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One of my favorite parts of any Midwinter Meeting is the announcement of the Youth Media Awards. There’s an Oscar-like buzz in the room. I love the pride and enthusiasm from juries and selection committees (many of whom dress up for the event). I get chills at the emotional outpouring for beloved authors and titles, and it’s a particular thrill when a dark horse title wins.

But if you can’t be in the room for the announcements, have no fear–YALSABlog and The Hub will be jointly covering the YMAs with a live blog, complete with streaming video! Join the session here or on The Hub to watch the video, answer reader polls and add your own commentary live. We’ll also be pulling selected hashtags (like #yma13, #printz, #alexaward and #morrisaward) to bring you thoughts and reactions from Twitter.

If you miss the live session, you can replay the whole thing (including the video) at any time after the live session ends. Don’t miss out on one of the best parts of Midwinter!

Not in Seattle but wishing you could hear what local teens have to say about this year’s Best Fiction for Young Adults nominations? In Seattle but stuck in another meeting or session on Sunday? Have no fear–you can join the BFYA Teen Feedback Session live blog here or on The Hub!

We’ll be streaming live video from the session, pulling tweets with the #bfya hashtag, polling readers about nominated titles and publishing your comments LIVE. The live blog will start shortly before the session opens at 1:30 PM Pacific, and you can join at any time. You can even log in with your Facebook or Twitter account to include your gravatar with your comments.

If you can’t make the live session, have no fear; the complete session, including video, will be available to replay at your leisure as soon as the live blog closes.

The guests for this episode are Carol Tilley, this year’s Trends in YA presenter, and Denise Agosto, organizer for the event. The Trends in YA Presentation is an event that occurs each year at the Midwinter Conference. This year’s presentation will be on Saturday, January 26th at 4:30 in room 213 in the Seattle Convention Center. Tilley will read from her research paper, which explores the history of comic books and their relationship with libraries.

Trends in YA Presentation

For more information on Carol Tilley and her various projects, please visit her website at www.caroltilley.net/.

You’ll find the schedule of other YALSA-related events on the YALSA webpage.

I’m en route to Seattle even as I type this! What will the board and I be up to at the 2013 Midwinter conference? Keep reading to find out.

It’s going to be an awesome conference. We’ve got programs, meetings and activities everywhere. We’ll be talking about advocacy, collaborations, books and reading, the future of teen services in libraries and more.

First, I’ll be helping YALSA host the first National Forum on Teens & Libraries on January 23 and 24. This is the first summit of its kind, and we’ll be bringing leaders on youth development, libraries, technology, publishing, everything. The goal is figure out where teen services is going and where it needs to be in the 21st Century. ALA President Maureen Sullivan will be the lead moderator, and we’ve got some amazing special guest stars, including Lee Rainey, head of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, Mizuko Ito, Professor in Residence and MacArthur Foundation Chair in Digital Media and Learning at the University of California, Irvine, Renee Hobbs, Director of the Harrington School of Communications & Media at the University of Rhode Island and George Needham, Vice President for Global and Regional Councils at the Online Computer Library Center. We’ll be talking lots of teens, literacy, library, technology and more. I’ll even be leading the Youth Panel portion of the forum with special awesome teens from YALSA President-Elect Shannon Peterson. We’ll be tweeting, blogging and posting the entire time, so check out our social media channels to find out what’s going on.

The YALSA Executive Committee will also be meeting with the executive committees of our sister divisions, AASL and ALSC. The three divisions traditionally meet every Thursday before Midwinter and Annual conferences. This time we’ll be talking about our Joint School/Public Library committee, a new Common Core taskforce and a whole lot more.

The YALSA Board will also be pretty busy this conference. Not only will you see us at Leadership Development (coffee and carbs!!!) and the YALSA Happy Hour (free drinks and apps!!!) on Saturday, feel free to drop by our meetings from 1:30-5:30 on Saturday, 4:30-5:30 on Sunday and 1:30-3:30 on Monday, all in room 309 of the convention center. You’ll also see us at the Youth Media Awards and the Morris and Non-Fiction awards ceremony on Monday.

What will the Board be talking about? Lots of stuff. In thinking about how YALSA can help its members advocate for teen services in libraries, the Board will be having a major discussion on how to reach library administrators to help them understand the importance of teen services.

We also know that members want to learn more about teen programming in libraries. So we’ll be voting to establish a new taskforce of programming best practices and replicable program examples for members. Interested in serving on the taskforce? Hit me up after Midwinter!

We also know how much everyone loves our biennial YA Lit Symposium. In fact, we know ya’ll love it so much that we’re going to be considering whether or not we should do it every year as opposed to every other year. Got an opinion? Let us know what you think.

Also back by popular demand is the YALSA Road Trip. We know from the member survey and from my virtual town halls that members really want to find better ways to connect to one another on a regional or state-by-state basis. The board will be brainstorming new ways that YALSA can reboot this exciting project.

We’ll also be exploring lots of other new ways for members to connect with one another, both virtually and in-person. We’ll be talking about a new student chapter proposal as well as a cool new idea on how members who love teen books can better connect with one another.

Finally, we’ll be at the Coffee with the Candidates, which is a great opportunity for members to meet this year’s candidates for President-Elect as well as the Board. This is your chance to get up close and personal with the candidates and let them know your concerns and ideas. I know I’ll be there with plenty of questions of my own.

All in all, it’s gonna be a super busy conference, and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there. I’ll be the guy with the crazy socks. Over and out. See you there.

How far would you go to promote a book you really loved?  Actor Matthew Lillard went to amazing lengths to share one of his favorite teen stories (which also happens to be a Printz Honor Book!):

“OK. So, I first stumbled across FAT KID RULES THE WORLD when I was hired to record the audio version of KL Going‘s award winning novel.  The book blew me away. It was funny and true, and it told the story of a lost kid – Troy Billings, alienated and alone – who finds his purpose in life through the magic of punk rock music.  The book rocked my world.  It was crazy!  It spoke to me, in a deep way because I had been my own version of Troy Billings in high school. I was lost and an outcast and didn’t really fit in anywhere… that is until I found acting, which pretty much changed my life forever.  After I read the book I knew I had to tell THIS story.  I made this movie for everyone who has ever felt like they just didn’t belong… the misfits, the outcasts. the kids that are lost… this movie is for you! “

He raised over $150,000 on Kickstarter to get this movie distributed.  Start to finish is is a true labor of love.  And thanks to the producers, we have a special screening of the just-released-this-week DVD just for YALSA members attending ALA in Seattle (where the movie was filmed!)

Join us at the wonderful Elliott Bay Book Company Sunday January 27th at 7pm to watch the movie I’ve been dying to see all year!   We also have door prizes: Listening Library is providing two CD sets of the audiobook; the movie producers are supplying bumperstickers; and Random House is sending some extra goodies for everyone who attends!  Please feel free to bring a snack or beverage to share.  But just like the public library, we need to clean up after ourselves, and be out before they close the store at 9pm!

Looking for a Seattle souvenir?  Check out these places to find fun and interesting gifts with Seattle flair for family, friends, and yourself.  All shops are located within walking distance or a short bus ride from the Convention Center.

FriendShop at the Central Library (Downtown)

Ye Olde Curiosity Shop(Waterfront)

Simply Seattle (locations near Pike Place Market and the Waterfront)

Made in Washington (locations Downtown and in the Pike Place Market)

The 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle kicks off on Friday and ALSC has a full schedule of activities. Whether you’re there to meet new people, to serve on a committee or to experience the exciting Youth Media Awards, ALSC has plenty to offer. Remember, even if you’re not going to Seattle, you can follow along with ALSC here on the blog (we’ll be live-blogging) or on Twitter (follow #alamw13). Here are a few events that you might want to attend:

Friday
9:00am-5:00pm – 2013 Notable Children’s Recordings Committee, REN-Marion
1:30-4:30pm – 2013 Notable Children’s Books Committee, WSCC-Room 2AB
1:30-10:00pm – 2013 Carnegie Medal/Notable Children’s Videos Committee, LION-Pioneer
7:00-8:30pm – ALSC Speed Networking, LION-Seattle Ballroom I

Saturday
8:30-11:30am – Leadership and ALSC (formerly Division Leadership), GRAND-Leonesa II & III
9:00am-5:30pm – Notable Children’s Recordings Committee, REN-Marion
1:00-5:30pm – Board of Directors, WSCC-Room 212
1:30-4:30pm – Notable Children’s Books Committee, WSCC-Room 2AB

Sunday
8:30-11:30am – ALSC All Committee I, GRAND-Leonesa II & III
8:30-11:30am – ALSC All Committee II, GRAND-Princessa Ballroom
10:30-11:30am – Summer Reading Update (ALSC/PLA/YALSA), WSCC 602-603
1:30-4:30pm – Notable Children’s Books Committee, WSCC-Room 2AB
1:30-9:00pm – Notable Children’s Recordings Committee, REN-Marion
4:30-5:30pm – All Discussion Groups Meeting (ALSC), WSCC 303
4:30-5:30pm – Collection Management Discussion Group, WSCC 305

Monday
8:00-9:00am – Youth Media Awards, WSCC-Ballroom 6B
1:30-4:30pm – Notable Children’s Books Committee, WSCC-Room 2AB
1:30-5:30pm – Board of Directors, WSCC-Room 306
6:00-7:30pm – ALSC & YALSA Joint Member Reception, SHER-Cirrus Room
8:00-10:00pm – Storytelling Discussion Group, SHER-Jefferson

Tuesday
8:00am-12:00pm – Notable Children’s Books Committee, WSCC-Room 2AB

There is also a complete list of ALSC events at Midwinter on the ALSC website. Also, do not forget that everyone can watch the Youth Media Awards webcast live!

CBC Diversity, a committee-run initiative of the Children’s Book Council, will be making an appearance at ALA Midwinter 2013. The informational session will provide details about the initiative and all of the resources it offers librarians, one being the constantly updated CBC Diversity Goodreads Bookshelf which utilizes the bookshelf tags to organize the collection based on the different types of diversity that can be found in children’s literature.

Not only will the session showcase valuable information about the initiative and how the publishing industry is handling the current state of diversity in children’s books but, it will also allow the librarian-filled audience to ask questions and give advice to the representatives about the future of CBC Diversity.

Visit the CBC Diversity blog for more information about the initiative (and to sneak a peek at the other valuable resources before the panel) and check out the CBC Diversity ALA Midwinter flyer below for all of the details.

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Our guest blog post today is from the Children’s Book Council. The Children’s Book Council is the national nonprofit trade association of children’s book publishers.

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at [email protected].