YALSA Blog

On the Horizon: ALSC’s National Institute and Teen Services Development Day

YALSA Board — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 14:35:02 +0000

One of the comments that the YALSA Board has heard frequently from our members is a desire for more continuing education opportunities and a desire for the return of the Symposium. With the upcoming reunification of ALSC and YALSA, the board is thrilled that this brings forth the very opportunities our members have been asking for, starting with ALSC’s upcoming National Institute in October. The biannual Institute will include a special pre-conference specifically focusing on Teen Services: Teen Services Development Day. The pre-conference already has several amazing sessions on the schedule, along with an exciting keynote speaker: The Free Verse Society author Delali Adjoa!

The Teen Services Development Day is just the first step towards a more inclusive, immersive conference, though. Starting in 2028, the National Institute will move from being held every other year in October, to an annual event focused on both children and teens held in January. Why January? To host the YMAs, of course! It’s an exciting opportunity for both YALSA and ALSC members alike: a dedicated, annual conference focusing on the youth we all serve, ending with a beloved celebration of the best books in youth literature published that year.

We hope you are as excited as we are for these upcoming changes, and please consider joining us for the Teen Services Development Day at ALSC’s National Institute. It will be an engaging and enriching time, a chance to connect not only with your fellow teen services colleagues, but to meet and get to know our children services colleagues as well.

Happy Learning!

Heather Love Beverley, YALSA Board Secretary

The Next Chapter: Reunification and Meaningful Rebranding

YALSA Board — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 02:25:51 +0000

By Rob Bittner (Co-Chair, Reunification Working Group; ALSC Past-President) with updates and YALSA perspective by the YALSA Board

As we head toward ALA Annual Conference 2026, we are standing at a unique and historic threshold. For decades, YALSA has been a dedicated home for those who champion teen services—a space that embraces the energy, the growth, and even the angst of working with young adults.

Now with our official reunification with ALSC just months away in September 2026, we are actively preparing for a collaborative new era where youth and teen advocacy remain front and center.

When Rob Bittner first wrote about rebranding efforts back in December, he noted that the Reunification Working Group has been actively listening to member concerns and debunking myths. As we get closer to the annual conference, those conversations are more important than ever.

To help everyone prepare for what lies ahead, here is an updated look at the rebranding realities and myths we are navigating together:

Rebranding Myth #1 – ALSC doesn’t want to rebrand

It is fair to say that ALSC has an incredibly recognized brand within the world of libraries and children’s publishing, and any change is a transition. However, both divisions are completely committed to a unified rebranding effort. We want to be very clear: the ultimate goal is to ensure that both children’s and teen services are fully and proudly reflected in our new name, logo, and programming so that every member feels valued.

Rebranding Myth #2 – It’s being delayed so people will forget about it

While we do not have a final rebranding design to show you at Annual, this is a matter of sequence, not avoidance. We are fully committed to launching the strategic rebranding process under the newly unified Board of Directors once the reunification is officially complete in September 2026.

Rebranding Myth #3 – “Staff capacity” is just an excuse to postpone the work

Behind the scenes, staff and leadership are busily doing the heavy lifting of merging two major divisions—handling bylaws, merging committees, creating new charges, budgets, and operational structures—on top of their day-to-day work. Rebranding is too important to do on-the-fly. By waiting until the official reunification date, we can ensure we have the dedicated resources, staff capacity, and budget to build a robust, comprehensive rebranding timeline that includes deep member engagement and investment.

Rebranding Myth #4 – Teen advocacy will get lost in a “youth-services-only” model

It is natural for YALSA members to worry that the unique, vital, and sometimes chaotic world of teen services might be overshadowed by children’s services. We want to be loud and clear: this reunification is a partnership, not an absorption. YALSA’s fierce spirit of teen advocacy, intellectual freedom, and youth empowerment is a core pillar of this merger. YALSA is not a quiet partner; we are co-authors of this new division, ensuring the specific needs of young adults and YA library staff remain a vibrant priority.

Looking Ahead to Annual 2026

Both ALSC and YALSA have legacy brands that evoke incredible pride. Change brings its own kind of growing pains, but it also brings immense potential. We carry our histories proudly into this next chapter, and we want to make sure this combined division is louder, stronger, and more resilient than ever.

We want to hear from you! Please join us at the upcoming town halls, look out for ALA Connect updates, and connect with us in person in Chicago at the Annual Conference. Let’s write this next chapter together.

Suggestions from merging committees YALSA Organization and Bylaws and ALSC Organizational Effectiveness

YALSA Board — Mon, 04 May 2026 15:24:56 +0000

In accordance with ALA Forward work requested of all units in 2025, staff of both divisions have completed a program assessment. With input from division boards, the assessment helped determine which committees, task forces, and working groups will be Preserved and Invested in, Reviewed for Retention, or Sunset. A copy of the report has been shared with YALSA and ALSC committee chairs, some of whom have provided feedback. For our divisions, the assessment coincided with our work facilitating the reunification between ALSC and YALSA. The process allowed us to see where there is overlap in scope between a YALSA and an ALSC committee and bring those two groups together to have a cohesive committee charge and structure that will be implemented as of reunification finalization on September 1, 2026.

ALSC Organizational Effectiveness and YALSA Organization & Bylaws are two committees whose overlapping purpose and work will be brought together under one committee when reunification is complete. Due to the charge of these two committees, they were asked to be the first to undergo the self-reflection described above and to give feedback on the process to help guide other committees through the same work.

Below is a suggested workflow for two committees to complete the Committee Review and Feedback Survey together. We’ve included the steps that worked well for us with tips that we hope will be helpful for other merging committees.

1. Making contact with your chair counterpart:
Since scheduling for volunteer committees can be complex and take time, we recommend that you reach out to your ALSC/YALSA counterpart chair(s) as quickly as possible. We have recommended to ALSC staff that they provide contact information to respective chairs, as it is no longer possible to find a directory of email addresses on ALA Connect. However, if contact information has not been sent to you, it can be found with a bit of sleuthing! ALSC committee charges and rosters can be searched from the ALSC Committees web page. You can then reach out to your respective counterpart chair using ALA Connect messages, which is how our two committees were able to initially connect.

2. Getting a joint meeting on the schedule:
After making the connection between committee chairs, we moved the conversation off of Connect and shared our regular meeting schedule over email. If it is an option, try to make one of your upcoming regularly scheduled meetings act as a joint meeting with as many members in attendance from each committee as possible. This was ideal for us as we did not have to triangulate an additional meeting time! Our first meeting ended up being a fantastic opportunity to formally meet each other, fill in gaps as to what information had been shared about reunification, and solidify next steps for both the survey and committee logistics moving forward.

3. Reviewing the survey questionnaire in a meeting and providing input asynchronously:
During our preliminary joint meeting, we chose not to fill out the survey at that time. Instead, we created a shared Google Doc with the survey questions and determined who would be responsible for completing the different parts of the survey. The largest consideration was who would work on the new synthesized charge, which consists of visiting both ALSC and YALSA charges/functions, and combining them based on what we know about our committees’ joint responsibilities moving forward. A member of each committee volunteered to work together to start on the combined charge. We set a 2-week deadline for both filling out the questions on the Google Doc and adding input to the responses via comments. We then scheduled an “interstitial” meeting at that 2-week point to go over any open comments, questions, or major sticking points. While we did have a few discussions about some of the questions, this may not be necessary for every committee!

4. Having a follow-up meeting to discuss and finalize input:
During our 2-week check-in meeting, we were able to resolve most comments quickly. We did have a few issues that needed to be discussed, but ultimately landed in a successful place. After this meeting, we felt confident in our goal of submitting our Committee Review and Feedback survey with as much thought and input from committee members as possible. Our recommendation (to avoid getting bogged down by details) is to treat questions such as the committee name and newly synthesized charge as suggestions, knowing that the board will have final say on these details. As we all know, this is a new process for everyone, and there will inevitably be kinks and unexpected circumstances to work out along the way. Because of this, we have suggested to leadership that the questions on this form be re-assessed on (at least) a semi-annual basis to ensure that recommendations regarding charge descriptions and considerations such as committee make-up are effective and still stand.

5. More advice?
We know that every merging committee will look different; however, ALSC Organizational Effectiveness and YALSA Organization and Bylaws have decided to fully immerse ourselves in the reunification process. It has been a positive experience! This has included scheduling future meetings as a joint committee, including both committees on all email correspondence, and sharing committee documentation with one another so that future document access is seamless. Moving forward, we will continue meeting as a joint committee, and working on our agendas/meeting notes collaboratively.

There may be other considerations that are specific to your committee that we would love to hear about! It may end up being a helpful reunification tip for others. Please respond and let us know what you found helpful (or not) during the reunification process. If you have any other questions or would like a follow-up conversation about your merging committees or experience, please comment on this post or email the chairs of this unifying committee – Manuela Aronofsky (maronofsky@berkeleycarroll.org), Tanya DiMaggio (tanyathelibrarian@gmail.com), and Rebecca Leonhard (rherwatic@gmail.com) – and we will set up a conversation!

This blog post was jointly authored by members of the ALSC Organizational Effectiveness committee and the YALSA Organization and Bylaws committee – soon to be one committee!

One year later

YALSA Board — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:16:29 +0000

It was about a year ago that the puzzle pieces of reunification started to appear. It was a difficult choice; therefore, it will always be a difficult topic for me to discuss. I hoped that by moving forward with unification, we could sustainably recapture the essence of YALSA.

I am happy to say that progress has been made in preserving the essence of YALSA.
First, a recap of all the activities that have been taking place regarding membership.
• All current YALSA members will become ALSC members.
• There is a current discussion around troubleshooting the “short-term” members. These are the YALSA members whose memberships will expire within months of reunification. ALA staff are discovering what is possible, fair, and doable given our technology/accounting constraints.
• Membership privileges have already started to overlap, with member discounts for ALSC and YALSA continuing education.

Next – The bad news: Bylaws don’t bend.
ByLaws state that you must be a member of either division to vote and/or take on a leadership role. This means that individuals who have dual membership are currently at an advantage. This is the pool of candidates that is being taped for leadership roles and who voted in the recent election. Everyone acknowledges that this is not an ideal situation. This is a demonstration of the great lengths everyone involved is incorporating YALSA voice.
2026-207 Committee Hack
If you’re interested in a 2026-2027 committee, complete the volunteer form – we’re forwarding the information to the ALSC appointments team. Every effort will be made to match you with a comparable committee post-reunification.

Good News – As Rob stated in his blog post to ALSC members, the new board does have some Teen/YALSA voice, which will hopefully elevate some of the concerns for YALSA members:
The incoming President-Elect of the division is Danielle Jones, who has been an active member of both ALSC and YALSA for many years. In her candidate statements she noted, “We are at a critical juncture with the planned reunification of ALSC and YALSA. My active involvement in both gives me a unique perspective and commitment to ensuring a successful transition, prioritizing both children and teens and the professionals who serve them.”
The new Board members joining Danielle will be Heather Love Beverley, Deadra (Dee) O. Brown, and Renee Ting, all of whom bring a fantastic mix of children’s and teen services experience to their upcoming new roles. We are excited to see the new Board of the unified division working together to meet the needs of our combined membership (as of Sept. 1, 2026).

There’s more good news involving the YMAs and conferences! Read all about it here.
In brief:
• This year’s ALSC National Institute will feature a one-day Teen Service Development Day.
• 2028 will feature a new annual conference with youth and teen offerings leading up to the YMAs.
• Chicago will host all events during the next few transition years.

In the next few weeks, more blog posts will go into some of the specifics and background activities of the past few months.

Feeling Optimistic,
Yvette Garcia, your past-president

Call for Volunteers: Apply to Join a YALSA Scholarship or Award Jury!

YALSA Board — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 01:04:25 +0000

We are excited to invite you to make a meaningful impact in our profession by volunteering to serve on one of YALSA’s scholarship or award juries!
Each year, YALSA confers two important recognitions:
The Joann Sweetland Lum Memorial Grant, which honors a librarian who has implemented a creative, innovative project that promotes literacy.
The Regina U. Minudri Young Adult Scholarship, which supports an MLIS student who plans to work with teens in public libraries.
These awards not only celebrate excellence and innovation in our field but also provide critical support to youth librarians and future professionals. Serving on a jury is a rewarding way to give back, connect with colleagues, and help elevate the work of passionate individuals in our community.
We are currently seeking volunteers to serve on the juries for these awards. Jury members will review applications in early 2026 and help select the awardees.
If you’ve ever wanted to make a difference for fellow teen librarians, this is your chance!
Learn more and apply to serve on a jury (ALA login required)
Application review will begin November 1, 2025
Questions? Contact Valerie Tagoe, YALSA President-Elect at vtagoeyalsa@gmail.com
Thank you for considering this opportunity to support your peers and the future of teen services in libraries. I look forward to seeing many of you step forward to serve!

President’s Report: April 2025

YALSA Board — Tue, 27 May 2025 23:44:11 +0000

Please join me in congratulating all those elected:

Here are the final results for the YALSA elected positions:

YALSA President-elect: Valerie Tagoe
YALSA Fiscal Officer: Caroline Aversano
YALSA Secretary: Heather Beverley
YALSA Board of Directors (3 positions):
- Julia E. Torres
- Clare O’Tsuji
- Robin Fogle Kurz, Ph.D.

2027 Award & Blogging Committee appointments

April was the launch of our new volunteer season and process. I’m excited for the increased transparency in the process and hopeful that the new timeline provides improved communication throughout the process from start to finish.

For more detailed information, please visit the YALSA blog.

Ongoing Activities

YALSA staff are currently finalizing details for all the activities at the annual conference.
YALSA activities are already on the conference schedule and will be shared on Connect and e-news shortly.
President-Elect Amber Creger is appointing members to the 2027 award committees.

President’s Report: March Budget Madness

YALSA Board — Wed, 21 May 2025 19:03:45 +0000

I apologize for the delay in posting…

This is the time of the year when budgets are being built, evaluated, and updated. Did you know that ALA Divisions, including YALSA, are working on three budgets at the same time? Alena, interim Executive Director, is working with ALA staff and the board to provide current spending and projections for the current budget (FY25) and navigating the creation of next year’s budget through ALA’s budget approval process. Last year’s budget numbers are finalized/reconciled.

Fiscal year 2026 represents the first year that YALSA will be using the Overhead costs associated with the new Operating Agreement. Overhead costs are the amount of money YALSA pays ALA to offset the cost of services ALA provides to the division. For example, ALA provides accountants and other staff to handle YALSA expenses, revenue, and accounts. ALA also provides all the HR resources that support YALSA staff, such as handling payroll, benefits, and hiring.

The Overhead costs are based on the previous two budget years, YALSA had budget deficits, and will not be paying Overhead costs. For 8 of the past 10 years, YALSA’s expenses have exceeded revenue (income). YALSA’s current net asset balance is approximately -$300,000.00. This isn’t sustainable and violates our operating agreement with ALA.

This past year has been dedicated to learning about budgeting within the ALA universe. In previous years, limited staffing was used as a strategy to approach a balanced budget, but YALSA’s work must continue to progress. YALSA is a member-driven organization, but at some point, involvement from a YALSA/ALA staff member is necessary for the next steps, such as finalizing contracts.

In recent years, the interim executive directors of YALSA have collaborated with ALA to find ways to reduce costs and make better use of existing resources. This includes partnering with the ALA’s Continuing Education department to offer educational opportunities. The next area of focus is to explore consistent revenue streams. However, exploring new revenue streams is challenging due to limited staffing. While grants and sponsorships can provide temporary relief, they still require staff time to manage those projects effectively.

Some tough choices are ahead. YALSA leadership (me, Alena, and the board) is working with ALA to find a solution.

Spring Volunteer Season

YALSA Board — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 18:04:24 +0000

It’s Spring Appointment time, and this year, things will be different.

YALSA has transitioned to one annual recruiting period. This means all Award Committees, Blogging Teams, and Strategic committees will be appointed every Spring.

And…

We are setting a timeline for a specific application period and dates when notices will go out. All members will be informed when committee invitations for awards, blogging teams, and other committees will be sent out. Additionally, all members will know when volunteer applications are being accepted and reviewed. The website will provide clear terms for all appointed groups and will include essential information regarding qualifications, the application process, and more.

The 2025 timeline is:

Volunteer season launches on April 17, with wide recruiting between March 17 and April 21 (between St. Patrick’s Day and Easter).
All applications will be downloaded after April 21 to begin the vetting and reviewing process.
On or around May 1, the first round of invitations will be sent in the following order.

Award Committees
Blogging Teams
Strategic/Process Committees

All Committees begin work on July 1.
- Award committees & Blogging groups: Coordinator training (chair) for leading discussions, communication protocols & information, review of criteria, deadlines, welcome emails, etc.
- Full Committee training with Oversight Committee on criteria review, sample blogs, resources for titles, etc.
- Strategic Committee – Overall chair training, plus 1:1 meeting with chairs to review goals/tasklist for the year, welcome emails, communications protocols, etc.
Additional calls for volunteers will be made as needed.

Remember these three things before you apply:

You have to be a current YALSA member. If your membership is close to expiring, please update it before you apply. This will aid us in the vetting process.
ALA has a strict 3 committee rule. A member can only serve on three committees throughout the ALA.
YALSA Award committee members cannot serve on other awards committees or governing bodies within ALA.

Award Year Served	Eligible for 2027 Awards	Next Year Eligible to Serve
2024 Awards	yes	2027 Awards
2025 Awards	no	2028 Awards
2026 Awards	no	2029 Awards

Background information for some of these changes:

During the past year, we discovered an old inactive volunteer form listed on the YALSA website. Each year, the correct form is listed on the announcement; however, we can not confirm or deny that the old form has been recently used. This has been removed, and the YALSA team has updated the volunteer page.

The YALSA team will pilot a process for applicants who are ineligible for appointments. This process will be two-tiered: first by listing eligibility information on the website and second by sending form letter emails to individuals. This updated process will also assist in tracking individuals who have applied to multiple committees.

The YALSA team will establish a calendar for appointment applications submission dates, review dates, and an expected date for invitations to be sent out. This aligns YALSA with other divisions’ practices and provides transparency in the process. This information will be listed on the website.

The Award and Blogging groups are transitioning to a two-year term. This will improve the volunteer experience, especially for new members. The timeframe for group work will not change; however, the additional months prior will provide time for the group to get to know each other and for various training opportunities.

The additional months after the YMA announcements provide an opportunity for group members to participate in the celebrations at the annual conference. Groups/group members may wish to promote their lists/winners before the annual conference.

Volunteer Form Quick Link

President’s Report (Jan/Feb edition)

YALSA Board — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 21:35:41 +0000

Hi everyone!

January is all about the Youth Media Awards!

In the months/weeks/days leading up to the awards, committee members are all busy making final selections. This year’s winners and honor books show the breadth and depth of YA stories. Thank you to all. I’m so proud.

I prepared for the awards by practicing in front of my cat and hotel mirror. I even managed to sneak into an empty ballroom to practice projecting my voice so it would fill the room. The award committees do all the work in selecting the winners, and I wanted to do my part in preparing for the announcements. I also want to express my gratitude to the YALSA and ALSC staff for their assistance with my preparations. Overall, it was an amazing experience.

Next for YALSA staff members are the ALA annual conference logistical plans. For them, it’s always conference season. It is a mind-twisting experience to return from LLX and immediately jump into confirming the YALSA schedule for Philly. Alena and the board are also working on creating the FY26 budget. This will be a project-based budget that will assist in gaining a better understanding of expenditures.

Recently, the board approved changing the terms of our Award committees. This was the first step in working towards the goal of streamlining our volunteer process.

For me, January and February always run into each other like one long month sprinkled with holiday closures. This is the time of year when most of the work happens behind the scenes: working on the budget, meeting with various ALA leaders, and working with YALSA staff on ALA activities. I recognize that my role as President truly involves fostering connections, such as linking staff with committees and member leaders or connecting committees when projects overlap. The Division and Membership Promotion Committee and the Programming Committee are working together on Spring membership engagement opportunities – details are TBA. Keep your eye on e-news for updates.

February saw an abundance of movement on updating the YALSA website. I would like for everyone to cheer on YALSA staff members Maggie and Galvin. They have successfully tackled the task of cleaning up dead links, updating crucial information, and streamlining the website for improved performance. I was able to meet with YALSA staff to discuss priorities and workflows for the website. Please browse the site, especially the work done on the “Working with YALSA” pages.

The YALSA strategic plan starts with the goals of improving communication and streamlining the volunteer process. YALSA staff and the board have been actively working on this goal. We are tackling the issues one at a time, alternating between what members see and the internal processes. I’ve been coordinating the sharing of information, discussion around workflows, etc. The updated process will be unveiled in a few short weeks.
One key role that YALSA leadership, including myself, has been actively engaged in is providing the institutional knowledge lost during the recent changes in YALSA’s staff. The current board has been active in YALSA for years; we remember and have the old documents, emails, etc. This provides valuable information as we update workflows, protocols, and processes. This year has been a team effort in helping all the new staff learn about YALSA, the important elements of the processes previously in place, etc. It is hard to quantify the amount of work that has been done behind the scenes. We have been busy, things continue moving for YALSA.

The constant in teen services is change. Each generation of teens has its unique pop culture soundtrack, filled with music, images, and icons. We stay relevant by adapting to these shifts. YALSA must also change and adjust to our current environment and staffing structure.

Completed Activities:

President-Elect Creger completed the winter appointments and worked with President Garcia to streamline the volunteer process for the Spring appointments.

President Garcia coordinated with the presidents of AASL and ALSC to dissolve the Joint Youth Division Committee and instead focus on the quarterly meetings of the presidents. These meetings will address current activity highlights, discuss any issues, and provide general updates. In February, the presidents of YALSA, ALSC, and AASL held their quarterly meeting, during which we discussed the appointment processes for the divisions and strategic planning processes.

Ongoing Activities:

I am working with Interim Executive Director Rivers to finalize the YALSA schedule at the ALA annual conference in Philadelphia, YMA activities for 2026 (location: Chicago), plan for the Fiscal Budget for 2026, and work with outside partners on potential grants.

Past-President Seisser is working with the Board Development Committee to promote our upcoming YALSA slate for the elections opening in March. Watch the YALSA Blog and YALSA’s Connect Space for interviews with the candidates.

Past-President Seisser is working with the Organization and ByLaws Committee to update YALSA bylaws. ALA recently updated its bylaws, which impacted YALSA bylaws. We are taking this opportunity to review our bylaws for any updates.

President Yvette is collaborating with YALSA staff to streamline workflows and provide information for website updates, including reaching out to verify active interest groups.

Coordinating with YALSA staff regarding several grant opportunities.

2025 YALSA Election: Candidate Interview Roundup

YALSA Board — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Get ready to vote in this year’s YALSA election! To help you make informed decisions, we’re sharing interviews with each of the 2025 YALSA Governance candidates. Voting will take place from March 10, 2025 – April 2, 2025

Serving three-year terms, YALSA Board members are responsible for jointly determining YALSA’s current and future programs, policies, and serving as liaisons to YALSA’s committees, juries, taskforces and advisory boards. Members work year-round, and attend regular Board meetings. A full description of Board duties and responsibilities can be found YALSA’s Duties and Responsibilities of the Board Members webpage. You can learn more about ALA elections on ALA’s Elections webpage.

For your convenience, here’s this link list for all of our YALSA 2025 Board Candidate Interviews:

Matthew Layne, YALSA 2025 Board Candidate for President-Elect Interview

Valerie Tagoe, YALSA 2025 Board Candidate for President-Elect Interview

Heather Love Beverley, YALSA 2025 Board Candidate for Secretary Interview

Carla Land, YALSA 2025 Board Candidate for Secretary Interview

Caroline Aversano, YALSA 2025 Board Candidate for Fiscal Officer Interview

Whitney Etchison, YALSA 2025 Board Candidate for Director at Large Interview

Robin Fogle Kurz, YALSA 2025 Board Candidate for Director at Large Interview

Rebecca Leonhard, YALSA 2025 Board Candidate for Director at Large Interview

Sheila E. Michaels, YALSA 2025 Board Candidate for Director at Large Interview

Clare O’Tsuji, YALSA 2025 Board Candidate for Director at Large Interview

Julia Torres, YALSA 2025 Board Candidate for Director at Large Interview