YALSA President’s Report – June

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YALSA Mixer 2022 Annual

YALSA members-you showed up! Attending conference during a pandemic and for me-as President-you definitely feel all the things! It is the members though that showed up for the YALSA Mixer at
Busboys and Poets (thank you YOUmedia and Learning Times), the small group conversations we held at YALSA 301 to talk about the possibilities of involvement in governance, the thoughtful and provoking educational presentations by members and the well-attended Coffee Klatch on early Sunday morning that brought the energy to such an enormous event!

It’s a lot to process and for the nervous system in general when many of us may have been taking a pause from large scale events for a bit. But before we put our nose to the grind again or sit behind that reference desk or whatever shape our job may take us in this week I’d also encourage you not to hesitate. Did you exchange cards with someone that you made a connection with in YALSA? Did Franklin Escobedo, incoming YALSA President, share some volunteer opportunities that you are thinking about? Are you scrolling through photos and remember how they made you feel -like you might want to do it all again (hello upcoming Symposium in Baltimore!). Don’t hesitate-just do it. Get your morning coffee (if that’s your habit) and register, sign up, send that email! If you didn’t go to conference. . . maybe you’re still curious! Like us on socials, check out our site, and reach out!

As the last blog post as your President, I also wanted to share some of the items the Board discussed at meetings this conference. Thank you to the Evaluating Volunteer Resources Task Force for your recommendations on helping YALSA align with our EDI Plan. For Board members who brought forth a document on making the member grant and scholarship applications a more fair and equitable process. This input was directly from members which shapes YALSA and in turn give us resources to better serve teens. A comprehensive agenda and documents can be found here. Minutes will be posted soon.

A huge thank you to YALSA staff as well for continuing to support our work and ‘make the magic happen.’ The information that is put online, the sponsors at our conference sessions, the membership process, the swag, the budget. . . . .all YALSA staff. Thank you LaMoya, Letitia, Carla, Ninah and Rachel!

I look forward to continuing to serve members as Immediate Past President and the incoming Board and President Escobedo where I’m needed!

What a wild and wonderful year!

Thank you,

Kelly

Any questions or comments, feel free to email: kellyczarnecki1@gmail.com.

2020-2021 YALSA President-Elect Kelly Czarnecki

Kelly Czarnecki (she/her)
YALSA President
2021-2022
Photo credit: Taken by Kelly Czarnecki

YALSA President’s Report – March 2022

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ALA Wall

I knew the end of March was approaching as I checked my calendar the beginning of this week. As I was journaling this morning I looked up at my phone to note the date-and sure enough the month of March has closed! And what a month it was! The highs and lows and storms that is typical of this gateway into spring definitely played out in all the ways…This month I was fortunate to set foot in ALA offices in Chicago and spend time with YALSA staff as well as Tracie Hall, ALA Executive Director, and LaMoya Burks, Interim YALSA ED. This is where a lot of the magic happens! Here’s a few other highlights from this month as well:

  • Supported ALA statement to stand with Ukrainian Library community.
  • Connected Booklist Liaison with the important work of the Odyssey committee
  • Worked with President-Elect Franklin Escobedo to get the word out about current volunteer opportunities. Check out his post here!  
  • Participated in several YALSA e-learning opportunities; a snack and chat presentation as a panelist with Presidential Taskforce members on re-building Teen Social Capital. (Thank you Anthony, Molly, Kaitlyn, Brooke!)
  • Introduced presenters for the member webinar with NYPL speaking on re-building Teen Social Capital (Thank you Siva, Rachel, and Darro!). And a big thank you to Carla, YALSA Program Officer, for making this happen seamlessly!
  • Welcomed Laura T. and Shaira R. to YALSA Board Chat for their feedback and expertise on their work as Taskforce members for our ongoing work with EDI. Specifically, the Promoting Professional Success for Underrepresented Groups within YALSA Taskforce. Thank you both for your time and knowledge!
  • Confirmed new Hub Manager, Stephanie Johnson!
  • Assisted Liz N., YALSA Liaison to ALA groups on a resolution for a former YALSA member
  • Preparing for Annual and vicariously enjoyed PLA! If you plan on being in DC please reach out! I’ve got a packed schedule but can always make time for a walk and/or coffee!

Any questions or comments, feel free to email: kellyczarnecki1@gmail.com.

2020-2021 YALSA President-Elect Kelly Czarnecki

Kelly Czarnecki (she/her)
YALSA President
2021-2022

YALSA President’s Report – January 2022

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So many highlights this month! Of course January is near and dear to many for the announcement of the Youth Media Awards. What an honor to shine the light on the enormous work the committees have done to bring forth the titles from amazing authors. As I was recording I did catch myself a few times feeling the impact of the words in these books. I’m sure if I was in person and on stage, a tissue box would be sitting near by!

While many of us probably have some exciting weather stories to share from January- we hopefully can continue to put the cold in our review mirror if that’s not our jam!

Such a busy month to the start of the new year!

As always-grateful for the work of the YALSA Staff, the Board, and all the Volunteers that make up the wonderful organization of YALSA!

Any questions or comments, feel free to post below or email: kellyczarnecki1@gmail.com.

Kelly Czarnecki (she/her)
YALSA President
2021-2022

 

“Snow” by timo_w2s is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

YALSA President’s Report – December 2021

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Greetings all! What a year it’s been! We’re a few days into the new year as I wrap up last month. Even in unsettling times, I hope you were able to experience some moments of ease and will continue to do so as we welcome in 2022. Here are some highlights from December:

Membership numbers (reported from August 2021):
Personal members of YALSA: 3,239
Renewals: 201 (this is an 11.6% increase from 2020)
New members: 90 (this is also an increase from 2020)

  • Directed the Board to continue responding to the History of Four EDI Taskforce Report recommendations
  • Submitted a President’s column for upcoming YALS issue. Co-written with social worker. (YALS is a great member-perk! Chock-full of useful information-free to members)
  • Worked on promoting the need for and appointing interested members to YALSA’s Division and Membership Promotion Committee.  (We still have openings to this important committee. Fill out the Committee Volunteer Form if you are interested!)
  • Continuing to seek a Member Manager for the Hub by reaching out to folks and updating call for applicants. Thank you Board Member, Director-At-Large Traci Glass for stepping in as interim!
  • Posted about YALSA’s partnership with Michigan State and Indiana University regarding Artificial Intelligence
  • Met with YALSA President’s Taskforce to develop ideas to continue moving forward on re-building social capital for and with teens
  • Working with AASL/ALSC to determine joint Executive Committee meeting
  • Working with Chairs and Board Members to submit board documents for January meeting (*more information will be shared on this within the next week or so)
  • Called for vote from Board Members for several Board Documents (will be linked here soon) regarding Virtual Option for Award Committees as well as Extension of Evaluating Volunteer Resources Taskforce. Others currently under discussion.

As always, grateful for the passion and work from dedicated volunteers to YALSA! Take a moment to look back on 2021 for all that you’ve accomplished and we’ll continue moving forward-one day at a time! Here’s to 2022!

Any questions or comments, feel free to post below or email: kellyczarnecki1@gmail.com.

Kelly Czarnecki (she/her)
YALSA President
2021-2022

 

“I Remember When the Future was Unevenly Distributed” by cogdogblog is licensed under CC BY 2.0

YALSA President’s Report – November 2021

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Greetings all! Sending some fall energy your way! The highlight of this month has definitely been the YALSA Symposium in Reno. So much hard work went into what was a phenomenal event. Thank you all for making this hybrid (virtual/in-person) learning and networking opportunity a huge success!

This time of year means different things to everyone depending on what traditions (if any) you may participate in. I know I typically feel the winter months gain speed though for others it might be ‘normal’-just a bit colder-again dependent on where one resides. At any rate, whatever your unique experience may be, thank you for your involvement with YALSA and your continued work to help teens have quality access to library programs and services!

Contributions I made this month as YALSA President:

  • Assisted with the YALSA Symposium; recorded several introductions, attended virtual sessions and participated in the virtual Board info session. Called to vote on Symposium 2022 location (Baltimore here we come!)
  • Connected over email with Sam Helmrick, YALSA Liaison for ALA Executive Board
  • Held meeting for Presidential Taskforce to re-build teen social capital! So excited to work with such great volunteers!
  • Extended the Hub Manager assignment for one more month. Grateful for Sara Beth!
  • Connected with the Chair, Melissa, and Board Liaison, Carrie, for the Teen Civic Engagement Committee
  • Met with AASL/ALSC Presidents to develop a charge for the Interdivisional Committee on School/Public Library Cooperation. Thank you Jennisen and Lucia!
  • Wrote an article for the Presidents Column for the upcoming YALS issue on Adulting
  • Contributed to updating the DMP charge along with Board Member Karen Lemmons and YALSA ED, Tammy Dillard-Steels
  • Created EDI timeline draft for the Board as a recommendation from ODLOS Director, Kevin Strowder, to see our progress
  • Appointed a new Chair, Rebecca Denham, for the Evaluating Volunteer Resources Taskforce
  • Supported the ALA Statement on Censorship

Any questions or comments, feel free to post below or email: kellyczarnecki1@gmail.com.

Kelly Czarnecki (she/her)
YALSA President
2021-2022

 

Photo Credit: “Deer” by Kelly Czarnecki

YALSA President’s Report – October 2021

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I recently read a Tweet about how we went from October 1 to October 30th in three days. Though I could probably say that about most months! Glad to be here! I’m writing this post while the YALSA Symposium is kicking off. YALSA staff are arriving in Reno. I will be attending virtually and can’t wait for the recap from those that went in-person! So much work went into YALSA’s signature event!

  • One of the highlights for October was attending the ALA Legislative Summit on Saturday, October 16 led by ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF). Check out their site to remind yourself that you’re not alone when difficult situations might come up regarding challenges at your library or community. The YALSA Board Advocate, Stacey Shapiro and I attended this virtual session where we learned about OIF as a supportive and knowledgeable resource. Especially now with coordinated efforts regarding against Critical Race Theory as well as many LGBTQ+ materials. A draft of the Legislative Summit Toolkit-in-Development was shared, and will be disseminated when finished.
  • Met with researchers for an IMLS Grant with Michigan State University partnering with YALSA on AI literacy program in underserved communities. There will be a lot of information coming out for libraries to use! 
  • Appointed Board Secretary -Carrie Kausch. So glad that Carrie accepted the position! (According to the bylaws the President appoints positions in an emergency when they need to be filled). Carrie also serves as Liaison to the Teen Civic Engagement Taskforce and Core YALSA Toolkit Taskforce. 
  • Met with Kevin Strowder, Executive Director of ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS) along with Tammy Dillard-Steels, YALSA Executive Director. Wow-what a resource! Kevin even has a background with youth which is of course a plus! Expect to hear from him at an upcoming YALSA webinar! He is a wealth of information on YALSA continuing to move forward with making EDI part of our culture. 
  • Attended the ALA EDI Assembly along with Kelsey Ford, YALSA’s ALA Liaison. There were breakout rooms where we discussed ideas for key issues such as barriers to advancement/retention in the field for marginalized groups.
  • Put together a timeline for YALSA’s work with EDI based on Board Documents to start.
  • Appointed a YALSA Liaison to the ALA Chapter Relations Committee (CRC). Thank you Dana Fontaine!
  • Co-presented with Marie Harris on our publication with Rowman and Littlefield, Connecting Teens with Technology at the Library. Great representation of LIS Students present!
  • Interviewed a potential candidate for the Hub Manager position.
  • Attended parts of the BARC/F&A meeting (Budget Analysis and review Committee and Finance & Audit) along with Kate Denier, YALSA Fiscal Officer, and Tammy Dillard-Steels, YALSA Executive Director (+ many others!)
  • Connected with Board Liaisons and Chairs of various committees and Task Forces.A whirlwind for sure! Thank you to the members especially for supporting YALSA! Any questions or comments, feel free to post below or email: kellyczarnecki1@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Kelly Czarnecki (she/her)
YALSA President
2021-2022

Photo credit: “fall leaf” by JustyCinMD is licensed under CC BY 2.0

YALSA President’s Report – August 2021

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Tweet Greetings! August was the first month where the new Board met after Annual for our monthly Board Chat! The highlight of the month was rolling out the new YALSA Strategic Plan to YALSA Chairs. Thank you so much all that were able to attend and be part of helping give shape to our new direction. Stay tuned at the end of September for a Snack & Chat (9/30 at 1p CST) where there’s an open discussion for all regarding the Strategic Plan.

In other highlights:

    • Sent request for memorial resolution to ALA Liaison for members Ann Pechacek and Sandra Payne
    • Shared news and call for volunteers for Social Media Marketing Strategic Committee shift from a Taskforce (based on Board action at Annual)
    • Shared news and call for volunteers for Updating Core YALSA Toolkits Taskforce (based on Board action at Annual)
    • Connected online with 2021 YALSA Spectrum Scholar, Vidhya Jagannathan
    • Read August Chair Quarterly Reports. Working on connecting with liaisons to best support our amazing Chairs 
    • Drafted a job description for Board Fellow Ex Officio position (based on Exec Board discussion prior to Annual)
    • Confirmed appointment for YALSA representation with the Accessibility Assembly with RUSA
    • Updated President’s Theme Taskforce. Called for Board vote. Quorum met and will share more details in September
    • Started a shared sign-up sheet with the Board on how we can be even more transparent with the membership. A look ‘behind the curtain’ on what we’re working on and who we are. So excited to see this roll out!

Stats and Financials (reminders)
YALSA Membership Stats – the Membership Report from Annual has our most recent data

YALSA Fiscal Report – the Fiscal Report from Annual has our most recent information on YALSA’s financial standing.

Thank you all for checking in and being a part of YALSA. With the start of the new school year during the pandemic, and for some of us going back to the office for the first time in awhile- there no doubt continues to be heaviness on our shoulders. Be good to yourself and take a minute to acknowledge the great work you’re doing on a daily basis with the youth you serve in whatever capacity we can do at this time.

Any questions or comments, feel free to post below or email: kellyczarnecki1@gmail.com.

2020-2021 YALSA President-Elect Kelly Czarnecki
Kelly Czarnecki (she/her)
YALSA President
2021-2022

President’s Report – October & November 2020

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Greetings YALSA members and youth advocates,

Your YALSA Board spent the past two months discussing, editing, and approving a Short Term Leave Plan for YALSA volunteers. The conception for this plan originated as a direct response to support member volunteers, who may become impacted by the coronavirus. Rather than have member volunteers worry or feel guilt over their work contributions when needing to attend to emergency issues, the YALSA board wanted all volunteers to be supported when personal events may need to supersede professional matters, and not just those associated with the coronavirus disease. Within this document are efforts to provide alternative options over a one size fits all approach. 

Currently, the board liaisons are connecting with volunteer group chairs to begin its implementation. This document will be kept in the appropriate locations on the YALSA website as will be determined by the Organization and Bylaws committee. Until then, you may find and read it here. We hope this will support many current and future members, especially those considering volunteer opportunities. If you are considering volunteer opportunities and have questions about the Short Term Leave Plan, please feel free to reach out to me and/or Kelly Czarnecki, YALSA President-Elect. 

Additional Accomplishments

  • Participated in the first of two Fall meetings for BCALA’s IMLS Black History Month Taxonomy project (a planning grant). The National Advisory Committee will meet a second time in December. An invite for focus group participants was distributed to members via the YALSA eNews. 
  • Completed appointments for the following member volunteer groups
    • Joann Sweetland Lum Memorial Grant Jury (start date Jan 2021)
    • Advocacy Resources Community Listening Taskforce (start date Dec 2020)
    • Selection Lists Oversight Committee (start date Jan 2021)
  • Welcomed all 588 participants to the YALSA Symposium and made quick arrangements for alternative speech givers due to my family emergency. 
  • Participated on a panel for ALA President Julius Jefferson Jr.’s November webinar geared towards LIS students and focused on offering information related to the job market, resume and interview processes. 

Don’t Forget

Relevant Stats & Data

  • YALSA’s membership for March 2020 was 4,060. 
  • YALSA’s Friends of YALSA donations for March 2020 was $905.

Thank Yous!

  • Carol Phillips, Sharon Haupt, Janet Thompson, Heather Booth, Kim Dare, Rob Bittner for their arduous work in updating the Odyssey manual and providing due consideration for changes that involved the approval of two different association boards.
  • De Anza Williams, Keiko Sanders, Amelia Jenkins, Scot Smith for their outstanding planning and facilitation of the 2020 YALSA Symposium.

Respectfully submitted, 

Amanda Barnhart
YALSA President 2020-2021

President’s Report – September 2020

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Greetings YALSAblog readers and youth advocates,

I’m pleased to share this month’s activities, as plans become further developed from conception to execution. The big items on this past month’s docket for the YALSA Board include providing input for our association’s Strategic Plan RFP (request for proposal). More information will be forthcoming about this item and its subsequent timeline of activities once a consultant company has been selected and a contract confirmed. 

Also, the Board offered decisions regarding changes that would better support the Odyssey Award committee members’ workload. This input has been returned to the working group who will provide the board with more details regarding these confirmed changes. The Board approved the continuance of the Social Media Marketing Taskforce with adjustments to their responsibilities and tasks. Finally, the board approved the working group’s recommendations in developing a manual for the Morris Award that was modeled after the Non-fiction Award manual. This item creates consistency in language and responsibilities that will better support future work of the award committee. 

September Meetings (listed by date, oldest first)

  • Participated and led recurring meetings for the monthly YALSA Board Chat, the quarterly Executive Committee meeting, the monthly YALSA President’s meeting (YALSA Pres-Elect, Past-Pres, Pres, ED), and weekly meetings with the YALSA Executive Director. These events contribute to supporting the work of the association. 
  • Participated in the President’s Implementation Taskforce meeting by answering questions and providing background information, which is a responsibility of being the board liaison.  
  • Attended a meeting with the YALSA Executive Director and ALA staff to understand the steps involved for creating an endowment. 
  • Met with YALSA member Gregory Lum, YALSA Executive Director and ALA staff to determine next steps for the Joann Sweetland Lum Memorial Grant. Next steps will be presented in the October 2020 report. 
  • Provided guidance to the Division and Membership Promotion chair and encouraged the opportunity that exists in sharing free YALSA resources and YALSA 101 information with library staff who work with teens and are likely non-members. Solutions will need to be developed in reaching this audience. 
  • Discussed the BCALA/IMLS Taxonomy of Black History Month Programming in Libraries project with Dr. Grace Jackson-Brown, a project coordinator and professor at Missouri State University Libraries, and agreed to participate as the YALSA representative. Further information about this project will be forthcoming in a separate communication. 
  • Attended the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area’s YALSA Meet-Up via Zoom and provided updates on YALSA activity. 
  • Participated in the Promoting Professional Success for Underrepresented Groups within YALSA Taskforce meeting by answering questions and providing background information, which is a responsibility of being the board liaison. 
  • Attended ALA President Julius C. Jefferson Jr.’s meeting with fellow ALA division presidents. 

Thank you!

  • Yolanda Hood and Tess Wilson for the development and release of the Spring YALS issue.
  • Outstanding Books for the College Bound working group members who diligently continued efforts towards the re-development of a well-rounded and vetted list. More info will be forthcoming. 
  • The Board appreciates the work of all chairs who submitted a quarterly report in August. Timely submissions better support the work of volunteer groups. 

Relevant Stats and Data

  • Donation and Membership information continues to remain unavailable at this time.

Don’t Forget

 

Respectfully submitted,
Amanda Barnhart
YALSA President 2020-2021

August 2020 President’s Report

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Greetings YALSA members and youth advocates,

When I began the path to run for this position, there were several areas I was looking forward to contributing towards, namely in the areas of representation, as I identify as Hispanic and as a library staff who has spent more years as a library paraprofessional (17) than as a librarian (5). While I had not anticipated the challenges we would encounter this leadership term, I do feel that my experience has prepared me to create pathways of support for YALSA, its volunteers, and its members, during this extraordinary year of transition.

I may not have a product to show off to you right now, but I am undertaking the pre-work that is required to support YALSA in both short-term and long-term projects. I know that hardly describes what exactly is being done behind the curtain. However, successful projects involve teamwork which means the final product will continue to evolve until it is completed. Once such projects take on their final form, I will readily release that information through one of YALSA’s communication channels.

August Tasks (listed by date, oldest first)

  • Held a discussion and orientation with our ALA Liaison, Liz Nebeker to support their work in collaboration with ALA groups.
  • Participated on the hiring panel alongside the immediate past HUB manager, the YALSA Executive Director, and the YALSA Communications Specialist for The Hub Manager position. I was particularly interested to hear how candidates define diversity in literature and on their ideas for monitoring and evaluating for inclusive practices. Stay tuned for the press release of the selected HUB manager.
  • Held a valuable conversation with two YALSA members who were open and gracious to discuss supporting inclusive environments and members’ diverse needs. During this conversation, proactive next steps the association might explore on this issue were brainstormed.
  • Began conversations with Cindy Hohl, American Indian Library Association’s President, to explore collaboration opportunities with YALSA. Cindy has been tremendously helpful in sharing local and indigenous communities’ traditional ways of knowing as well as providing resources for learning.
  • Representatives from YALSA staff and leadership debriefed the past year’s efforts of the Social Media Taskforce and planned for its restart and expansion. These ideas are being crafted into a board document and will be presented to the YALSA board later this month.

Mark Your Calendars

  • I’m looking forward to our next Member webinar scheduled for September 10, 2020 Thursday, 2PM Eastern. Virtual Dungeons and Dragons Games: A How-To Guide will be facilitated by Michael Rogowski. For more information on the webinar, including non-member pricing, follow this link. (Currently, I’m relishing in playing a Tabaxi monk character with local librarians.)
  • Have you heard that the YALSA’s Young Adult Services Symposium’s virtual schedule has been posted?! Check it out and join us if you are able. We hope to see you this year or next.

Relevant Stats & Data

  • Donation and Membership information continues to remain unavailable at this time.

 

Respectfully submitted,
Amanda Barnhart
YALSA President 2020-2021