Support YALSA for Giving Tuesday!

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Today is #GivingTuesday – a movement that celebrates giving and encourages more, better and smarter giving during the holiday season.

Please consider donating to Friends of YALSA, and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to do the same. Each year, donated funds support over $16,000 in member scholarships, grants and stipends, including a Spectrum Scholarship and Emerging Leader.

This year, YALSA’s Giving Tuesday goal is to raise $5,000. We are offering a raffle for everyone who donates to FOY on Tuesday, November 30th.  Every donation will be entered into a raffle for one of the following prizes.

  • A Virtual Visit for your classroom from author Jennifer Mathieu. She is the author of Devoted, Afterward, The Liars of Mariposa Island, and The Truth About Alice, the winner of the Children’s Choice Teen Debut Author Award. Her 2017 novel Moxie is being developed into a film by Amy Poehler for Netflix.
  • A set of signed books from author Brenden Kiely which include All American Boys (with Jason Reynolds), Tradition, The Last True Love Story, and The Gospel of Winter. His most recent book is The Other Talk: Reckoning with Our White Privilege.

Individuals can donate to FOY in the following ways:

  • Credit card via the ALA’s secure site. (pre-populated with the default amount, but can be changed)
  • Mail: use the printable form (PDF). Mail it with your donation to – Friends of YALSA, 225 N. Michigan Ave. Suite 1300, Chicago, IL 60601.

I am giving to Friends of YALSA today to support an organization that has done so much for me and the teens I serve. I have greatly benefited from all the resources available through membership, including serving on committees and YALSA’s Board of Directors. YALSA has directly impacted and improved my ability to serve teens at my organization and my ability to lead. Please join me in donating today!

Kate Denier
YALSA Fiscal Officer

Giving Tuesday is TODAY!

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Are you looking for a way to support others in the field? Donating to the Friends of YALSA during Giving Tuesday is a great option! All of the money raised by the FOY is used to financially support member awards, grants, scholarships, and stipends. 

This year we are also offering a raffle for everyone who donates to FOY on Tuesday, Nov. 30th.  Every donation will be entered into a raffle for one of the following prizes.

  • A Virtual Visit for your classroom from author Jennifer Mathieu (there will be a selection of date options). She is the author of Devoted, Afterward, The Liars of Mariposa Island, and The Truth About Alice, the winner of the Children’s Choice Teen Debut Author Award. Her 2017 novel Moxie is being developed into a film by Amy Poehler for Netflix.
  • A set of signed books from author Brenden Kiely which include All American Boys (with Jason Reynolds), Tradition, The Last True Love Story, and The Gospel of Winter. His most recent book is The Other Talk: Reckoning with Our White Privilege.

Individuals can donate to FOY in the following ways:

  • Credit card via the ALA’s secure site. (pre-populated with the default amount, but can be changed)
  • Mail: use the printable form (PDF). Mail it with your donation to – Friends of YALSA, 225 N. Michigan Ave. Suite 1300, Chicago, IL 60601.

Your donation can make all the difference as it can truly impact the lives of library staff and the communities they serve. Please consider donating this Giving Tuesday!

 

Celeste Swanson
Member- YALSA Financial Advancement Committee

How Will You Give Back Today?

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Giving Tuesday

This year, Giving Tuesday looks and feels a bit different than years past as it has been an especially difficult year for everyone, and giving financially might not be an option for you this year.

If you are able to give, please consider donating to the Friends of YALSA (FOY) campaign: Give $20 in 2020. The funds raised are used for member grants and awards. One particular program is the Spectrum Scholarship, which works to diversify the field of teen services. This year has been an awakening for racial injustice. YALSA has been a long standing leader in bringing awareness of structural racism in our country and our teens need their libraries to reflect the diversity of our population. Each year, YALSA supports two Spectrum Scholars. The program actively recruits and provides scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern and North African, and/or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students to assist them with obtaining a graduate degree and leadership positions within the profession and ALA. These scholarships help our profession grow in much needed ways. To learn more about the Spectrum Scholarship and the full list of member awards and grants FOY supports, please visit YALSA’s website.

We understand that this year has been a difficult and trying time for many, so if you are unable to give financially this year, please consider sharing the Give $20 in 2020 campaign on social media to encourage others to donate. Thank you for all you do to support teens in our communities.

-Carrie Kausch
Financial Advancement Committee member

How YALSA Funds Member Services & Support for Library Staff

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A common question that I get, especially from new board members, is about where funds come from to support YALSA and its members.  The answer is pretty straightforward, although not one many people expect.  Member dues make up only about a third of YALSA’s total funding.  The other two thirds comes from product sales (award seals, books & e-learning); events (YA Services Symposium & ticketed events at ALA conferences); grants; corporate sponsorships; interest from YALSA’s endowments; and individual donations.  Many people are surprised to learn that funds from ALA or the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) are not a part of YALSA’s annual budget.  Actually, YALSA receives important services from ALA, such as HR and legal counsel, but not regular financial support.  IMLS offers competitive grants that YALSA is eligible for, and we have been awarded two.  If you’re interested, you can learn more about YALSA finances in my latest annual report.

All the funds that come into YALSA, from whatever source, are used to

  1. Provide members with services and support, like free monthly webinars and the summer learning grants we now have available
  2. Create and share resources with the library community, at no cost to library staff, such as our short, informational videos and newest toolkit about teen literacies

Read More →

Giving Tuesday: Support the Spectrum Scholarship!

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While I’m sure you’re already worn out pulling out your wallet for all those end-of-the-year donations and holiday shopping, I hope you’ll consider taking it out for a good cause today, for Giving Tuesday. And when you do, please consider donating to Friends of YALSA. This year, the goal is to raise at least $2000, which will help send two advocates for teen services to Washington.

Friends of YALSA funds important YALSA initiatives, including the Spectrum Scholarship, which I was a recipient of. Spectrum supports library students from under-recognized groups in order to diversify the workforce, and I was proud to be a part of the program. It made me a member of two powerful and vibrant groups: my Spectrum cohort and YALSA. Being a part of a group of colleagues who were also going through school, finding out their specific niches in library science, going on first job interviews, and all the while concerning themselves with issues of representation and privilege, was invaluable while I was going through those things, too. And being named YALSA’s Spectrum Scholar made me a member of arguably the most fun-loving and dynamic division of ALA. Some of the best people I’ve ever met (some only online, some also in person) welcomed me into the fold and let me blog, join committees, go out for dinner with them at conferences, and generally get to know what YALSA and YA services are all about. That empowered me through out my graduate school experience and helped me land my first job out of library school before I had even graduated. I had a distinct experience in school, thanks to my Spectrum Scholarship.

I owe YALSA and Spectrum a huge debt of gratitude for giving me a community to count on and learn from. Please consider making a donation to YALSA so that other future librarians can have the opportunities I’ve had. Click here to learn about your giving options, and please consider at least Tweeting about the importance of #GivingTuesday to pass on the word!

Thank you for your support.