Time is running out . . . Vote!

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So, remember when you got that email from ALA that gave you the link so you could vote? Yeah, you’re right; that was a month ago. But you still have three days left to vote: voting closes on Friday, April 25. Now is the time to dig through your email, find that link, and go ahead and vote.vote

As of yesterday, 16.6% of ALA members had cast a ballot in this election. That’s a pretty low voter turnout. We don’t have numbers for YALSA members specifically, but in the past, voter turnout for YALSA has been around 20%. Still, that means fewer than 1000 people are making the decisions about things that might matter to you: who serves on YALSA’s Award committees (Printz, Edwards, and Nonfiction), and who serves on YALSA’s Board of Directors.

In March, this blog had a whole series of posts to give you information about the candidates. Every weekday, starting February 26‘ and running through March 19, there was at least one (and usually two) interviews each day with the candidates. You can find them easily by going to the drop-down menu labeled “Categories” on the side of this page and selecting “Election.”

For even more’ details, including complete biographical information on all of the candidates, check out the sample ballot.

YALSA is a member-driven organization. That means it’s up to YOU to vote for the people who will be representing you over the next few years.

Don’t let any more time go by. Vote.

Sarah Flowers, Chair, 2014 Governance Nominating Committee

 

YALSA Election: An Interview with President-Elect Candidate Candice Mack

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Get ready to vote! The YALSA election runs from March 19 through April 25, and to help you be an informed voter, we’re sharing interviews with each of the 2014 YALSA Governance candidates.YALSA_173x79

Today we’ll hear from the candidate for President-Elect. The President-Elect serves a three-year term: President-Elect the first year, President the second year, and Immediate Past-President the third year. The President-Elect is a member of YALSA’s Executive Committee, along with the President, Past President, Fiscal Officer, Secretary and Councilor.

The President-Elect’s primary job is to learn the role of the President, and to make committee appointments. The President-Elect also has all the normal duties of a Board member.’ A full description of the President-Elect’s duties and responsibilities can be found here.

This year there is only one candidate for President-Elect. Governance candidates were asked to craft “Twitter-length” responses (i.e. around 140 characters). Full biographical information on all of the candidates can be found on the sample ballot.

Today we have an interview with Candice Mack.

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YALSA Election: An Interview with Printz Award Committee Candidate Brooke Young

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Get ready to vote! The YALSA election runs from March 19 through April 25, and to help you be an informed voter, we’re sharing interviews with each of the 2014 candidates for YALSA Award Committees.

This week we are focusing on the Michael L. Printz Award Committee, which honors the best book and up to four honor books written for teens, based entirely on literary merit, each year.

Candidates, who will be presented in alphabetical order, were asked to craft “Twitter-length” responses (i.e. around 140 characters). Full biographical information on all of the candidates can be found on the sample ballot.

Today we have an interview with Brooke Young.

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YALSA Election: An Interview with Secretary Candidate Carrie Kausch

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Get ready to vote! The YALSA election runs from March 19 through April 25, and to help you be an informed voter, we’re sharing interviews with each of the 2014 YALSA Governance candidates.YALSA_173x79

Today we’ll hear from the candidates for YALSA Secretary. The Secretary is a member of YALSA’s Executive Committee, along with the President, President-Elect, Past President, Fiscal Officer, and Councilor. The Secretary normally serves a three-year term, but the Secretary who is elected this year will serve only a two-year term, in order to put the elections of Secretary, Fiscal Officer, and Councilor on a staggered election rotation.

The Secretary is responsible for ensuring that accurate and sufficient documentation exists to enable authorized persons to determine when, how, and by whom the board’s business was conducted. The Secretary records minutes of Board meetings, ensures their accuracy and availability, and performs other duties as requested by the President.The Secretary also has all the normal duties of a Board member.’ A full description of the Secretary’s duties and responsibilities can be found here.

Candidates, who will be presented in alphabetical order, were asked to craft “Twitter-length” responses (i.e. around 140 characters). Full biographical information on all of the candidates can be found on the sample ballot.

Today we have an interview with Carrie Kausch.

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YALSA Election: An Interview with Secretary Candidate April Witteveen

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Get ready to vote! The YALSA election runs from March 19 through April 25, and to help you be an informed voter, we’re sharing interviews with each of the 2014 YALSA Governance candidates.YALSA_173x79

Today we’ll hear from the candidates for YALSA Secretary. The Secretary is a member of YALSA’s Executive Committee, along with the President, President-Elect, Past President, Fiscal Officer, and Councilor. The Secretary normally serves a three-year term, but the Secretary who is elected this year will serve only a two-year term, in order to put the elections of Secretary, Fiscal Officer, and Councilor on a staggered election rotation.

The Secretary is responsible for ensuring that accurate and sufficient documentation exists to enable authorized persons to determine when, how, and by whom the board’s business was conducted. The Secretary records minutes of Board meetings, ensures their accuracy and availability, and performs other duties as requested by the President.The Secretary also has all the normal duties of a Board member.’ A full description of the Secretary’s duties and responsibilities can be found here.

Candidates, who will be presented in alphabetical order, were asked to craft “Twitter-length” responses (i.e. around 140 characters). Full biographical information on all of the candidates can be found on the sample ballot.

Today we have an interview with April Witteveen.

Read More →

YALSA Election: An Interview with Fiscal Officer Candidate Joy Kim

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Get ready to vote! The YALSA election runs from March 19 through April 25, and to help you be an informed voter, we’re sharing interviews with each of the 2014 YALSA Governance candidates.YALSA_173x79

Today we’ll hear from the candidates for YALSA Fiscal Officer. The Fiscal Officer serves a three-year term, and is a member of YALSA’s Executive Committee, along with the President, President-Elect, Past President, Secretary, and Councilor. The primary responsibility of the Fiscal Officer is to work with the Board, Financial Advancement Committee and Executive Director to ensure the fiscal health of the association through proper financial oversight so that there are adequate resources for the organization to fulfill its mission. The Fiscal Officer also has all the normal duties of a Board member.’ A full description of the Fiscal Officer’s duties and responsibilities can be found here.

Candidates, who will be presented in alphabetical order, were asked to craft “Twitter-length” responses (i.e. around 140 characters). Full biographical information on all of the candidates can be found on the sample ballot.

Today we have an interview with Joy Kim.

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YALSA Election: An Interview with Printz Award Committee Candidate Ann Pechacek

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Get ready to vote! The YALSA election runs from March 19 through April 25, and to help you be an informed voter, we’re sharing interviews with each of the 2014 candidates for YALSA Award Committees.YALSA_173x79

This week we are focusing on the Michael L. Printz Award Committee, which honors the best book and up to four honor books written for teens, based entirely on literary merit, each year.

Candidates, who will be presented in alphabetical order, were asked to craft “Twitter-length” responses (i.e. around 140 characters). Full biographical information on all of the candidates can be found on the sample ballot.

Today we have an interview with Ann Laurie Pechacek.

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YALSA Election: An Interview with Fiscal Officer Candidate Linda W. Braun

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Get ready to vote! The YALSA election runs from March 19 through April 25, and to help you be an informed voter, we’re sharing interviews with each of the 2014 YALSA Governance candidates.YALSA_173x79

Today we’ll hear from the candidates for YALSA Fiscal Officer. The Fiscal Officer serves a three-year term, and is a member of YALSA’s Executive Committee, along with the President, President-Elect, Past President, Secretary, and Councilor. The primary responsibility of the Fiscal Officer is to work with the Board, Financial Advancement Committee and Executive Director to ensure the fiscal health of the association through proper financial oversight so that there are adequate resources for the organization to fulfill its mission. The Fiscal Officer also has all the normal duties of a Board member.’ A full description of the Fiscal Officer’s duties and responsibilities can be found here.

Candidates, who will be presented in alphabetical order, were asked to craft “Twitter-length” responses (i.e. around 140 characters). Full biographical information on all of the candidates can be found on the sample ballot.

Today we have an interview with Linda W. Braun.

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YALSA Election: An Interview with Board Candidate Rachel McDonald

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Get ready to vote! The YALSA election runs from March 19 through April 25, and to help you be an informed voter, we’re sharing interviews with each of the 2014 YALSA Governance candidates.YALSA_173x79

We will start with the candidates for Board Director-at-large. YALSA Board members serve three-year terms, during which they jointly determine YALSA’s policies, programs, and strategic direction, in accordance with YALSA’s bylaws. They attend both virtual and in-person meetings and serve as liaisons to YALSA’s committee chairs and members. A full description of Board duties and responsibilities can be found here.

Candidates, who will be presented in alphabetical order, were asked to craft “Twitter-length” responses (i.e. around 140 characters). Full biographical information on all of the candidates can be found on the sample ballot.

Today we have an interview with‘ Rachel McDonald.

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YALSA Election: An Interview with Board Candidate Jennifer Korn

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Get ready to vote! The YALSA election runs from March 19 through April 25, and to help you be an informed voter, we’re sharing interviews with each of the 2014 YALSA Governance candidates.YALSA_173x79

We will start with the candidates for Board Director-at-large. YALSA Board members serve three-year terms, during which they jointly determine YALSA’s policies, programs, and strategic direction, in accordance with YALSA’s bylaws. They attend both virtual and in-person meetings and serve as liaisons to YALSA’s committee chairs and members. A full description of Board duties and responsibilities can be found here.

Candidates, who will be presented in alphabetical order, were asked to craft “Twitter-length” responses (i.e. around 140 characters). Full biographical information on all of the candidates can be found on the sample ballot.

Today we have an interview with‘ Jennifer Korn.

Read More →