YALSA Board @ Annual 2013: Board Transparency and Accessibility

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At the 2013 ALA Annual Conference, the YALSA board discussed possible methods to increase accessibility between members and the board, as well as improve transparency of the work of the board. The topic surfaced after the board received positive feedback when I “live-tweeted” the 2013 Midwinter board meetings. You can read the full board document that supported the discussion here.   The board agreed to adopt the suggestions made and to evaluate the progress in 2014.

Some of the ideas have already begun to happen:

As the board continues to explore ways to be accessible and share information about board work, we encourage YALSA members to keep the flow of communication going both ways. Let board members know if you have an idea or a concern about something. Be sure to continue your involvement by volunteering for a task force or committee, or even run for board!

June Eureka Moments

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All set for Annual? For this month’s Eureka Moments, I tried to tie some research and news to some of the sessions you might want to attend at the conference. And if you’re not able to attend, I hope these items will allow you to participate from afar and to still feel up to date on what’s happening.

  • A 2010 case study in The Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy concluded that “educators cannot expect students to separate their identities from literacy practices” through interviews and observations with two gay teens. The researcher noted how a multigenre research project, rather than the more traditional paper, allowed the teens to explore themselves more fully and integrate their academic study of history and literature with their sexual orientation. The article ends with the researcher imploring schools and educators to become more sensitive to LGBTQ issues and to explore ways to allow students identifying in the spectrum to feel included in traditional classroom topics and texts and to respectfully invite all students to participate together.
    Vetter, A.M. (2010). “‘Cause I’m a G”: Identity Work of a Lesbian Teen in Language Arts. The Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(2), 98-108.
    Related session: Stonewall Awards Presentation, Monday 10:30am’  Read More →

YALSA Birthday Cards

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Image courtesy of Justin Henry on Flickr

YALSA’s 56th birthday is just a week away on June 24! As you probably know, choosing the perfect birthday card can be difficult. Not too sentimental, nor too sarcastic, the perfect balance is hard to find. If you are looking for the right message to send on Monday, please consider one of these cards (that, unfortunately, do not exist) inspired by our favorite books.

Harry Potter’ by J.K. Rowling

Front: Happy birthday! We would like to cordially invite you to attend Hogwarts!

Inside: Unfortunately we sent your original letter by owl and Errol is so slow it took 45 years to get to you.
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Celebrate with Nick Lake and Friends of YALSA

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in darkness nick lake printz seal

All Friends of YALSA are cordially invited to a reception honoring Michael L. Printz winner, Nick Lake. Join us at this wonderful cocktail hour, hosted by Bloomsbury Children’s Books, before the Michael L. Printz Program and Reception during ALA’s Annual Conference on July 1st from 5:30-7:30pm in the Columbus AB room of the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Unable to attend yourself? Gift your invitation to someone else so they can meet this amazing author and learn more about YALSA. Help introduce someone to an award-winning author, and a fabulous organization at the same time.

YALSA’s 56th birthday is quickly approaching. Help support YALSA and YALSA members by becoming a Friend of YALSA. Beyond this amazing reception, Friends of YALSA will also  enjoy reserved seating at the Printz and Edwards Receptions at ALA’s Annual Conference. Friends members in the Gold and Platinum circles will also be invited to small, intimate reception with Margaret A. Edwards winner Tamora Pierce.
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YALSA Needs Your Help @Annual 2013!

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Want the chance to meet and connect with others who enjoy working with teens? Looking for an opportunity to become more involved with YALSA and to share what a great resource the organization is for those who are not members? If you are heading to Chicago for ALA Annual 2013, we have the perfect opportunity for you! Whether you have only been a YALSA member for three months or 10 years, we need your help manning the popular and highly frequented YALSA Membership Booth in the exhibit hall!

Helping at the booth is a wonderful way to network with colleagues and to learn more about the benefits and resources provided by the organization, not to mention an easy way to become more involved.

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Celebrate with YALSA

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The Cornish HenYALSA’s fifty-sixth birthday is just a few weeks away and we want you to be at the party! We will be celebrating here all month long and we want you to get involved. Here are just a few ways you can participate:

1. Donate your time: The YALSA Fundraising Guide (PDF) has several great ideas about how to throw a party, family game night, Dinner by Genre or book trivia night! Take a few hours to host an event that celebrates YALSA’s accomplishments and benefits the Friends of YALSA.

2. Donate your money: Your financial support goes to grants, stipends and scholarships that help foster our profession. Friends of YALSA members also enjoy many benefits. Friends of YALSA attending the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago this year, will enjoy reserved seating at the Printz and Edwards Award Receptions (tickets required) as well as a special reception for Printz-winning author Nick Lake before the Printz reception on Monday evening. Friends in the Gold and Platinum circles are invited to meet with Margaret A. Edwards Award winner Tamora Pierce‘ on Saturday afternoon before the luncheon. Donate today to support your fellow librarians and enjoy the benefits of being a Friend of YALSA!

3. Donate your status: Check out your favorite cookbook and get baking! Help us spread the word about YALSA’s birthday by baking a birthday cake! Theme your cake after your favorite YALSA award, blog or week (Teen Tech Week and Teen Read Week) and post the picture to YALSA’s facebook page by June 17th. Fans will vote on their favorite cake and the baker will win a prize pack including beautiful handmade apron from The Cornish Hen’s Etsy shop.

Find your way of telling YALSA how much you appreciate the past fifty-six years!

Three Awesome Intangibles You’ll Give Your Teens When You Bring Them To The BFYA Teen Session

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by Heather Booth

If you are a librarian or teacher in the Chicago area, you have an rare opportunity to give your teens these three awesome intangibles, all in one day, by bringing them to the Best Fiction for Young Adults Teen Session on Saturday, June 29th from 10:30-12:00.

Power. Their words have power. They will be up there, at the front of the room, holding the microphone. The microphone is power. The room will be full of adults, sitting at rapt attention, waiting for them to speak, hanging on their every word, relishing the opportunity to hear what they have to say. Their opinions on these books are powerful. They are seeds on the wind that will fly home with every librarian in the room and be planted in library collections nationwide. Your teens deserve this power. Read More →

Help YALSA choose its Annual Conference 2013 programs

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YALSA needs your help!

We are soliciting feedback through Aug. 20 to help us select YALSA’s continuing education sessions for ALA’s 2013 Annual Conference in Chicago June 22-26.’  The anonymous feedback you provide will help determine what programs will be featured at the 2013 Conference.

If you get a chance, please read descriptions of potential program and preconferences and vote online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/annual2013programs.

Questions? Contact Nichole Gilbert at ngilbert@ala.org.