Please seen below for the call for articles on the theme of Teen Mental Health for the Fall/Winter issue of the journal of the Young Adult Library Services Association, Young Adult Library Services (YALS).

This post has been updated to reflect the correct content due date of August 17

Teen librarians face many crises when working with their communities of teens, and currently, one of the most serious is teen mental health. Depression is on the rise, and so is suicide, especially among LGBTQ+ teens. The changes in family structure also impact teens. Many of them live in single parent households, where the parent may be forced to work more than one job, and teens may have to step into a parental role for their younger siblings, creating a situation fraught with potential conflicts. Teens may also have to work, to help support the family, or to get the spending money that no longer comes from their parent. The family unit is changing in both positive and negative ways, and they all impact teens.


The number of homeless or houseless teens is also on the rise, as are the dangers of living on the streets, and the predators that find their victims there. With no trusted adult to support them, teens are left to survive with only their teenaged brains and social mores, making them among the most isolated and vulnerable of those without a home. They are having to cope with situations that adult brains could deal with more competently, because the teen brain is still growing.


And isolation is also seen in teens who aren’t on the street. The family unit has weakened, and some parents are busy with their own lives, and don’t spend time at home or with their children. COVID is another of the causes of isolation. Teens were forced to stay home, away from their friends for months and years. And when they were able to resume a “normal” life, it soon became obvious that the old normal was gone, and a new normal had taken its place. Along with everyone else, teens had to learn its rules, and how to function in it.


Social media also contributes to the decline of teens’ mental health. Even some teens are calling for less screen time. The ubiquity of cellphones means that posts and messages reach “everyone” in a teen’s world, and texts sent in haste or in anger will last and continue to have power far beyond that of the spoken word. They don’t fade away and are forgotten. They last, frequently gaining power as they are shared and re-sent over and over again.


These aren’t the only challenges today’s teens face—and one is bullying, in person and online. For some teens, it’s impossible to escape. Because of social media, peer pressure has seldom been as widespread as it is now, and along with bullying that can escalate into violence, and all too often the victims decide to respond with violence, against others or against themselves. Racism, the problem we have faced for hundreds of years, is still a problem, and in some areas, it’s becoming more and more intense. Teen suicide rates are also increasing, especially among LGBTQ+ teens. They must deal with feelings, situations, and settings that straight teens don’t always encounter.

Psychologists tell us that every teen needs at least one trusted adult to support them—not necessarily a parent or family member—but a teacher, coach, boss/supervisor, therapist, an adult from a friend’s family, or a teen librarian. There is no doubt that teen librarians have been, are, and will be making a difference in the lives of teens who come to their library. But we need to look beyond the individual and examine what teen librarians can do on a larger scale, in their community, their region, and their country. Policies need to be changed or challenged. Societal mores need to be challenged too—especially ones that involve teens.


What is happening in your library? Your region or state? What have you done, or could you do to stem the rising tide? We librarians need support if we are going to help create a healthier environment for the teens we serve. And working together requires knowing the other person, exchanging ideas, sharing joy and tears. Helping to make a happier library, school, community, and country.


This issue of YALS focuses on a topic that all of us are aware of but haven’t always figured out a way to deal with it. And I haven’t touched on all the problems, situations, and politics included in the topic of teen mental health. I want to see your ideas, your solutions, your proposals for change. Tell me about your successes, but also tell me about your failures, and give others a chance to suggest some solutions you may not have considered. And because we are a book/material centered profession, I want to hear about the best old and new titles that have made a difference with kids, and why or how they helped create change. I want stories about individuals, and I want stories that involve groups, all kinds, all sizes of groups. I want you to tell me about your favorite materials to go for teens with some of the problems I’ve described above, and your favorite authors who created those materials. I don’t know how many people will respond to this call, but I’d really like a deluge. And to those of you who think your story is too small, or that you can’t tell it as well as others could, please take a chance and send me your ideas and experiences—just a summary is all I need—and it doesn’t need to be long, but you do need to catch my interest. Why does this situation hang around in your brain? Why did you first get involved? Why is it important to you? What have you done, or would like to do about it? I love hearing people’s stories—I hope you’ll send me yours.

Please note that this is a volunteer writing opportunity with no monetary compensation. YALSA has the right to first refusal.


If you have an article idea for this themed issue, please submit article proposals by August 17, 2023. If you know someone who has experience on this topic and would be interested in writing for YALS or have questions, please contact YALS’ editor, Joni Richards Bodart 

While the journal’s main focus is on teen literature and programming and services for teens, articles from those dealing with the issue of teen mental health in different professions are encouraged in order to include various perspectives of this topic.

respectively submitted by Joni Bodart, YALS editor

Cover of YALS Journal Winter 2022 Vol 20, Number 02 of YALSA

CFP:  Theme Issue on Book Banning and Book Challenges – Young Adult Library Services (YALS) Journal

Call for articles on the theme of book banning and challenges for the Spring/Summer issue of the journal of the Young Adult Library Services Association, Young Adult Library Services (YALS).

Over the last few years, newspapers, ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, and librarians across the country have seen a steep increase in book bannings and challenges in both public and school libraries. It has become increasingly politicized, using social media to spread through both large and small groups and communities.

In 2022, according to the American Library Association, there were 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources, the highest number ever recorded in the more than 20 years that the ALA has compiled statistics. A record 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship, a 38% increase from the 1,858 unique titles targeted for censorship in 2021. Of those titles, the vast majority were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color, and many also targeted more than one book. Of the reported book challenges, 58% targeted books and materials in school libraries, classroom libraries or school curricula; 41% of book challenges targeted materials in public libraries. Of the overall number of books challenged, 90% were part of attempts to censor multiple titles, and 40% were in cases involving 100 or more books. Prior to 2021, the vast majority of challenges to library resources only sought to remove or restrict access to a single book.

Has your library had any recent book challenges?

If so, who were the individuals or groups that made the complaint, i.e., individual parents, social media groups, local formal or informal organizations, local/state/national organized groups? What was the result of the complaint?

How has the staff of your library been impacted by the increased number of challenges and bannings? This could include, but not be limited to, increased stress both on and off the job, quitting work at the library, changing to other careers.

Does your library provide training for library staff on what to do in a challenge situation? If so, what topics does it include?

How do your librarians help create your library as a safe space for teens? How do they get this information out to teens?

Does your library offer programming for teens on how to combat book challenges and bannings? Are there displays about the importance of reading/viewing banned and challenged books and other media? Does your library have displays on challenged/banned titles during the entire calendar year, or just for BBW?

How have the teens in your library spoken up on the topics of book challenges and bannings? What have they said, what have they done, and what has the result been?

Since most of the book challenges have been about books written by the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color, how has your library focused on these two groups when adding their titles to your teen collection?

How does the library staff prepare for meeting materials challenges when new titles that are likely to be challenged are added to the teen collection? (a challenge file with supportive information on these titles? Interviews with authors defending their books, and explaining why they wrote them? Other methods?)

Have the selectors for your teen collection ever decided not to buy a book or other material because it was likely to be challenged or banned? How frequently does this happen? In other words, are any of your book selectors self-censors? What kind of training have your selectors had concerning purchasing titles that are likely to be controversial or to be challenged?

Are there politically oriented groups in your community or region that are actively promoting a conservative agenda about materials in library collections? Are there active groups that support libraries, their staff, and their collections?

What is most important to you, and why, concerning book challenges and bannings? What is your reaction to recent legislation and local attempts to prevent teachers from having classroom libraries, harassment of school and public librarians who want to have diverse and inclusive teen collections, and the librarians who are leaving the profession because the stress of doing their jobs is too great?

Book banning is nothing new, and is becoming more widespread through social media and through politically oriented groups. This is one of the most important issues facing our profession, and our collections for teens are among the most vulnerable, in both school and public libraries. Please speak up, and add your experiences and your beliefs about this serious situation to the Spring/Summer 2022 issue of YALS (Young Adult Library Services)

Please note that this is a volunteer writing opportunity with no monetary compensation. YALSA has the right to first refusal.

If you have an article idea for this themed issue, please submit article proposals by May 1, 2023.

If you know someone who has experience on this topic and would be interested in writing for YALS or have questions, please contact YALS’ editor, Joni Richards Bodart at joni.bodart@sjsu.edu or yalseditor@ala.org. While the journal’s main focus is on teen literature, and programming and services for teens, articles from those dealing with the issue of challenges to materials in different professions.

Check out the Winter 2022 edition of YALS, the award-winning official journal of the Young Adult Library Services Association. The current issue is available to subscribers and YALSA members on the association’s “Members Only” section on its website. Once at the members only section, you will have to log-in with your ALA account in order to access the content.

Intellectual freedom, freedom to read, academic freedom. We’re all familiar with these phrases, and in so many ways, what we do as librarians and teachers is to protect the very principles of these phrases. Unfortunately, we are at a time in our history where it seems that we are not sure if we are winning battles but losing the war. Over 36 states have introduced bills that, in some way, censors language and/or curriculum and books that are used in classrooms. Political and parent groups are consistently challenging books that are used in school and public libraries and school curriculums. Citizens are even filing criminal complaints about books. Some librarians and teachers have faced this onslaught of challenges head on while others have heard horror stories and worry, even fear, that they will also face a reckoning of some sort. Through it all, however, librarians and teachers must consider what is best for students. 

In this issue we want to consider what happens when we challenge intellectual freedom. This issue is open for articles that provide broad and specific discussions that address questions/topics such as (but not limited to):

  • What happens to our students when we censor the very materials that depict the lives that they lead, their homes, their families? Are they themselves being censored? 
  • What constitutes truth? And, whose truth gets to have representation?
  • How does censoring cause further harm to marginalized groups?
  • Personal experiences of book and/or curriculum challenges
  • Proactive ways to get ahead of challenges?
  • Self-Censorship and the harm that it can cause
  • Teens who advocate for challenged books and curriculums
  • Events and programs that promote Banned Books Week

Please note that this is a volunteer opportunity with no monetary compensation. YALSA has the right to first refusal.

If you have an article idea for this themed issue, please submit article proposals by October 21, 2022. https://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/3bQc9KldF3R

If you know someone who has experience on this topic and would be interested in writing for YALS or have questions, please contact YALS’ editor, Yolanda Hood

Greetings all! What a year it’s been! We’re a few days into the new year as I wrap up last month. Even in unsettling times, I hope you were able to experience some moments of ease and will continue to do so as we welcome in 2022. Here are some highlights from December:

Membership numbers (reported from August 2021):
Personal members of YALSA: 3,239
Renewals: 201 (this is an 11.6% increase from 2020)
New members: 90 (this is also an increase from 2020)

  • Directed the Board to continue responding to the History of Four EDI Taskforce Report recommendations
  • Submitted a President’s column for upcoming YALS issue. Co-written with social worker. (YALS is a great member-perk! Chock-full of useful information-free to members)
  • Worked on promoting the need for and appointing interested members to YALSA’s Division and Membership Promotion Committee.  (We still have openings to this important committee. Fill out the Committee Volunteer Form if you are interested!)
  • Continuing to seek a Member Manager for the Hub by reaching out to folks and updating call for applicants. Thank you Board Member, Director-At-Large Traci Glass for stepping in as interim!
  • Posted about YALSA’s partnership with Michigan State and Indiana University regarding Artificial Intelligence
  • Met with YALSA President’s Taskforce to develop ideas to continue moving forward on re-building social capital for and with teens
  • Working with AASL/ALSC to determine joint Executive Committee meeting
  • Working with Chairs and Board Members to submit board documents for January meeting (*more information will be shared on this within the next week or so)
  • Called for vote from Board Members for several Board Documents (will be linked here soon) regarding Virtual Option for Award Committees as well as Extension of Evaluating Volunteer Resources Taskforce. Others currently under discussion.

As always, grateful for the passion and work from dedicated volunteers to YALSA! Take a moment to look back on 2021 for all that you’ve accomplished and we’ll continue moving forward-one day at a time! Here’s to 2022!

Any questions or comments, feel free to post below or email: kellyczarnecki1@gmail.com.

Kelly Czarnecki (she/her)
YALSA President
2021-2022

 

“I Remember When the Future was Unevenly Distributed” by cogdogblog is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Issue Theme: Endurance

The past two years have been hard.  Teen librarians and teens have been dealing with a worldwide pandemic.  We have been on lockdown, working from home, separated from family and friends.  We have seen video after video of people murdered on the streets and in schools. There have been protests and trials.  And, in the midst of all of this, we have had to continue to function and provide services and resources for our users, often overlooking our own mental and physical health while caring for those we serve in our libraries.

But, here we are.  We made it to the other side. In this issue we’d like you to share your experiences with the hard parts of the last two years..  What were they? Did you overcome them and how? Did you fail? If you failed, what lessons were learned?  How have your teens coped? What success stories do you have? Are there things you started doing during this time that might stick around?

Let’s share our successes and our failures. Below are just a few of the examples of what we are looking for:

  • Serving teens in a work from home situation
  • Finding and keeping employment in bad times (budget, covid, etc.)
  • Keeping teens encouraged
  • Keeping yourself encouraged
  • Trying new methods/approaches to services and/or resources that were successful
  • Trying new methods/approaches to services and/or resources that failed
  • Taking on more responsibility in your library
  • Giving teens more responsibility in your library
  • Handling book challenges and bans
  • What does self care look like for teen librarians? For teens?
  • What was a struggle? What worked?

Please send your proposals to us by January 3, 2022

https://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/4ua66O6Sd8Yz1J4E

Article proposals for the Fall 2021 issue of YALS are currently being sought. The theme is Teen Health.

For this issue, we’d like to hear how your teens are coping with health. We seek articles that address a variety of perspectives from youth-supporting staff from inside and outside the library world (public, school, academic, rural, tribal, etc), so please feel free to share this call widely.

This issue is open for articles that provide broad and specific discussions that address questions such as:

  • How has your library leveraged its community partnerships to help connect teens to the health services they need?
  • Is this generation of teens more knowledgeable of teen health concerns?
  • Is the school and/or public library the proper place for information on teen sexual health? Has your library provided information, resources or services to help?
  • How are teens coping with chronic health conditions? How do you lend support to them?
  • In what ways do you provide access to your services and resources to teens who may have difficulty going to libraries because of chronic health issues?
  • Have you created successful programs around teen health?
  • How do you approach collection development with regard to teen-focused health materials?

    We are also seeking articles for our “Future Trending” column, which highlights new, up-and-coming ideas, perspectives, and initiatives that are somewhat out of the box. Examples of focuses include the following themes (or another theme you want to address): technology(ies), Covid-19, universal design, etc. What do you think we should know?

Please note that this is a volunteer writing opportunity with no monetary compensation. YALSA has the right to first refusal.

If you have an article idea for this themed issue, please submit article proposals by July 7, 2021 using this form.

If you know someone who has experience on this topic and would be interested in writing for YALS or have questions, please contact YALS editor, Yolanda Hood at yhood@upei.ca.

Article proposals for the Summer 2021 issue of YALS are currently being sought. The theme is Adulting 101: Building Life Skills for Teen Futures.

This issue is open for articles that provide broad and specific discussions that address questions such as:

• What does it mean to be “ready” for adulthood in 2021? How do adulting skills vary for teens from different backgrounds? (Consider interviewing a teen!)
• How can we best prepare our teens for what comes after high school, whether work or school or some other path?
• What “Adulting 101” programs or resources have you provided for teens?
• Can you offer any best practices or guidelines for those planning life skills workshops?
• How can the library work with community partners to support our teens’ transition to adulthood?

We are also seeking articles for our “Future Trending” column, which highlights new, up-and-coming ideas, perspectives, and initiatives that are somewhat out of the box. Examples of focuses include the following themes (or another theme you want to address):
• Adjusting to COVID
• Equity, diversity, and inclusion in youth services
• Citizenship and immigration
• Civic engagement
• Online engagement and virtual fatigue
• Environmental advocacy

Please note that this is a volunteer writing opportunity with no monetary compensation. YALSA has the right to first refusal.

If you have an article idea for this themed issue, please submit article proposals by April 6, 2021 using this form.

If you know someone who has experience on this topic and would be interested in writing for YALS or have questions, please contact YALS’ guest editor, Tess Wilson at tesskwilson@gmail.com.

Article proposals for the Winter 2021 issue of YALSA’s journal, YALS are currently being sought. The theme for the issue is Youth Voices. Prospective articles include those that consider teen voice, what it is, how teens use it, and how we can provide support through library services, resources, and programming. How do we train ourselves to encourage and support teens who want to engage their communities and the world at large? Learn more and submit by Oct. 28.

YALSA seeks article proposals for its journal, Young Adult Library Services (YALS)’s Fall 2020 issue, themed Trauma Informed Teen Services. This issue will inform readers of trauma-informed teen services, practices, and approaches from various disciplines and experiences that include all types of trauma, including most recently, COVID-19, and beyond.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), by the age of 16, three out of four kids have experienced or been exposed to a traumatic event. Trauma, a distressing or disturbing experience that can be a result of experiencing natural disasters, mental/emotional/physical/abuse, sexual violence, bullying, homelessness among many other events, is especially important to consider as teens cope with past and current traumas in the face of COVID-19. This issue will inform readers of trauma-informed services, practices, and approaches from various disciplines and experiences that include COVID-19 and beyond.

Examples of trauma include the aforementioned natural disasters, all types of abuse and violence, bullying, homelessness, as well as missing out on life milestones such as middle or high school graduation, prom, etc.

Some examples of article topics include:

• Creating a trauma informed workplace through professional development
• How restorative justice supports trauma informed practice
• Library programs or resources that support teens experiencing trauma
• Insight and helpful resources from social workers or experts/organizations in the trauma informed field

Please note that this is a volunteer writing opportunity with no monetary compensation. YALSA has the right to first refusal.

Learn more and submit by June 30.