Author Archives: Linda Braun

Running for YALSA Board: Is it a Good Idea for You? (Spring 2013)

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people having fun at a meeting creative commons license lars plougmanIn the spring 2013 issue of YALS, YALSA Past-President Sarah Flowers, writes about running for YALSA Board and why YOU – yes YOU – might be interested in taking the plunge. (Even if you think that you aren’t cut out for it.) In the article Sarah includes information on resources that are worth investigating for anyone considering a leadership position in the association. You might want to take a look at:

  • Benefits of Board Membership – Maybe you are thinking, “what do I gain from being a Board member?” A lot actually. Read through this list for a good idea of exactly what you’ll get from being a member of YALSA’s Board of Directors. Continue reading →

They’re Here – 2013 YALSA Selected List Reproducibles (Spring 2013)

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Spring 2013 YALS Best of the Best coverThe spring 2013 issue of YALS is all about YALSA’s selected lists and awards. There are articles about the Odyssey Award and the Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award. There is information about all of YALSA’s annual selected lists. But, one thing is missing from the print version of the journal, that’s a full set of selected list reproducibles. But, no worries, they are right here on the YALS site, easily accessible for you to download and reproduce for teens and others in your community. There’s even a file that includes all of the lists in one. So, go for it. Reproduce away. (By the way, all files are in PDF.)

Of course you’ll want to read all of the articles in the spring issue and visit this site every week for content that connects to what’s in the print version of the publication.

If you are a YALSA member YALS is a perk of your membership dues. If not a member learn how to join, or learn how to subscribe.

E-books Are a Big Deal! (Spring 2013)

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image of woman on the beach reading an ebook by creative commons FlickrIn the spring 2013 issue of YALS an article by Marijke Visser and Chanitra Bishop covers the latest in the ins and outs of e-book publishing and libraries. The article includes an overview of the challenges libraries and publishers face when it comes to e-books and some of the differences between e-book and traditional print publishing and purchasing.

The article includes a very useful list of resources for keeping up and learning more about the world of e-books, libraries, and publishing. The list below is a one-stop-shop for accessing the resources mentioned. Keep in mind that the world of e-books and e-book publishing is moving and changing quickly. The best way to keep up is to keep reading and learning via blogs and other regularly updated resources.
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YALS Spring 2013 Issue Best of the Best

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Spring YALS cover - best of the bestIn just a few days the spring issue of YALS will be mailed to YALSA members and journal subscribers. The theme of the issue is Best of the Best and it’s full of information about:

  • The winners of the 2013 YALSA Awards and titles selected for all of YALSA’s lists. You can read about the selections in the journal and then right here, on this site, you’ll be able to download (starting next week) reproducible copies of the awards and lists so you can give those out in your community to teens, teachers, parents, etc.
  • The Hub Reading Challenge where anyone, anyone, can sign-up to read 25 titles from YALSA’s selected lists over the next couple of months. Those that complete the challenge will have the chance to win fabulous prizes. Continue reading →

Hennepin County Teen Tech Squad: An Update (Winter 2013)

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ipad keyboard on screen by Flickr Creative Commons User Music Radio CreativeIn 2010 YALS published an article in the winter Teens & Tech issue on the Hennepin County Library’s Teen Tech Squad. Members of YALS Editorial Advisory Board asked Cynthia Matthias to update YALS readers on the Tech Squad. Find out what they’ve been up to below.

Our Teen Tech Squad has gone through some changes since the YALS article was published. In 2010, Hennepin County Library received a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Funds from this grant allowed the Teen Tech Squad to explore new tools for art and media creation. Since the beginning Teen Tech Squad workshops attracted many aspiring musicians, and while there were many free and open source applications available for the teens to use, none quite met attendee needs. The new grant funds enabled us to purchase MAC laptops, a cart of 10 iPads, midi controllers, studio monitors, and music and video production software and apps.
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YALSA’s Virtual Town Halls: Be There! And Bring Others Too (Winter 2013)

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yalsa forum on libraries and teens logoAs mentioned in a previous post, the winter 2013 issue of YALS includes an article about the National Forum on Libraries and Teens that YALSA is sponsoring this year. The first part of the forum was a face-to-face summit that took place for two days just before ALA’s Midwinter Meetings for 2013. A small group of attendees were invited or accepted to that summit. But now, YALSA is sponsoring a series of virtual town halls to give more library staff and stakeholders the chance to talk about the future of teen library services.

The first virtual town hall is just a week away and will take place on March 19, from 2 to 3 PM eastern. The theme is partnerships and the conversation will focus on the following questions:

  • Why are partnerships are important to library teen services
  • What are the opportunities for library staff and stakeholders to support teens through partnerships?
  • What do successful partnerships look like?
  • What is required of libraries and stakeholders to move forward in partnerships in order to serve teens into the future?

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YALSA Perspectives: The YALSA Blogs (Winter 2013)

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The winter 2013 issue of YALS focuses on teens and technology. YALSA has a lot of technology-based channels for connecting with library staff working with teens and with teens themselves. This includes two extremely active blogs. The YALSAblog and The Hub. Check out the video below to learn more about each blog, how you might get involved, and how you can use them as a part of your library teen services life.

You can contact The Hub Member Manager, Gretchen Kolderup, or the YALSAblog Member Manager, Wendy Stephens, to learn more about each publication.

If you are a YALSA member YALS is a perk of your membership dues. If not a member learn how to join, or learn how to subscribe.

Minecraft and the Library (Winter 2013)

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Minecraft image by Flickr Creative Commons User elias daniel.In the winter issue of YALS Jessica Schneider and and Erica Gauquier discuss how they brought Minecraft to teens at the Darien Library in Connecticut. Their article highlights the ways in which library staff and teens can work together to build programs and to support a wide-range of teen interests and needs through technology.

What is Minecraft? As Erica and Jessica describe it in their article:

Minecraft is a like a virtual and ongoing game of legos. Players mine for necessary materials in order to thrive in the game. You simply move blocks and build upon them gathering supplies as you go. As a player gets better and gains wood from trees, wool from sheep, meat from pigs, and diamonds from the earth, the possibilities for gathering new materials and resources becomes greater. The game can get even more complicated if you are so inclined, allowing players to create their own modifications (mods)- which leads to learning essential programming skills.

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Preserving Our Present (Winter 2013)

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In the winter 2013 Teens & Tech issue of YALS, Lana Adlawan writes about the Preserving Our Present project at the Sacramento Public Library. This project gives teens in the community the chance to learn about their history by researching the lives of those who grew up and live in their neighborhood. The project website includes a host of multimedia that documents the work of teens that participated in the project. Below you’ll find two examples:


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YALSA’s National Forum on Teens and Libraries (Winter 2013)

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YALSA National Forum on Libraries and Teens logoThe winter issue of YALS includes an article on the YALSA Forum on Teens and Libraries. At the time of the issue’s publication the summit, discussed in the article, was just taking place. The summit brought together a group of people from inside and outside of libraries to consider the future of libraries. Participants included library administrators, library staff working directly with teens, educators, publishers, members of the technology community, teen advocates, youth development experts, and more. (You can see the full list of participants.) It was an amazing group who spent two full days thinking about the world of teens and how libraries, and other youth serving organizations, can support those needs.

Some of the major themes that came out of the two days include: Continue reading →