Why ALA is Going to be Awesome

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My mother is a crazy, enthusiastic children’s librarian and I am her crazy, librarian-wannabe daughter which means that ALA is like Disney World for the two of us. I’m lucky that she’s my mom because otherwise I might not even know what ALA stands for.

But she is, and I do, and now we’re getting ready for our second trip to the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, DC. As a teenager and not technically a librarian yet (even though I like to pretend that I already am) ALA is all about fun for me. Of course, I’m such a librarian nerd that even sessions about RefWorks are pretty thrilling but the true magic happens in the Exhibits Hall.

So, with excitement and antici…pation running through my book nerdy veins, I thought that I would write a list of the top ten things I hope I can tell you about in my post-conference post:

  1. Meeting Lauren Oliver and telling her that Before I Fall was one of the most beautiful novels that I have ever read. When you start a novel wanting to punch the main character in the face and end a novel crying because you know she has to die, you know you’ve just experienced something that doesn’t happen very often.
  2. Congratulating Libba Bray on her Printz Award and tell her that I TOTALLY saw it coming, because honestly, how could I not? I think she might also like to know that I am now the proud owner of a growing lawn gnome collection, all thanks to her.
  3. Participating in Libraries Build Communities again.
  4. Attending the YA Author Coffee Klatch and trying to contain my giddiness, especially if John Green is anywhere in the vicinity.
  5. Waiting just outside the Exhibits Hall just before they open and making a mad dash for all of the major publishers before the really good ARCs are gone.
  6. Talking about books with the Best Fiction for Young Adults panel (including my fabulous VOYA partner, Alissa Lauzon)
  7. Planning to fan girl every YA author I can find but ending up just staring at them in awe while my mother tells them how much I talk about their books.
  8. Recreating another serendipitous moment where I turn the corner and there is STEPHEN CHBOSKY signing The Perks of Being a Wallflower .
  9. Wandering through the Exhibits Hall pulling the “I am an eager teen reader. Please give me books” card.
  10. Being around a bunch of librarians who are as excited about books as I am.

I have no doubt that no matter how many of these things I actually get to do, I will still manage to have a great time, learn a lot, and get a ton of awesome ARCs. See you there!

FAQ on YALSA’s Selected Lists

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If you have questions about the changes coming to YALSA’s selected lists, this new FAQ is for you. You’ll find answers to the questions that are most commonly asked of YALSA staff and Board members including:

  • Why were the changes made?
  • What is Best of the Best for Young Adults?
  • Will nominations for the Excellence in Young Adult Fiction and Alex Awards be published?
  • Will teens be involved in the Best Fiction for Young Adults selection process?

    • Read More →

YALSA Board Meeting 1/16/10

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The YALSA Board had a very full agenda yesterday for their first meeting of Midwinter and several important decisions were made, including:

  • Approval of the Selected Lists Proposal. The approval of this proposal means that YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults List is now Best Fiction for Young Adults. Also, the Alex Awards will be expanded. The Committee working on the Alex Award will continue to select 10 Award winners, and will also publish a longer list of titles that the group considers the best adult books of interest to teens published during the past year. All of the top ten titles selected by YALSA’s selection list committees, Read More →

YALSA Podcast #76: BBYA Teen Session at Annual 2009

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In this podcast, Best Books for Young Adults Chair Summer Hayes talks about the importance of the BBYA Teen Session, held at Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference. Afterwards, listen to teens talk about their favorite nominees for the 2010 list at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference BBYA Teen Session.

See the full nomination list online at the BBYA webpage. Thanks to YALSA intern Thiru Selvanagayam for creating this podcast.

Listen

You can also subscribe to YALSA’s podcasts.

Sights, Sounds, Smells of Chicago

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I have been remiss about blogging from ALA due to spending most of the day yesterday either in an unairconditioned cab or a meeting room. However, business is being done. Yesterday, the USBBY Board (www.usbby.org) met to conduct business. If you have time today, plan to attend the USBBY sponsored session from 3:30-5:30 (co sponsor is YALSA) with the author of HEARTSINGER and her translator and editor.

Today began with a Neil Gaiman spotting. I think that bodes well for the day.

Most of the talk this morning was about the Board meeting Monday when the topic of BBYA will come to the floor for discussion. YALSA members should plan to come and listen and provide feedback.

Annual Conference- BBYA

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Even though it is only April, I’m already starting to get excited about Annual Conference in Chicago.’  Chicago is one of my favorite cities (even if ALA is late this year and so the Taste of Chicago won’t be going on at the same time). Those of you who are not sure about the ALA/Proquest Scholarship Bash, the Art Institue of Chicago is wonderful and worth seeing while you are there.’ 

The reason that I am most excited about this year’s Annual Conference though is that I am a member of the Best Books for Young Adults Committee (aka BBYA).’  This will be my first time meeting with the other BBYA folks and I’m really looking forward to some good debating on the many great titles that have been nominated so far.’  Read More →

BBYA: Kids get a chance to share their perspectives on books

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Richie Partington wrote a wonderful article about a group of kids from Petaluma California who travelled to San Antonio to share their observations about the books they read with the BBYA Committee. Sometimes it is easy to lose the teen perspective in all of the lists. However, anyone who has attended the BBYA sessions with kids present know that teens are quick to share their responses to the books, both positive and negative.

As a side note, the Quick Picks Committee elicits responses from reluctant readers as books are considered for nomination. If you want to see what books reluctant readers found engaging enough to read, visit the QP site: http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/quickpicks/06qp.htm

Posted by Teri Lesesne