We are working hard to continue to make the transition of YALSA’s selected lists to the Hub a smooth one. You can read more about the status of that transition in this post from 17-18 YALSA president Sandra Hughes-Hassell on the YALSAblog.
I wanted to give an update on things from the Hub side. You have hopefully noticed quite a few posts in recent weeks with 2018 Amazing Audiobooks and Quick Picks nominees. We’ve been working hard to get through a backlog of posts on these nominees. Both of those blogger teams and their coordinators, Ariel Cummins for #AA2018 and Dana Hutchins for #QP2018, have done amazing work in helping us get these nominees out quicker so librarians can learn about and purchase these titles throughout the year, which was one of the goals of transitioning selected lists to the Hub.
Dana had this to say about her time coordinating #QP2018:
“Coordinating Quick Picks during this transitional year began with a bit of trepidation not knowing exactly what was expected. With the guidelines set forth by YALSA and working with a fantastic blogging group, that was willing to make mistakes and learn, we were able to find our groove. Some of us were able to meet at Annual Conference in Chicago to get to know one another socially. We soon bonded as friends and colleagues and continued to meet and discuss books nominated for Quick Picks every two weeks via Zoom meetings. This virtual face to face interaction allowed us to discuss the nominated titles and keep our blogging schedule on track. Being a transitional team can be challenging, but I think everyone on the Quick Picks team would agree it has been rewarding. ”
Next year, we’ll be continuing the transition, adding Best Fiction for Young Adults and Great Graphic Novels into the mix. Those blogging teams and coordinators have been selected and folks should be hearing very soon. We’re using what we learned from this transition and we are optimistic things will move along smoothly next year.
I moved into my role as the Hub Member Manager only a few months ago, so thank you for bearing with me during that transition. I’m looking forward to working with the new blogger teams and coordinators, and also providing more content related to teen collections. I’m going to be sharing a bit about the kind of content I’m hoping to add into the fold in the very near future, so keep an eye out, particularly if you are interested in contributing to the Hub!
–Stephen Ashley, currently reading The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert