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

CS: I hope that the future of teen services continues to see library staff and services turn towards equity, diversity, and inclusion. We continue to embrace values that protect teens’ freedom to read and equitable access to information. I hope that today’s teen services in libraries can be just one of the pillars in a teen’s life that empowers the teens of today to become the leaders of future generations that embrace the values of equity.

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

CS: I really loved being a blogger for the Hub Blog. I was a blogger before we had moved the Selected Lists to the Hub Blog and when I was blogging, I decided my goal or focus was going to be on creating mini-genre guide posts. They were so much fun to create and really helped me polish my reader’s advisory skills and forced me to keep reading outside my comfort zone. I know our new Hub Manager, Rachel Milburn, wants to start incorporating more posts on the Hub in addition to the Selected lists posts, and I am so looking forward to what she and her Hub Advisory Board will be able to accomplish this year (you can volunteer now for the Hub Advisory Board too–we still have spaces to fill, click here to apply via our Volunteer form)

4. What’s your ultimate comfort food?

CS: Garlic-stuffed olives

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

CS: Parks and Recreation

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

CS: Move somewhere in the woods by a lake and then travel the world

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 the duties and responsibilities of the YALSA President-Elect? Find them in the YALSA Handbook here.   If you’ve been thinking about running, 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! All month long, we’ll be posting fun mini-interviews with each board member so you can get to know them a little better. 

Name: Kate Denier

Title & Library: Senior Branch Manager, Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library- North Central Branch

Role on the Board: Fiscal Officer

Year on the Board: 3rd year as Fiscal Officer

What does YALSA mean to me?

KD: I have been an active YALSA member for several years now. I’ve been on many different types of committees and have been chair of committees and a taskforce. I’m really thankful to be on the Board now. Not only has YALSA helped build my leadership skills, being on Board allows me to give back to an organization that has done a lot for me and the teens I have served. I think I have used just about every resource YALSA has to offer and I try and encourage others to do the same. YALSA has directly impacted my ability to serve teens at my organization and my ability to lead.

What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

KD: My hope is that ALL teens have a space to go to in their local library (wherever that library may be) where they can be safe, be themselves, be heard and get the resources and information they need without judgment. I hope teen services staff are given the support they need to provide the highest level of service to teens. I also hope that people who work with teens continue to advocate for teen services, both locally and nationally.

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

KD: Morris Award Committee. It was really fun and rewarding.

What’s your ultimate comfort food?

KD: Apple Cider Slushies- because if they are available, it means it’s fall!

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

KD: Schitt’s Creek!

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

KD: I would buy a beach house on Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

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 the duties and responsibilities of the YALSA Fiscal Officer? 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! All month long, we’ll be posting fun mini-interviews with each board member so you can get to know them a little better.  Our next interview is with the YALSA Board Secretary.

Name:  Joel Shoemaker

Title & Library:  Associate Director of Library Services, Methodist College

Role on the Board: Secretary

Year on the Board: 1^st year

 What does YALSA mean to me? 

JS: YALSA is an amazing organization that is extremely important and relevant today, especially when considering the challenges that we face with regards to young adult books and young adult authors. The advocacy is always meaningful, but especially so today.

What are your hopes for the future of teen services? 

JS: I hope to see us finding ways to really engage teens and bring them into the library. I know it’s hard for many in the public sector, but it’s also difficult with our young adults in academia. We need to be creative and innovative in finding ways to better serve our teens.

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

JS: I think my service on the Morris committee was my favorite. Debut novels are the BEST. And the YALSA members I served with were just incredible humans.

What’s your ultimate comfort food? 

JS: I just love cheese. Not all kinds of cheese. I don’t understand blue cheese. I’m not mad at people that like blue cheese – my husband likes blue cheese. It just isn’t for me. All other kinds of cheese for me though, please.

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

JS: The greatest TV show of all time is Boston Legal. The pairing of William Shatner and James Spader is unmatched and the depiction of male friendship is not often seen. Incredible television. Five seasons. I own them all. You can borrow them!

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

JS: If I won the lottery I would go to New Zealand. They have a Lord of the Rings tour that we’ve been eyeing for a long time.

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 the duties and responsibilities of the YALSA Board Secretary? 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! All month long, we’ll be posting fun mini-interviews with each board member so you can get to know them a little better. Here is the next interview with this year’s Board Advocate, an ex-officio member of the board.

Name: Siva Ramakrishnan

Title & Library: Director, Young Adult Programs & Services, The New York Public Library

Role on the Board: Board Advocate

Year on the Board: 1st year

What does YALSA mean to me?

SR: YALSA provides a caring community of practice for library workers across the country who serve teens.

What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

SR: I hope we continue to think expansively about what it means to serve teens through public libraries — that getting teens excited about reading will always be important — but so will things like supporting mental wellness, civic action, a first job, and the ability to relax in a safe environment.

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

SR: I served on YALSA’s Presidential Taskforce last year and loved it! It was an opportunity to dig into an aspect of teen service (last year was “social capital”), and organize webinars and a conference presentation designed to engage our colleagues.

What’s your ultimate comfort food?

SR: Spicy mac and 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?

SR: Currently, I’m enjoying “Lovecraft Country”. “Lilith’s Brood” is a series I keep coming back to. 

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

SR: I’d raise sheep, dye my own yarn, and run a dosa cart someplace warm.

The Board Advocate is an ex-officio member of the YALSA Board and is appointed by the YALSA Board.  This position is for someone who works with teens but is not a YALSA member. If you know someone who might be interested in applying for the Board Advocate send their name to YALSA President, Franklin Escobedo at franklin.yalsa [@] gmail.com or YALSA President-Elect Colleen Seisser at cseisser [@] gmail.com.  Or if you’re a regular reader of the YALSA Blog and would like to apply, click here.

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

Name:  Melissa Malanuk

Title & Library:  Coordinator of Teen Services, Queens Public Library 

Role on the Board: Director-At-Large 

Year on the Board: 1st year

What does YALSA mean to me? 

MM: To me, YALSA means community and support.  Library staff that works with teens often feel like outliers or isolated. YALSA helps to connect us in our shared passion for working with teens.

What are your hopes for the future of teen services? 

MM: Teens lost a lot of learning during the pandemic, both academic and social/ emotional.  My hope for the future of teen services is to provide teens with opportunities to build skills in a fun and engaging way, and to connect teens to needed resources and support.

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

MM: I’ve served on a lot of YALSA committees, but my favorite was the Morris committee.  I loved celebrating new YA authors. 

What’s your ultimate comfort food? 

MM:  Pizza!

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

MM: I have a habit of watching episodes of New Girl when I don’t know what I want to watch.

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

MM: If I won the lotto I would travel around the world starting with a trip to Europe.

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 responsibility of the YALSA Director-At-Large is find it in the YALSA Handbook, here.   If you’ve been thinking about it why not fill out the nomination form today? Just click here.