District Days 101: How to Get an Elected Official to Your Library

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By: Annie Schutte is Director of Libraries and Center for Inquiry at the Maret School in Washington, DC.

It’s August in Washington, DC–four glorious weeks when the nation’s capitol empties out as congressional staffers sneak off for vacation and their bosses head back home to shake hands, kiss babies, and maybe even visit your library. But how do you get an elected to agree to come to an event at your library? Just follow these five easy steps:

1. Remember that elected officials work for you. Members of Congress may spend a lot of time off in Washington, but they’re there to represent you and your library patrons. They get long stretches of time away from DC so that they can connect with their constituents back home. One of the best ways for them to do that is to attend local events, but they’re probably not going to come to yours unless you extend an invitation. So what are you waiting for? Find out who your elected officials are and how to contact their local offices here: http://cqrcengage.com/ala/

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YALSA’s 2014 Maker Contest

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By: Amy Boese, Member of’ Makerspace Resources Taskforce

Summer is so full of riches – sunshine and gardens and summer reading programs are all happening fast and furious. So share the wealth!

You can’t send everyone a jar of your grandma’s dilly beans, but you can certainly tell the YALSA world what went down with your latest and greatest making project. Ready to go? You can find all the details here.

Making in the library comes in all shapes and sizes. From basic circuitry and LED-infused clothing, to building bridges out of rubber bands and robots out of toothbrushes, you’re making some amazing things out there in libraryland.

Often for me, the pieces of a great idea comes from a tweet or a fleeting image on Instagram, (I’m forever grateful, paper rollercoaster pioneers!) but filling in the substance of those programs can require more work. The YALSA Maker Contest 2014 wants to pull all the greatest making ideas together so we can send out the details and *everyone* can be more successful.

Plus, you can win fabulous prizes and the accolades of your peers!

To sum up, here are the basic criteria:
– Did you introduce making in your library? (See the Making in the Library Toolkit)
– Were you specifically reaching young adults? (ages 12-18 years)
– Did your program happen this summer? (June-August 2014)
– Did your program demonstrate an innovative approach to engaging teens through making?

You have until Sept. 1, 2014 to submit your application.

I am so excited to see what you’ve made with your summer!

YALSA NEEDS YOU for our Award & Selection Committees! Volunteer Form Deadline is October 1st!

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Happy Summer! Hope you are all surviving and thriving as your summer reading programs come to an end this year. Don’t forget to look toward autumn, as YALSA’s Fall Appointments season approaches!

As President-Elect, I’ll be making appointments to the following YALSA committees and taskforces:

*Please note that the PPYA Committee is an all-virtual committee for the coming year. YALSA members with book selection and evaluation experience and who are comfortable working in an online environment with tools like ALA Connect, Google Docs, Skype, etc. should put their names forward for consideration.

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YA @ ALA: From the Research Committee

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Gearing up for the ALA Conference is exciting, especially as a first timer! I just wrapped up my first year working with YALSA as a member of the Research Committee and will be the Research Committee Chair starting in July. So for me, there is certainly no better time to get out, meet people and learn some new tips, tricks and techniques! However, as this first time ALA conference attendee is quickly learning, there are tons of programs to choose from. So what I’ve gathered here is just a sampling of programs that are relevant to Young Adult services that caught my eye.

Book Time!

I am always up for spending time with books or talking books and there are some sessions lined up that look to be interesting.’ Blurring the Lines of Books, presented by Erin Reilly-Sanders from Ohio State University is presenting on books that “blur the lines between media, form, and genre, transcending tradition and setting expectations on edge.” I’ve certainly stumbled across some’ fantastic books that are unique and hard to categorize, so I’m intrigued to learn more!

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