The YALSA Update: Member Drive, ALA/YALSA Elections & More

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Happy Teen Tech Week! We hope you’re having a great Teen Tech Week at your library! Tell us what you’re doing over at the YALSA Teen Tech Week Wiki.

Member Drive Ends March 23 Recruit a new member to YALSA and you could both win a Flip Video camera! Ask your colleagues and friends to join YALSA, list you as the person who referred them on this special membership application form, and you’ll both be entered in a drawing to win a Flip Video Ultra. Applications must be received by March 23. Details are available at www.ala.org/drive2009.

After the jump, details on the YALSA/ALA Election, YALSA’s preconferences, YALSA’s advocacy tools, the Great Ideas contest and more!

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YALSA Election Podcasts

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Voting in ALA Elections begins on March 17 and continues through April 24. The audio and video podcasts posted below, should help YALSA members make decisions during the election period.

In the first podcast, Matt Moffat talks with current YALSA President, Sarah Debraski, about the Board positions on the 2009/2010 ballot. Listen Read More →

Voting Is Still Open!

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I was just about to set up the CoverItLive session for MidWinter when I realized that the poll had only received six votes. As a wise man once said–d’oh.

I’m leaving the voting open until midnight tonight (Eastern Standard Time) so that more folks have a chance to have your say.

And one sort of embarrassing note–although the ALA Youth Media Awards Press Conference is currently in the lead (with a whopping three votes), that may not be the best choice; ALA is already providing a free live webcast starting at 7:45 (Mountain Time), as well as what I’m sure will be comprehensive coverage on Twitter. I’m sorry I didn’t consider that when I sort of arbitrarily provided the poll options. (But you can still suggest your own!)

I’m leaving the press conference as an option on the poll, though, because this is the democratic process, and if you want even more thorough coverage of the awards, well, then, we’ll provide it! (Um, when I say “we,” though, I might have to recruit some help if that’s the event The People choose–because in the interest of full disclosure, I have a 10:40 shuttle to the airport, and I was kind of planning on running the live blog.)

Please vote!

The 2008 Teens’ Top Ten

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The votes are in … and Stephenie Meyer again rises to the top of the Teens’ Top Ten! More than 8,000 teens voiced their choice for their favorite books in the annual Teens’ Top Ten poll during Teen Read Week, Oct. 12-18, with “Eclipse,” the third book in Meyer’s vampire series easily taking first place. This is Meyer’s second time atop the Teens’ Top Ten list, as “New Moon” took the top slot last year.

Thanks to YALSA’s YA Galley committee and the fifteen teen book groups who made this year’s list possible! (Want to learn more? Check out the YA Galley Participants page on the YALSA site.)

Here’s the full list:

  1. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
  2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
  3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
  4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
  5. Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
  6. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
  7. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
  8. Extras by Scott Westerfeld
  9. Before I Die by Jenny Downham
  10. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone who voted!

Teens’ Top Ten: What are Teens Voting For?

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Teen Read Week and voting for the Teens’ Top Ten begins in just 5 days. I can’t wait to see the votes come in and find out which of these books are teens’ favorites! Remember, this is the only teen choice where the books are nominated and voted on by teens all over the USA. It’s practically an American duty for teens to vote!

I asked a few teens what they were planning on voting for. Here are some of the responses: Read More →

The Teens’ Top Ten: Marketing, Reading, and Voting

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Teen Read Week is getting closer every day and with it the vote to decide which of the 26 nominees will be named the Teens’ Top Ten 2008.

The Teens’ Top Ten is a booklist which is a teen choice list. Fifteen groups, known as YA Galley groups, read young adult literature all year long to narrow down the best of the best in teen books. Teens from the groups have to nominate books that will be on the final list. This year 26 titles made the final cut. Out of these 26 titles, teens all over the country get to choose the Teens’ Top Ten.

Why is this project important? Hey, this is teens’ turn to tell the young adult book industry what they are looking for in their books. Read More →

Don’t Forget to VOTE! ALA Elections, 2008

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We are one week into ALA’s online voting, and polls close April 24, 2008. On the ballots are changes to bylaws, as well as names for selecting our next slate of councilors, board members, and folks to serve on a variety of committees. YALSA members get a special YALSA ballot – you can see our slate of candidates for YALSA offices

Last week, my ALA membership # and a unique password were emailed to me with simple instructions. I went to https://www.alavote.org/2008/ and logged in easily.

On each ballot, candidate names had a button next to them, labeled “bio,” Clicking the button made a new window open, showing individual credentials: resume, publications, committee work, accomplishments, and often, a personal statement. Even the bylaw changes had bios that included the original language, the proposed change, and the board’s current stance on the issue. So, even if you feel you haven’t done your homework, you can become an informed voter on the spot.

I am a member of several roundtables and divisions, so I had 5 ballots to complete. It took me about 30 minutes to complete all of my ballots, and I did my voting in two chunks, because it was easy to save as I went along.

I got an email confirmation for each ballot, after submitting my votes (the email said 2007 election, incidentally!)

As I was reading candidate bios, I paid special attention to candidates who are children’s and young adult librarians and library teachers. The following list is not an endorsement and provided for informational purposes; I leave it up to all of you to consider the implications of having the interests of youth serving librarians–members of AASL, ALSC and YALSA–brought to the Big ALA table–or not.

J. Linda Williams (ALA President)
Stephen L. Matthews (councilor-at-large)
Thomas W. Brogan (councilor-at-large)
Christine McIntosh (councilor-at-large)

Toni Negro (councilor-at-large)
Dolores (Dee) Gwaltney (councilor-at-large)
Lisa Von Drasek (councilor-at-large)
Christopher G. Harris (councilor-at-large)
Linda J. Underwood (councilor-at-large)
Bonnie L. Kunzel (councilor-at-large)
Linda Friel (councilor-at-large)
Ida Williams Thompson (councilor-at-large)
Barbara K. Stripling (councilor-at-large)

Jo Ellen Misakian (councilor-at-large)
Alison Ernst (councilor-at-large)
Margaret L. Kirkpatrick (councilor-at-large)

I was sad to see fewer candidates this year for councilor-at-large. Nominating committees are putting their heads together for the next slate of candidates nearly as soon as the elections are over – maybe YOUR name will be here next year!

Final Questions for Presidential Candidates

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Thank you to our three candidates for YALSA President-Nick Buron, Sarah Flowers, and Linda Braun–for taking the time these past few weeks to answer the questions in this forum and giving all our YALSA members the opportunity to get to know them better.

  • Why are you running for YALSA President?
  • When you are Past President and people reflect back to your presidential year, what do you hope they will remember about you?

Good luck to all our candidates and thanks again for giving such thoughtful answers!

Remember, ALA polls open March 17 and close April 24. Please make sure your voice is heard by casting your ballot!

Sarah Debraski
YALSA President-Elect

Meet the 2010 Edwards Award committee candidates!

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It’s time to hear from election candidates again – this time those running for the Margaret A. Edwards award committee in 2010.

Candidates are: Terry Beck, Roxy Ekstrom, Kathie Fitch, Cathy Lichtman, Mary Anne Nichols, and Maren Ostergard.

First, tell us a little about yourself.

How do you decide if a book is a “window to the world” for young adults?

What strategies would you use to help the group achieve consensus on a winner?

What new, ineligible author do you think might make a great MAE winner in the far future? (Remember that eligible books must have been printed 5+ years prior to the current award year.)

Thanks for sharing your answers with the membership!
Erin Downey Howerton, MAE committee member 2008

Questions for our Presidential Candidates

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Hello again to our presidential candidates!

We’ve heard from you about your skills and strengths and your thoughts about our organization. This time, please tell us about your experiences serving teens, including in your current position. Please tell us also about one of your favorite teen-focused or teen-created program/event which you helped to develop. Why was it a favorite?

And, please tell us a little bit about what you like to do outside of library work.

Thank you,

Sarah Debraski

President-Elect