YALSA President’s Report – January 2015

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Thanks again to all who braved the snowy weather to be part of the 2015 Midwinter Meetings, as well as those who chose to participate virtually with the board and other activities. It was a busy January, and I’m thrilled with all the work that members and the YALSA Board accomplished. Here’s a peek at what I’ve been doing:

Activities

  • Currently appointing to the new Board Diversity Taskforce, which will look at and make recommendations regarding the selection and recruitment of YALSA leaders. If you’re interested in serving, please send me an e-mail and/or submit a volunteer form.
  • With Executive Director Beth Yoke and the board, finalized agendas for Midwinter YALSA Executive Committee and Board meetings.
  • Led discussions at YALSA Board meetings. Draft minutes of those discussions will be posted here.
  • Led discussions during two YALSA Executive Committee meetings. Draft minutes of those discussions will be posted here.
  • Led a Board Planning Session which focused on outcomes training and ways to incorporate outcomes into YALSA’s strategic planning process.
  • Attended formal and informal meetings with Division and ALA leaders at the Midwinter conference.
  • Highlighted the work of YALSA selection committees at the Youth Media Awards.
  • Hosted and celebrated Nonfiction and Morris award winners and finalists at the Midwinter reception.
  • Appointed members to fill vacancies on various committees.
  • Spoke with CNN regarding the importance of the Morris Award and recognizing new authors.
  • Spoke with U.S. News and World Report about teen library engagement.

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YALSA President’s Report

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Greetings YALSA members! I hope all your New Year activities have gone well, and that you’re in the swing of winter programming, test preparation, and Midwinter planning!
Here’s a quarterly report on the things that I’ve been doing as YALSA President!

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President’s Report

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March 2014 President’s Report
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is a national organization of librarians, library workers, and advocates whose mission is to expand and strengthen library services for teens, aged 12-18. Through its member-driven advocacy, research, and professional development initiatives YALSA builds the capacity of libraries and librarians to engage, serve, and empower teens.

Happy National Volunteer Week! YALSA is an innovative, dynamic, and generally awesome organization because of the enthusiasm and dedication of amazing volunteers. Thank you.

Activities
• Led the YALSA Board in a Spring Quarterly conference call meeting.
• With Executive Director Beth Yoke and the Executive Committee, finalized an agenda for the Spring Executive meeting.
• With President-elect Chris Shoemaker and Past President Jack Martin, participated in virtual discussions on topics related to YALSA’s report, The Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action. Recordings of all sessions are available on the National Forum webpage.
• Participated in media interviews on Teen Tech Week with NPR, Huffington Post Live, and School Library Journal.
• Discussed candidates with the Executive Committee and held interviews for the YALSA Blog Manager position.
• Discussed virtual engagement needs and possible strategies with Division Presidents.

Updates
• National Library Legislative Day is right around the corner and YALSA wants YOU to participate. From organizing an event to tweeting your senator, there are a variety of ways to make an impact. Check out the YALSA NLLD wiki for links, ideas, and talking points.
• Registration for YALSA’s YA Literature Symposium is open! Join us this November in Austin to learn, connect, and have an amazing weekend with teen librarians, educators, and YA authors from all over the country.
• Gearing up for summer? Join YALSA’s Summer Reading and Learning Ning to check out free webinars, resources, recommending lists and more.
• Looking for some professional development on your lunch break? YALSA has over 40 on-demand webinars that are free to members.
• Share your Teen Tech Week feedback via a brief online survey. We’re looking to get your input by April 15th so we can use it to improve and expand this initiative for next year.
• Our Making in the Library Toolkit has been launched! Thanks to Erica Compton and the Maker Committee for their hard work in creating this amazing resource.
Polls for ALA and Division Elections close April 25th. Don’t forget to cast your vote!

Gratitude
• Thank you to YALSA Membership guru Letitia Smith for her patience and expertise in helping me to coordinate and complete Spring Taskforce appointments.
• Thank you again to all of the fab panelists who participated in the Mondays in March Future of Teens and Libraries series, I’ve learned so much from you! Crystle Martin, Mimi Ito, Renee Hobbs, Ernie Cox, Marijke Visser, Maureen Hartman, Peter Kirschmann, K-Fai Steele, Kafi Kumasi, Vanessa Irvin Morris, Linda Braun, Jan Chapmen, and Sarah Ludwig.
• Thank you to the Summer Reading and Learning Taskforce for selecting this year’s grant recipients. Cheers to the grantees and huge thanks to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for making these member grants possible.

In Feb. membership was at 5,131, which off -1.3% over this time last year. Donations for Feb. totaled $200.

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 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.

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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 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.

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