Hello, Hub readers! I got to spend the weekend learning, networking, and brainstorming with lots of teen librarians and library workers, authors, and other professionals serving youth at the 2015 YALSA Symposium. Fellow Hub bloggers and I will be sharing recaps of sessions the rest of this week, but we wanted to start off with a few of our favorite moments and nuggets of wisdom, advice, or ideas we discovered over coffee breaks and during presentations.
What was your favorite moment or takeaway of the 2015 YALSA Symposium?
I also always leave this conference in particular feeling a renewed sense of gratitude to be able to work with an awesome groups of peers and colleagues and serve teens full time.
My overarching takeaway was the importance of framing our work and values; to stakeholders, decision-makers, patrons, concerned parents, colleagues, etc. Whether you’re framing goals and expectations for your own supervisor, to create a space to experiment (and potentially fail) with new programs and approaches, or explaining the values and research that drive collection purchases to concerned or disgruntled adults intent on censoring access or preserving a (limiting) status quo, good framing can help generate buy-in and understanding from all quarters. — Carly PansullaMy biggest takeaway was to remember that building lifelong learners is a team effort not a competition. Keep pushing boundaries and listen to your teens. — Katie S. Yu
My biggest takeaway is the reminder that I truly believe I have the greatest profession out there. I am surrounded by people who love what they do, believe that teens are awesome/worth their time, and are willing to share their successes and failures with others.
If that response doesn’t fit your plan and you would prefer something relating more to specific content:
At the base of everything I saw and read on Twitter is the need to know your community inside and out. Even if you want to provide something new or different, figure out how you can make it work with what your community loves and needs. — Jessica Lind
I love attending the Symposiums because I always learn something new and meet new colleagues from all over. I loved some of the catchy phrases Alicia Blowers, one of the librarians who presented the Moving On Up: Middle Schoolers to the YA Collection said, such as “Set traps to lure your kids into reading and it will work.” Funny but true.
I always love everyone’s energy and excitement.
The Poetry Slam was great too! The teens were so good. I’m so glad I wasn’t asked to be a judge because I never would have been able to pick just one winner. — Sharon Rawlins
I enjoyed the Panels & Pages preconference panel discussion! I thought the creator panel was a great cross section of creators that spoke to what is going on right now in graphic novels for teens.
I also really enjoyed author Carrie Ryan speaking about the differences of books for middle grade readers and teens readers. It was invaluable to hear an author who writes for both ages give her perspective on the differences. — Colleen Seisser
If you attended, we’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comments! If not, maybe we’ll see you in 2016 in Pittsburgh!
By far, my favorite things from the Symposium were the Diverse Teen Fiction panel and lunch with Jack Gantos!