Amplified! Connected Learning, Advocacy & the 2014 YALSA President’s Program

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June 2014 seems a long long long way away. But, it’s really not so far off. And you know as well as I do that what seems far away has a habit of sneaking up on one. That’s why the YALSA 2014 President’s Program Task Force is hard at work planning for the event at Annual Conference in Las Vegas.

The President’s Program Task Force has gladly taken on YALSA President Shannon Peterson’s charge for a President’s Program on connected learning. The team – made up of myself; Maureen Hartman from the Hennepin County Library (MN); Kate McNair, from the Johnson County Library (KS), Candice Mack, from the Los Angeles Public Library (CA); and Carrie Kausch, from the Fairfax County School System (VA) – read the connected learning report, discussed it, and last week sponsored a Hangout with colleagues to consider what connected learning means to librarians and educators. The video of that conversation is below.


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Election Season Begins: A Report from YALSA’s Coffee with the Candidates

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For the second year during Midwinter YALSA sponsored a Coffee with the Candidates. This event gives members of the association the chance to meet with those running for governance positions (on the 2012 slate) to ask questions about why each candidate is interested in running, what they think they bring to YALSA, and so on. Last year and this year I was impressed both with the questions being asked and with the thoughtfulness of the candidates in answering member questions. The small group speed networking format of the Coffee is perfect for getting to know each other.

At the beginning of the program all of the candidates agreed to be interviewed by members of YALSA’s 2012 Nominating Committee. You can listen to these informal interviews by selecting the links below. (You will also get a sense of the atmosphere of the Coffee via the background noise – including shouts of excitement and laughter.) Read More →