Milking the YA lit Symposium For All It’s Worth

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I’m excited to go to YALSA’s first-ever YA Literature Symposium for a number of reasons (including getting to see my friends, and sneaking a trip to the country music hall of fame), but one of the most important is that this is the first conference I’ll attend as an official representative of my library. In the past, I’ve been a bit of a follower at conferences. I went to my first ALA midwinter this past January, and I wasn’t yet in my current position as a teen librarian, so I got to tag along a lot and learn the ropes. I went to Computers in Libraries (CiL) this spring, but talk about a conference where everyone knows each other and knows the drill–I was a definite newbie. (I don’t mean to say that I felt left out; the people I met were super nice and I even made some new friends.)

This time, it will be different…and I have the business cards to prove it.

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So Many Things to Tell You

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How can it possibly be September already? Of course, it is always difficult to tell the time of year when one lives in Texas. However, today’s temps topped out at 90 degrees, so fall is definitely near! That means:

1.Registratoin for Midwinter and Annual is now open. Have you done the bundled registration? This is my second year to take advantage of this discount deal. While I was registering, I also had the chance to reserve my hotel room for midwinter. ALA has made this whole process as painless as it can be when you are spending money.

2.The’  YALSA Literature Symposium is closer and closer. While early registration is over, there is still time to register and attend.

3. Banned Books Week is approaching as well. Have you ordered your kit? Mine arrived last week. I plan to hand out the bookmarks in my YA lit class this weekend to spark some discussion.

There is much more coming soon. What a terrific time to be associated with YA Literature.

Posted by Teri S. Lesesne

What’s Your Fandom?

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Are you a Slytherin or a Gryffindor?’  Would you rather hang out with B or S or J?’  Which would you rather be, a vampire or a werewolf?

Fandom, according to Wikipedia, is “a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest.” You’d think wikipedia would be a little less dry…

Fandom happens when you love a book so much you cannot stop thinking about it. You want to discuss minute details with other fans.’  You want to immerse yourself in its world, maybe even dress like the characters dress and live like the characters live.’  Fandom happens when you’re so intrigued by a world that you start thinking of other stories that could take place in it.

It’s all of these things, and more. Read More →

The YALSA Update: Symposium Housing, Teen Read Week PSAs & More

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Symposium News: Early bird registration ends on Sept. 1, so make sure to register at the Young Adult Literature Symposium site to save up to 25 percent over advanced and onsite registration.’  Plus, we’ve got housing news! In addition to the Springhill Suites, we now have a housing block reserved at the Courtyard Nashville Downtown. To find out how to reserve your housing, or to look for roommates, check out the Housing page on the YALSA YA Lit Symposium Wiki.

Teen Read Week PSAs featuring Nancy Cartwright: Nancy Cartwright, voice of Bart Simpson, graciously produced three public service announcements for Teen Read Week this year. Download all three at the I Love Libraries Teen Read Week page — they’re perfect for playing during school announcements or you can give a copy to your local radio station. Read More →

YALSA Opens More Housing for Young Adult Literature Symposium

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YALSA has opened additional housing for the 2008 Young Adult Literature Symposium in Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 7-9. Additional housing is now available at the Springhill Suites Metro Center. To reserve a room, you must call 1-800-971-4761 and let them know you are part of the American Library Association Group Block.’  The Springhill Suites rate is $109 for a single and $119 for a double. The Springhill Suites hotel is easy walking distance to the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel, where symposium programs and events will be held.

Questions?’  Contact YALSA Program Officer Nichole Gilbert by email at ngilbert@ala.org’  or by calling 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4387.

The YALSA Update: Deadlines, deadlines

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Early Bird Registration Ends for the Symposium Sept. 1 is the LAST DAY to register at the Early Bird rate and save 25% over onsite registration fees for the Young Adult Literature Symposium! Join your colleagues at this inaugural symposium for fun networking events, dynamic programs on “How We Read Now” and the chance to meet your favorite YA authors! Learn more at the Young Adult Literature Symposium website! Starting Sept. 2, registrants will pay the advanced registration fee.

Tell Us What YOU Think! We’re taking answers for both our member survey and our ALA Annual Conference survey — but only until Aug. 29! So you’ve got one week to let us know how we can serve your needs better. Thanks for helping us out.

Read more news from the YALSA Office…

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Young Adult Literature Symposium Goodies

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Still thinking about registering for the Young Adult Literature Symposium? Check out these great goodies that each attendee will receive at the Symposium. These great badge holders are being sponsored by Scholastic and the conference bags are sponsored by Harper Teen. And, don’t forget you can read more about the Symposium on the YALSA Wiki and also register on the YALSA web site. (Click on each image to see a larger version.)
YA Literature Symposium Bag- sponsored by Harper TeenYA Literature Symposium badge holder- sponsored by Scholastic