In February we are posting interviews with each of the 2012 Candidates for YALSA Award Committees. This week we are focusing on Michael L. Printz Award Committee. Each day this week we’ll post an interview with one of the candidates for that committee. We are posting alphabetically by candidate’s last names.
The YALSA Nominating Committee for 2012 has been working hard to select candidates for this year’s election. The Printz Committee is charged with selecting from the previous year’s publications the best young adult book (“best” being defined solely in terms of literary merit) and, if the Committee so decides, as many as four Honor Books. The Committee will also have the opportunity for input into the oversight and planning of the Printz Awards Program. Committee size: 9, four to be elected, plus a consultant from the staff of Booklist, and an administrative assistant if requested.
This is your chance to get to know this year’s candidates that have been nominated to serve on the Printz Committee. Polls are open from March 19 to April 27.
Today we have an interview with Jennifer Lawson
What experience do you have that makes you a good candidate for the award position for which you are running?
I think my best preparation for the Printz Award Committee is in having read 1000+ books written for teens in my years as a librarian. In addition, I keep current with the literature by participating in YALSA-bk and reading blogs, professional journals, and publisher communications.
On the professional front, I’ve been a librarian with the San Diego County Library for more than 10 years. For the first four years, I was the Youth Services Librarian at the Santee Branch. I was able to focus more of my time on teen services here, because much of the children’s programming was done by volunteers. I also re-discovered teen literature in this position and have been reading it almost exclusively ever since. I’ve been at our library headquarters for the past 6 years, first as the Teen Services Coordinator and now as Program Services Librarian.
Since 2008, I have served on several YALSA committees. My first committee was the 2008-09 Odyssey Award Committee. I feel lucky to have served under an excellent and experienced chair (Pam Spencer-Holley), who kept things running smoothly and made it easy to participate and learn along the way. Currently, I am finishing up a two year term on Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults, the last of which I was chair. I also served on two task forces: the Young Adult Literature Symposium Task Force, 2009-11 and YALSA’s Midwinter Pre-Conference Task Force, 2011.
I’m a hard worker and I like to get involved, so I also participate on committees at the State level and present at conferences. Some of my accomplishments include:
Served on the California Summer Reading Advisory Council since 2008, as chair 2010-11.
Represented California as a voting member to Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP), 2010-11.
Presented on the latest and greatest teen literature at the 2009, 2010 and 2011 California Library Association conferences with Courtney Saldana (Upland Public Library) and Joann Jonas (San Diego County Library). This is definitely my favorite presentation. We always have a good audience and have fun talking about books.
Presented Teen Programs in a Box at PLA 2008.
Locally, I volunteer on the Board of Directors for the Juvenile Court Book Club (JCBC) and chair their book selection committee. The JCBC is a volunteer run organization that leads monthly book clubs at five different juvenile detention sites. I lead one of the book club sessions most months. It’s something I really look forward to as the discussions are always lively and full of opinions!
Why do you want to be a member of this awards committee?
Every year, I eagerly await the aw
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