It's that time of year again! As YALSA President-Elect, I'll make appointments for the following YALSA committees and taskforces:
*Please note that the PPYA and Amazing Audiobooks Committees are virtual. YALSA members with book selection and evaluation experience and who are comfortable working in an online environment with tools like ALA Connect, Google Docs, Skype, etc. should put their names forward for consideration.
Past-President Chris Shoemaker noted in his blog post last month that the YALSA Board adopted a new policy about serving on award committees. Beginning Feb. 1, 2016, any individual who has served on any YALSA award committee will need to wait two years before he or she is eligible to serve on another YALSA award committee. For more information, see this board document from Annual.
If you have been on selection and award committees before, please consider volunteering for the new Selection and Award Committees Oversight Committee (more info can be found in this board document). This new committee needs experienced YALSA members to serve as liaisons and to standardize policies and procedures for selection and award committees.
The Fine Print
- Eligibility: To be considered for an appointment, you must be a current personal member of YALSA and submit a Committee Volunteer form by Oct. 1, 2015. If you are appointed, service will begin on Feb. 1, 2016.
- If you are currently serving on a selection or award committee and you are eligible to and interested in serving for another term, you must fill out a volunteer form for this round (so I know you're still interested and want to do serve another term)
- Qualifications: Serving on a committee or taskforce is a significant commitment. Please review the resources on this web page before you submit a form to make sure that committee work is a good fit for you at this point in time.
- Need more information? Click on the links above. Check out the Committee FAQ. Watch the Selection Committee Webinar.
- Please free to contact me with any questions or issues at gsarahthelibrarian at gmail .com.
Thanks for volunteering with YALSA!
One highlight from YALSA’s Future of Library Services for and with Teens is the importance of “partnering strategically to reach beyond the library’s walls” for libraries and communities to successfully work for and with teens. (p. 21-24). In order to best help members do this, YALSA’s board approved the creation of a Community Connections Taskforce. For libraries looking to begin or build on existing partnerships, the work of the committee will help members answer questions about partnerships, including:
- Why collaborate or partner? What are the benefits? Why do libraries need to do it?
- How might libraries identify or assess needs in their community and how the library might play a role?
- What partnerships might I want to replicate from other library partnerships - big, small, rural, urban, school, public?
- What do libraries might offer to partners?
- What are the outcomes to this partnership?
- How do I reach out to potential partners?
The taskforce is currently accepting volunteers. You can volunteer by submitting a volunteer form here - just look for the committee volunteer form and get started.
The committee charge is below. Please reach out to me or Candice Mack if you have any questions!
Community Connections Taskforce
Charge: compile existing and, as needed, develop new resources for members on the topic of using community engagement and partnerships to address teen needs. Resources must address the following key topics: rationale for pursuing community partnerships; strategies for assessing teen and community needs and identifying possible partners; examples of organizations that could serve as potential partners; asset mapping of library resources to determine what the library can bring to a partnership; and turn-key resources libraries can adapt and use, such as sample email messages to potential partners, community needs assessment tools, asset map checklist, etc. As completed, promote the community connections resources with the assistance of YALSA staff and member leaders through a variety of YALSA and other channels, including but not limited to: YALSAblog posts, webinars, Academy videos, Google Hangouts, and presentations at conferences. Size: 5-7 virtual members, including the Chair. Term: from August 1, 2015 to January 31, 2017.
This fall, YALSA will be making appointments to the following selection committees and taskforces! Put your passion for young adult literature to work! If you have experience in evaluating and selecting young adult materials, as well as time to volunteer your skills, please consider serving on a YALSA selection committee. The committees and taskforces are:
- Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
- Best Fiction for Young Adults
- Fabulous Films for Young Adults
- Great Graphic Novels for Teens
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Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
-
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
- Great Graphic Novels for Teens
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Alex Award
- Morris Award
- Odyssey Award
- 2013 Midwinter Marketing & Local Arrangements Taskforce
- 2013 Midwinter Paper Presentation Planning Taskforce
- Readers’ Choice List Taskforce
How do I get on a committee or taskforce?
To serve on a committee or taskforce, you must be officially appointed by YALSA’s President-Elect, Jack Martin. YALSA is collecting volunteer forms from now through Sept. 30 for members who would like to serve on selection and award committees as well as taskforces that begin work on Feb. 1, 2012. If you are currently serving on a selection or award committee and you are eligible to and interested in serving for another term, you must fill out a volunteer form. This is the only way the President-Elect knows for certain that you’re interested in continuing on the committee. Also, please note that selection committee members are required to attend both Midwinter and Annual conferences. Please ensure that you can travel to both conferences before you volunteer.
What Do I Need to Know to Volunteer?
Before you volunteer to serve on a committee or taskforce, you’ll want to learn what the group does and what your responsibilities will be. YALSA has created a free webinar with information about what it’s like to serve on a selection or award committee. Be sure to take the time to view it. You can also contact the chair directly to let him/her know you’re interested in serving and to ask questions about what your involvement will entail. Names and contact information for all the committee chairs are available from the Governance link on YALSA’s website. From the Get Involved link on YALSA’s website you’ll also find information about each of the committees’ functions, size, etc. Lastly, be sure to read through YALSA’s Handbook, especially the sections that list responsibilities for committee members.
Where do I volunteer?
In order to be considered for a selection or award committee, you need to fill out a Selection Committee Volunteer Form by Sept. 30.
If you’d like to be considered for one of the task
