The YALSA Update: YALSA Webinar, Volunteering, Precons and More

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YALSA’s First Webinar: Join YALSA on March 31 at 2 p.m. Eastern for a FREE webinar! Linda Braun, YALSA president, will lead the hour-long session on the topic of Getting Involved with YALSA. Topics include the various ways to participate in YALSA, and how doing so can help your daily work and career development. Registration is limited, so please contact Eve Gaus at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5293 or egaus@ala.org to reserve your space.

Process Volunteer Forms Due Today YALSA will begin appointing process committee, jury, task force, and advisory board members this spring! Be sure to fill out your Committee Volunteer Form by March 12 so that Kim Patton, YALSA’s president-elect, will know you’re interested. (Read Kim Patton’s post on the process to find out more about serving on YALSA’s committees).

After the jump, learn more about YALSA’s preconferences (including which authors will appear!), how to access YALSA’s newly revised competencies, details on YALSA’s upcoming mentoring program, how to enter the 2010 Great Ideas contest, and information on the 2010 Young Adult Literature Symposium.

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The YALSA Update: TTW 2010, Annual in DC, and More

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Ready for Teen Tech Week? Teen Tech Week starts this Sunday! Tell us what you have planned at your library at the YALSA Wiki. Looking for last-minute inspiration or publicity tools? Visit the Teen Tech Week website. Have your teens help chose next year’s theme by taking the Teen Tech Week Survey.

Early Bird Ends Today! Today is the last day to get the Early Bird rate for Annual 2010 in Washington, D.C. Registration is also open for YALSA’s preconferences (and remember, you don’t need to register for Annual to attend either preconference). Learn more about our preconferences (there’s info after the jump, too) and see what YALSA has planned for DC at http://tinyurl.com/yalsaac10.’  Remember, you don’t need to register for Annual to attend either of YALSA’s preconferences.

Process Volunteer Forms Due March 12 YALSA will begin appointing process committee, jury, task force, and advisory board members this spring! Be sure to fill out your Committee Volunteer Form by March 12 so that Kim Patton, YALSA’s president-elect, will know you’re interested. (Read Kim Patton’s post on the process to find out more about serving on YALSA’s committees).

After the jump, find out more about YALSA’s preconferences before ALA Annual, how to register for YALSA’s first webinar (it’s free!), and what’s on tap for the 2010 YA Literature Symposium

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Introducing the YA Speaker’s Bureau

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As you plan professional development activities for your library, keep the new YA Speaker’s Bureau in mind! The YA Speaker’s Bureau is a directory of people who speak or train on topics related to YA services, arranged by state and hosted on the YALSA wiki.’  The speaker’s bureau is an informal directory for information purposes only and does not imply endorsement from YALSA.

Special thanks to Beth Gallaway and Kelly Czarnecki for their help in getting the new YA Speaker’s Bureau online. Read on to learn about the development of the speaker’s bureau and find information on how librarians can use it and how potential speakers can add themselves to the list.

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YALSA seeks instructors for continuing education programs

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As part of a goal to provide quality continuing education opportunities to YALSA members and the library community, YALSA offers three sessions of e-courses per year as well as face-to-face licensed institutes. YALSA is currently looking for instructors for 2010 and 2011 to design and deliver curriculum for both types of learning experiences on the following topics:

  • advocating for teen services
  • incorporating youth participation into teen services
  • readers’ advisory
  • and innovative teen programming.

If you have experience in providing instruction to library workers, expertise in one of the topics mentioned above and are interested in developing the curriculum for it and teaching it, please complete the proposal form (Word doc) and send it to byoke@ala.org.

The e-courses are meant to be the equivalent of a full day face-to-face workshop, and will be offered online as a 4-week e-course. Licensed institutes are full day workshops. Instructors will be compensated for creating the curriculum and for facilitating the e-courses and institutes. Please submit your proposal by no later than October 30, 2009.

YALSA Online Classes

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YALSA will offer three online courses in October: AIMing at Tweens: Advising, Involving, Motivating, taught by Teri Lesesne; Graphic Novels and Teen Readers: The Basics and Beyond, taught by Francisca Goldsmith; and Reaching Teens with Gaming, taught by Beth Gallaway’  (hey, that’s me!).

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Still Time to Register for Online Courses

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YALSA’s Winter 2009 e-courses’ include three four-week classes, which will take place’ February 9′ though March 6.’ Registration now open! Questions? Contact’ Nichole Gilbert, 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4387.

Teaching the online courses is one of my favorite YALSA activities.’  In each session, I get to network with staff at all levels, from all over the country (and beyond).’ ‘ ‘ In the Power Programming class we will brainstorm ideas for Teen Tech Week, summer reading initiatives, media/program trends and more. We will look at realistic limitations such as space, time, administrative support and marketing.’  The final project is to develop a program including’ marketing, variations for older and younger teens, costs and collection connections.’ As an active teen librarian, I share many tips on things that work with my teens, and things to avoid! Read More →

The YALSA Update: It’s a New Year with YALSA

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Happy 2009! As you start your new year’s resolutions this year, be sure to include YALSA in your plans — whether it’s professional development, showing off your professional style, participating in Teen Tech Week and other YALSA initiatives, or getting more involved in YALSA in the new year!

After the jump: enroll in YALSA’s winter online courses, show off your style at YALSA’s What to Wear Fashion Show at ALA Annual, learn how to win a Flip Ultra in YALSA’s new member drive, submit questions for the YALSA Candidates’ Forum, and apply for Teen Tech Week Mini Grants!

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Continuing Education with YALSA

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Start your new year with new knowledge from YALSA. This month, we’re pleased to announce the winter session of our online courses as well as a face-to-face institute in Kingston, Pennsylvania in March. Both the online courses and the institute are cost-effective continuing education opportunities that offer important insights and lessons in teen services. Details, including the cost and how to register, are after the jump!

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