THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ADULT LIBRARY SERVICES ASSOCIATION A DIVISON OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
young adult library library servicesservices
VOLUME 9 | NUMBER 1 FALL 2010 ISSN 1541-4302 $12.50
INSIDE: EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION SERVING YOUTH OFFENDERS FINE ARTS PROGRAMS HISTORICAL FICTION MASH-UPS DOWNLOADABLE MUSIC ...AND MORE!
ISSUE COLLABORATION
The official journal of The Young adulT librarY ServiceS aSSociaTion young adult library services
VOLUME 9 | NUMBER 1 FALL 2010 ISSN 1541-4302
The View from ALA 28 Fine Art Programs, Teens, and Libraries Changing Lives One Program at a Time 4 “I Can Stand a Little Pain” or Why You By Natasha D. Benway Should Get Going in ALA By Steve Matthews 31 Selling Risk to Administration and Colleagues By Linda W. Braun, Hillias J. Martin, and YALSA Perspectives Connie Urquhart 6 Follow the Leaders, Part II One Emerging Leader’s Experience at ALA Technology Perspectives Annual 2010, Diary Style 35 Libraries Catch Up With the By Robyn E. Vittek Twentieth Century 8 Get Involved in YALSA Virtual Committees By Mark Flowers and Interest Groups By Linda W. Braun Young Adult Literature 10 Advocacy Adventures 38 Historical Fiction Mash-Ups By Sarah Flowers Broadening Appeal by Mixing Genres 13 The People in Your Neighborhood By Melissa Rabey Using Local Collaboration to Advocate for Teen Patrons Plus: By Robyn E. Vittek 2 From the Editor Sarah Flowers Best Practices 3 From the President 15 YA Q&A Kim Patton Collaboration 42 Professional Resources By Stephanie Squicciarini, Maureen Hartman, and Erica Cuyugan 43 Guidelines for Authors 43 Index to Advertisers Hot Spot: Collaboration 44 The YALSA Update 17 Four Steps to Effective Collaboration By Penny Johnson 20 High Impact Partnership Serving Youth Offenders About This Cover By Angela Craig 23 Building Strong Community Partnerships This special issue of YALS offers tips and tools for Sno-Isle Libraries and the Teen Project successful collaboration, including successful By Dawn Rutherford partnerships with other library departments, multiple 26 Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award libraries, outside organizations, and more. YALSA Our Partnership for Massachusetts Teens members can find more helpful collaboration tips in By Mary Ann Rogers, Sue-Ellen Szymanski, Laurie Risky Business by Linda Braun, Jack Martin, and Cavanaugh, and Mary Dunphy Connie Urquhart or in Young Adults Deserve the Best by Sarah Flowers, both available at www.alastore.ala. org. Photo credit: iStockphoto.com. 2010–2011 YALSA Editorial Advisory Committee (performing referee duties and providing advisory input for the journal) Kimberly Bolan Cullin, chair, Indianapolis, Ind.; Sarah English, Omaha, Neb.; from the Laura Pearle, Carmel, N.Y.; Jessica Pollock, Greenfield, Mass.; Cindy Welch, Knoxville, Tenn.; and April Witteveen, Bend, Ore.
2010–2011 YALSA Publications Committee Sasha Matthews, chair, Chesapeake, Va.; Amy Barr, York, Neb.; Editor Heather Booth, Westmont, Ill.; Sarah Evans, Seattle, Wash.; Kathy Watson, Flemingsburg, Ky.; and Cassie Wilson, Rowlett, Texas. YALSA Executive Director Sarah Flowers Beth Yoke Editor-in-Chief Sarah Flowers ne of the things I love about editing YALS is the way it gives Managing Editor me the opportunity to keep up with what is going on in Stephanie Kuenn O YA-land, and the chance to interact with lots of YALSA Circulation members who are doing and thinking interesting things. For one thing, Young Adult Library Services (ISSN 1541-4302) is published four times a year it gives me the excuse to go around to all the tables at YALSA All- by the American Library Association (ALA), 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. It is the official publication of the Young Adult Library Services Asso- Committee meeting at both the Annual Conference and Midwinter ciation (YALSA), a division of ALA. Subscription price: members of YALSA, Meeting, and talk to committees about what they are doing and what $25 per year, included in membership dues; nonmembers, $50 per year in the U.S.; $60 in Canada, Mexico, and other countries. Back issues within one year might be worth sharing with YALSA members. For another, I hear of current issue, $15 each. Periodicals class postage paid at Chicago, Illinois regularly from YALSA members who want to share their experiences and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Young Adult Library Services, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. Members: by writing about them in YALS.Forathird,YALSAmembers Address changes and inquiries should be sent to Membership Department, frequently refer me to other YALSA members who might have Changes to Young Adult Library Services, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. Nonmember subscribers: Subscriptions, orders, changes of address, something intriguing to share in YALS. However, even when I come up and inquiries should be sent to Changes to Young Adult Library Services, with topics and solicit articles from members, the pieces I get back often Subscriptions, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; 1-800-545-2433, press 5; fax: (312) 944-2641; [email protected]. amaze me by bringing up ideas and issues that never occurred to me. I Statement of Purpose am sure many of you have great ideas for articles, so don’t hesitate to Young Adult Library Services is the official journal of the Young Adult share them with me. The spring 2011 issue will be focused on YALSA’s Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. YALS primarily serves as a vehicle for continuing education for awards and booklists, and the summer 2011 issue will focus on Teen librarians serving young adults, ages twelve through eighteen. It will include Read Week, so start thinking about those articles now. articles of current interest to the profession, act as a showcase for best prac- tices, provide news from related fields, publish recent research related to YA In addition, if you have experience in writing and editing, you might librarianship, and will spotlight significant events of the organization and want to be aware that YALSA will be recruiting for a new member offer in-depth reviews of professional literature. YALS will also serve as the official record of the organization. editor for YALS sometime in the spring. Because you, the YALSA membership, generously elected me to be your President, I will be taking Production Cadmus Communications on that role at Annual 2011, and sadly leaving YALS to someone else’s capable hands. Watch the YALSA blog for an announcement and feel Advertising Bill Spilman, Innovative Media Solutions; 1-877-878-3260; fax (309) free to ask me any questions at [email protected]. 483-2371; e-mail [email protected]. YALS accepts advertis- Meanwhile, I am sure you will enjoy this issue of YALS. Its ing for goods or services of interest to the library profession and librarians in service to youth in particular. It encourages advertising that informs readers primary theme is collaboration. Penny Johnson shares with us four and provides clear communication between vendor and buyer. YALS adheres steps to effective collaboration that we can all use in all kinds of to ethical and commonly accepted advertising practices and reserves the right to reject any advertisement not suited to the above purposes or not situations. Dawn Rutherford, Mary Ann Rogers, Natasha Benway, consistent with the aims and policies of ALA. Acceptance of advertising in and Angela Craig describe collaborative projects that they have YALS does not imply official endorsement by ALA of the products or services advertised. worked on in their communities. Stephanie Squicciarini, Maureen Manuscripts Hartman, and Erica Cuyugan give some tips and tricks about Manuscripts and letters pertaining to editorial content should be sent to collaboration that have worked for them. Robyn Vittek is back with YALSA, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; e-mail: yalseditor@gmail. part two of her Emerging Leaders diary, and also contributes a com. Manuscripts will be sent out for review according to YALS’s established referee procedures. Visit www.ala.org/yalsa for further information. practical article on how to use local collaboration to advocate for Indexing, Abstracting, and Microfilm teens and teen library services. Five YALSA members who won Young Adult Library Services is indexed in Library Literature, Library & stipends from the Friends of YALSA to attend ALA Advocacy Day Information Science Abstracts, and Current Index to Journals in Education. Microfilm copies of Journal of Youth Services in Libraries and its predecessor, in June share their experiences, and Steve Matthews, YALSA Top of the News, are available from ProQuest/Bell & Howell, 300 N. Zeeb member and ALA executive board member, shares some advice Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106. about collaborating with our “big ALA” colleagues. Linda Braun, The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of YALSA’s immediate past-president, fills us in on YALSA’s new American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. 1 virtual committees, and Mark Flowers poses some interesting Ó2010 American Library Association questions about downloadable music as a part of library collections. All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be photocopied for the noncommercial purpose of scien- Plus, there’s the YALSA update, reviews of professional resources, tific or educational advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the and a brand-new feature: an excerpt of a new book, Risky Business, Copyright Revision Act of 1976. For other photocopying, reprinting, or trans- lating, address requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions. written for YALSA by Linda W. Braun, Jack Martin, and Connie Urquhart and published by ALA Editions. Therefore, with all that great content, don’t stay on this page any longer—start reading and enjoying the issue! YALS 2 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 from the President Kim Patton
s YALSA’s new president, my l Think Big Summits will be held both in theme this year is Think Big! I person at Midwinter Meeting and A want to encourage big picture virtually throughout the year, facilitating thinking to help YALSA make a big more member input into the work of the impact on members’ communities. I hope division. to do this by instituting a global focus and l The President’s Program will feature by providing the tools that members need one or more Big Thinkers who will so they can take their teen library services help YALSA to solidify its position as so that together we can find solutions to to the next level. We’ll spend the year a forward-thinking organization and the problems we face. exploring ways to encourage YALSA inspire members to share and Libraries today are facing big issues. It members and the teens we serve to think implement big ideas at their own is imperative that we look at the big picture big and find new and exciting ways to help libraries. when we are trying to deal with these make YALSA bigger, better, and stronger l Our Research Committee will compile a issues, not only by examining our own than ever. In the process, we will Big Online Resource Center for issues but also getting involved in those contribute to the strengthening of libraries Research, which will contain resources, that are affecting our communities. How and librarians serving teens. tools and information that will help you can the library get help and support from Throughout the year, YALSA will in your work. the community? How can the library help a host several activities centered on the Big l A Big Enormous Toolkit for YALSA struggling community right itself? Picture theme. awards and lists will be a valuable YALSA can help. YALSA collaborates resource for librarians and members to with its members to create numerous tools l A Member Recruitment Drive is help spread awareness of our book and that range from the YALSA blog and wiki planned to increase YALSA’s size, media awards. to online discussion lists and even a influence, and diversity. recession relief toolkit to help our members l The Thinking Big about Advocacy Besides all these initiatives, I have connect with supportive information to get Contest will encourage members to been thinking about how YALSA can through tough times. YALSA members are develop their skills in advocacy, both for encourage big picture collaboration. among your best resources to brainstorm their own local teens and also for YA Collaboration happens at all levels of ideas for working with your community to librarianship in general. Applications librarianship and begins with cooperating solve problems and improve life for your are due February 11, 2011. with staff members (supervisors, teens and for the whole community. l Documenting members’ own colleagues) to advocate for programs and Big picture problem-solving and experiences in a Big Book of Best implement them, but it does not end there. collaboration naturally fit together and Practices in Youth Participation will We all have many opportunities to can not only build community sprit, but help new and developing YA librarians collaborate with other people and lead to lasting community relationships in their day-to-day work, and also organizations in our communities and that make caring communities a priority financially benefit YALSA. thinking big can help us find those people for our teens. YALS
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 3 feature The View from ALA
resourcefulness. With our leadership and staff, we have constantly reevaluated how “I Can Stand a Little better to pull members into the mix and how to help librarians whose lives center on serving teens do that with great books, Pain” or Why You media, games, and super connectivity. YALSA has built a vibrant community that has been one of the strongest advocates for diversity in librarianship and Should Get Going has pushed the envelop with more and more ways for members to participate, learn, and trade ideas virtually. There is in ALA always passion and fun and purpose in what we do, and we need to share that with the rest of the association. Therefore, because I am baring my By Steve Matthews Councilor’s soul, I will reveal the seven additional one liners I hear from youth division members for why they are staying in the YALSA/ALSC/AASL pool and avoiding the ALA ocean of uncertainty. Of aving served on ALA Council, straightforward exclamations aren’t uttered course, because I want YALSA folk to step off and on, through the last to puncture my sense of purpose, but up and be more active in ALA, I need to H twenty years, and since last year, actually provide essential reality therapy provide short antidotes for why these as a member of the ALA Executive Board, from members who, like me, have limited observations and objections should not be I am often amused, a little taken aback and, resources and an urgency to build library barriers but instead incentives to jump into truth be told, mildly troubled when a programs and services that are top-notch the ALA fray. fellow member of AASL or YALSA says and who value action and effectiveness over to me, because of my participation in ALA what sometimes seems like an interminable Council, something like “Boy, you must process and obstructionist infrastructure. The Seven Reasons Why have a high tolerance for boredom,” or “I At this point, I need to reveal my You Don’t “DO” ALA (and guess Big ALA is necessary, but I’m really intent (code word for: AGENDA). Why You Should) focused on what I can accomplish in (Confession is sometimes sweet.) I am full YALSA, that is what has real transfer for tilt convinced that ALA would be stronger ALA is Too Big and me in doing my job. Is there any way we and better if more members of YALSA Impersonal could reduce ALA dues?” Other than an and the other youth divisions would choose Response: Any organization, group, immediate sense of personal inadequacy and to participate in ALA committees, ALA endeavor seems unknown, alien, or even a slight tinge of guilt for finding my time Council, and the Executive Board. That hostile at first. Make it your own. Help it spent on Council stimulating and, yes, seems to me to be a no-brainer, but let me thrive. You will be rewarded with great productive, I reaffirm my commitment. But I explain why it’s so important. YALSA is an new friends and colleagues and a new also realize that these honest and amazing energy cell of creativity and understanding of the big picture.
STEVE MATTHEWS is the Librarian, Foxcroft School, Middleburg, ALA is Bureaucratic and Va. He is an ALA Councilor-at-Large and serves on the ALA Hopelessly Slow Rather Than Executive Board. He was a member of the YALSA Committee to Seismic and Full of Punch choose the recipient of the first (2009-10) YALSA Award for Response: Complexity and a myriad of Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. interests can make process more time
4 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 Matthews
consuming, but accomplishments like inscrutable barriers for participation. universe in one deliberate way. Establish ensuring intellectual freedom, expanding the Helping to shape the vision and empower an informal group around an endeavor or diversity of the profession, and working for members to accomplish what they need idea, monitor a committee or taskforce, libraries and information access in to get done is the central task of a governing or respond to their work, demonstrate Washington are ongoing and touch all of us. body and something YALSA members whatworksonALAConnectandwhat know about first hand and in 3-D. needs to improve as we build a tool that Participating in Council or will only be as powerful as our determination to make it succeed. Demo ALA Committees Requires I Am a Doer Not a your ideas, encourage others. More Travel Than I Can Pontificator. I Need to Afford or Have Leave to Do See Results Response: While Council does require Response: Council desperately needs Volunteer for an ALA two physical meetings a year, many to be about results. When it falls short Committee or Two ALA committees do not. If you are present at in that endeavor, we all lose. ALA, ALA Presidents-elect are always looking the table (real or virtual), you can help shape through its Council, has achieved great for willing and able members to serve. the policy to encourage better participation. I results in establishing our values and They are very interested in newer have found many cheap ways to make travel goalsasaprofession,inreaffirming members participating. Needless to say, work through the years when my school paid our devotion to open access and the some committees have a legion of only my registration, and I have gotten to right to read and view, in advancing volunteers, others not so many. Make know some great people and wonderful cities cooperation, and in promoting libraries your desire to serve known. Your interest in the process. It is, in part, giving back. and librarianship. and initiative will be appreciated and acknowledge. Go to www.ala.org/ It’s Always the Same template.cfm?template=/cfapps/ How Would My Being There committee/volunteerform/ People Batting Around Make a Difference? I Am Just volunteerform.cfm to find the form the Same Ideas in the One Person (available each year from August to Same Old Ways Response: Our whole profession rests on November). Response: At least a third of the members the assumption of the transformational elected to Council are totally new every year, power of ideas. Creativity and innovation which means that they have never served are the future of our work and our Nominate Yourself to Run before. The best fix for too much old blood, society. If you do not step up and is to provide the option to voters for some contribute, then the possibility of one for ALA Council by the newblood.Andthen,weneedtovote voice influencing and inspiring many Nominating Committee or somewhere close to the numbers we actually becomes an impossibility. Be there. by Petition have in our divisions. In addition, fill out Make it happen. The ALA Nominating Committee that committee volunteer form for ALA. actively seeks nominees for Council that reflect the diversity in the association. By I Have a Life. Why Would I nominating yourself, you are Spend Precious Time Finale: The Three Step demonstrating your commitment to the Deliberating Endlessly the ALA Involvement organization and the profession. The Many Fine Points of Policy or Action Plan deadline each year to submit your name to the Nominating Committee is August Arguing About Organizational Further Infiltrate and Bolster 15. However (don’t panic!), nomination Structure. That Seems ALA Connect by petition is possible up through the Mind-Numbing YALSA has been a leader in the use of Midwinter Meeting (www.ala.org/ala/ Response: Policy and organization should ALA Connect. Each YALSA member aboutala/governance/alaelection/ be the catalysts for effectiveness not should expand her or his ALA Connect index.cfm). YALS
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 5 feature YALSA Perspectives
weekends–with project members spread from Massachusetts to California, it was Follow the Leaders, hard to find a time during the week that everyone was available to chat! WhatwouldyousuggesttotheEmerging Part II Leaders (EL) program for changes for next year? We think that the divisions submitting projects for the EL’s to work on need to make sure that the projects are specific and clear as One Emerging Leader’s to the outcome and how the project will be used. We talked to a lot of other groups today, and ours was not the only group who Experience at ALA felt a bit at sea as to what the division had planned for our final product, and whether or not we were meeting objectives that were Annual 2010, Diary Style never very clearly defined. We think it would be very helpful for ALA to invite a professional leadership By Robyn E. Vittek consultant to speak with us during the morning sessions on more general leadership qualities and skill building. The ALA members who run the EL program also discussed several leadership books that we thought sounded interesting, riday, June 25 7:30 a.m.: Well, I What could we have done differently as a and we thought that a segment where a am here! My train was late, so I group? We could have worked harder at book is assigned at Midwinter and discussed F missed meeting the rest of my sticking to our timeline/schedule–we are at Annual would be a great learning group for dinner last night, but I am the all very busy people and it was hard to opportunity, and also a way to better get to first one on the spot this morning. make our project a big priority sometimes, know more ELs outside our own group. 9:30 a.m.: Nice to see so many especially as we felt very unsure about it. 11:00 a.m.: Just watched a very familiar faces this time around. Everyone in What lessons have you learned, working interesting video from TED.com, Simon the room seems so much more relaxed and with a virtual team? Always make sure your Sinek discussed the idea that all great and friendly with one another, compared to our work laptop is set up to run a video feed inspiring leaders think, act and communicate Midwinter Meeting. Right now we are with Skype–we talked over one another a inthesameway,usinga“GoldenCircle” meeting with our teams to talk about the lot because we did not have visual cues! We concept. He discussed the “law of diffusion project experience–what worked, what did had a lot of success sending messages of innovation,” in which people do not buy not, what could be changed–and sharing through Facebook and using Google Docs what you do; they buy why you do it.Ithink our thoughts with the group at large. Here to work on our project together. ALA that this is so true for libraries and librarians. is what we thought: Connect was not a tool we used frequently, Information like this, and the discussion it What Worked? Our group worked as we were more familiar and comfortable provokes, is much more in line with what I together and got along really well. with the other tools. Be prepared to work thought we would learn in a program called “Emerging Leaders.” 5:00 p.m.: After another amazing lunch, we finished up working on our ROBYN E. VITTEK is the Assistant Youth Services Coordinator project. The other groups seem to have taken for Akron-Summit County (Ohio) Public Library. She is a 2010 the “poster session” concept much more ALA Emerging Leader and member of the 2010 YALSA Advocacy literally than we did, but despite our Task Force. uncertainty about the goals behind our
6 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 Vittek
project, we are proud of our finished 5:00 p.m.: Met with the rest of my public ...hmmm. That sounds product! group for lunch at an Indian buffet; I had familiar.... Roberta Stevens, the ALA President- never eaten Indian food before, but after Monday, June 28, 9:00 p.m.: Today Elect, dropped by this afternoon to talk to one mango lassi I am a fan for life! Our was another busy day! Spent the morning us and to encourage our further presentation at the YALSA board meeting touring the exhibit hall. My mother had participation in ALA. Her tips were to find seemed to go really well this afternoon. checked out a cooking demonstration on areas of interest within your division, to be The board was as welcoming as ever, and Saturday, but this was my first time aggressive and do research on the seemed genuinely interested in what we through. I picked up a lot of free books to committees you want to be a part of, and had to say. After presenting our project, take home, and bought some, too! There run for ALA Council—and to keep which was to define the word “involvement” were a few great deals I could not pass up. running until you win! Every attempt gets as YALSA members see it, we really felt After lunch, I went to the YALSA your name out to the ALA voting public that communication to actively involved Annual Membership Meeting, and ...is and helps you to understand the process. members is the biggest obstacle YALSA that John Green sitting a couple of rows up? After that, we were given our has. There are so many amazing services, Oh my goodness! After the official YALSA certificates and “ALA Emerging Leader” grant opportunities, and initiatives available, business, we had our Advocacy Task Force pins. I feel very excited and proud! but getting the word out to YALSA program. I was there to run the stopwatch The poster session went well–there members who are not already in the know for the panel, which led an interesting was a good crowd and our YALSA liaison, seems to be really difficult! discussion about how to contact local and Sarah Debraski, stopped by to check out Afterwards, I sat in on “Lights, Camera, state representatives to make them aware of our project and give us support. The rest of Booktalk!” Book trailers have come a long what the library is doing in your the YALSA board could not make it, so we way in a very short time–Simone Elkeles community. It is an intricate dance, but once are presenting our project at the board and the others have done such amazing you know the steps, it does not seem as meeting tomorrow afternoon. work that it makes me want to rush right though it would be too difficult. Definitely a 9:00 p.m.: It was a gorgeous evening in out and read their books–which I guess is lot of work though! Washington; I, dressed up and took a cab to the point, right? Such a fun program! Tuesday, June 29, 6:00 p.m.: If I had an eclectic little Italian restaurant, where 10:00 p.m.: Met with the Rosen only come to Annual for one morning, several members of the Ohio Library Council Publishing Committee for dinner, so looking back, I would have picked this (OLC)weretreatingmeandtheotherEL wonderful to be invited back. They seemed morning. It was so exciting to put on my red they sponsored for dinner! It was so nice to really interested in my EL experience, and I, shirt, board the bus, and converge near the see them all, and to discuss ways Jenna and I in turn, learned so much from talking to Capitol with hundreds other librarians for could share what we learned with OLC such a diverse group of experienced Advocacy Day and represent our libraries, members when we get back home. librarians. Miriam and the rest of the Rosen our states, and our profession! After a Saturday, June 26, 12:00 p.m.: The staff go out of their way to make me feel like couple of rousing speakers (including All-Committee meeting for YALSA was a an important member of the group. Lauren Myracle), a lot of cheering, and lot of fun this morning. Since Midwinter, I Sunday, June 27, 9:00 p.m.: Since about a thousand pictures some of us had been asked to serve on the Advocacy my ALA trip coincided with my mother’s headed back to the convention center while Task Force, a group in the process of mini-vacation, we took the day off from others met with state representatives to becoming an interest group. I found the theconferencetoseeabitofD.C.,Ihave stress the importance of library funding. I table and sat down. I met a fantastic, not been here since I was eleven years old. felt so proud to be able to rally and help dynamic group of people really committed We walked down to the National Mall, draw attention to one of our national to YALSA and to teen librarianship. We where a giant rib cook-off was taking treasures, at one of our national treasures! It discussed several projects and I was asked place, and explored the Smithsonian’s was the perfect end to my EL experience. to write an advocacy article for the fall issue Natural History and American History Many thanks to Emerging Leader of YALSA (see page___)! I did not realize buildings, walked through the butterfly Group T, Sarah Debraski and the rest of the that becoming an EL would provide me garden and outdoor sculpture gardens, YALSA board, the Ohio Library Council, with so many opportunities to write for a and finished by checking out part of the Rosen Publishing, and ALA for helping highly respected professional publication, National Gallery. We are so lucky to have provide me with an incredible Emerging just another perk I guess! institutions like this free and open to the Leader experience. YALS
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 7 feature YALSA Perspectives
What does it mean to be a Get Involved in virtual committee? The work of the committee is carried out using a variety of online tools, and face-to- YALSA Virtual face meetings are not required. It’s up to the committee chair and committee members what tools are used. Several committees use ALA Connect for threaded Committees and discussions and e-chats. Others have made good use of YALSA wiki space. Some committees use software like Skype to have Interest Groups real-time voice conversations, and others rely primarily on a committee electronic discussion list (which YALSA will set up for member groups) as their method for By Linda W. Braun communicating with each other.
What if a group wants to meet face-to-face? That’s perfectly acceptable. The YALSA he YALSA board voted, in Now members who are not able to board expects that some groups will have January, to change the policy on attend Midwinter or Annual can members attending Midwinter and Annual, T virtual committee participation. participate fully in most of YALSA’s and that those members will want to get process committees. (Those are the together. In that instance, a committee chair Why the change? committees that focus on the nuts and needs to contact YALSA’s program officer The YALSA board is always looking for bolts business of YALSA, as compared for events and conferences and let her know ways to get members more involved in the with selection committees that focus on about the group’s meeting needs. association. When ALA changed its policy on choosing materials for YALSA’s awards virtual membership for committees, the board and lists.) However, those process sawthisastheperfectchancetoexpandhow committees are not all policies and Can this really work? members can be active YALSA participants. procedures. Teen Read Weekä and Teen The YALSA board thinks so, and many Tech Weekä are process committees. So members do too. What’s required is that What does it mean too are the Web Advisory, Division the chair and members of the virtual to members? Membership and Promotion, and Research committee make a commitment to getting Before ALA changed its policy, only one- Committees. There are twenty YALSA their work done without face-to-face third of committee members could be process committees, and a majority of them meetings. That means that the chair and virtual. Now, committees can be entirely are now entirely virtual. The full list of members have to understand how virtual, and that means attendance at process committees is available on the technology can support committee work. Midwinter Meeting and Annual YALSA website at http://www.ala.org/ The chair of the committee is responsible Conference is no longer mandatory for ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/aboutyalsab/ for keeping things going, so he or she needs committee participation. yalsacommittee.cfm#committees. to adapt his or her skills to motivate and engage members virtually. Of course, members also have to adapt and be ready or LINDA W. BRAUN is the immediate past-president of YALSA and an learn how to use the technology and education technology consultant with Librarians and Educators understand how to get work done in the Online in New York City. technology environment. The YALSA
8 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 Braun
Board is confident that our members have what it takes to work virtually. Six Tips for Successful Virtual Participation Is there training? 1. Focus on projects. YALSA produced a webinar so members It’s important to have a clear understanding of what the group wants or needs to accomplish. can learn more about successfully leading A discussion board is a good way to have brainstorming sessions and develop focus. and participating in virtual committees. In the webinar, several seasoned committee 2. Have tasks to accomplish. chairs discuss how they have used web-based Once projects are determined, it’s important to assign each member of the group a set tools to work with members. You can find of tasks for which he/she is responsible. An online collaborative document is a good place to post task lists with the names of those assigned to each task. As each task is the webinar at http://tinyurl.com/2ep7y9c. completed, new tasks are added or changes are made. All members of the group can update the document. Are there other ways to 3. Keep a schedule. participate besides virtual Each person working on a project virtually should keep a calendar of due dates. Using a web-based calendar is a good way to make sure that everyone involved in the project process committees? knows the schedule. Yes. YALSA sponsors a variety of interest groups that are completely member-driven 4. Use the technology to its fullest advantage. and are more flexible than committees. Web-based technologies make it possible to replicate virtually most of what happens in These groups focus on a particular topic of a face-to-face environment. Need to have a real-time conversation? Try an e-chat or Skype call. Need to brainstorm some ideas? Use a discussion board. Need to write a interest. For example, managing teen document as a group? Use a tool like Google Docs. The capabilities are there; it just services is a brand-new interest group, and requires finding the right one. If you’re in doubt, check with fellow chairs and members there’s also an interest group on serving who can act as consultants to help guide you to the right web tool and avoid reinventing older teens and young adults. the wheel. Interest groups are entirely virtual, 5. Be an active participant. and, unlike committees, which have a Taking part in online discussions, asking questions of the group, and throwing out ideas are prescribed function statement and list of just as important, and perhaps even more important, in a virtual environment as they are in tasks to complete, members of an interest face-to-face settings. Make sure to be a part of that activity in order to keep the group group develop their own list of projects and interested and motivated. Read about the responsibilities of YALSA chairs at http:// tasks. Another difference between interest tinyurl.com/2dz8nqc. groups and committees is that committees have a specific number of members who are appointed by YALSA’s President-Elect, whereas interest groups have no limits on committee volunteer form, available on the of interest groups and convenors is the size of membership and members join YALSA website at http://yalsa.ala.org/ available on the YALSA website at http:// on their own initiative and group approval. forms/process_com.php. ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/aboutyalsab/ Over the past year, YALSA transitioned Process committees are appointed every discussion.cfm. some of its topic-oriented committees to spring, but volunteer forms may be submitted interest group status as a way to allow more at any time. The President-Elect works with membersaccesstodiscussionsofhottopics. a committee appointments task force on What’s next? You can find a list of interest groups on the making appointments to committees. YALSA is a member-driven organization, YALSA website (visit www.ala.org/yalsa/ Invitations are sent out to potential process so it’s important to have broad getinvolved and click “Participate.”) committee members in the late spring, and participation in order assure that the the work begins July 1 of every year. association provides the best programs and It’s possible to join an interest group at services possible. Maybe you’ve been How do I get involved virtually? any time during the year. All that’s needed “lurking” on the sidelines. Now is the Anyone interested in working on a process is to get in touch with the convenor perfect time to take another look at what’s committee needs to submit a process (or co-convenors) of the group. A full list available and jump in. YALS
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 9 feature YALSA Perspectives
author/illustrator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, to everyone from California. It was Advocacy Adventures terrific to meet by state, because I got to network with other librarians from my area. This turned out to be key in my By Sarah Flowers Capitol Hill experience.” Manfredi said, “At the rally, standing with hundreds of librarians in the shadow of the Capitol, I felt like I really was representing the thousands of librarians—and teenagers!—who could not be there to speak up for what libraries he Friends of YALSA is a attend conference sessions that were mean in their lives.” fund-raising organization that directly related to advocacy. Beth Gallaway At the rally, says Larson, “Funny and T supports a variety of initiatives and YALSA’s Advocacy Task Force inspirational remarks were given by and projects. In its first five years, the presented a session on Monday afternoon best-selling young adult author Lauren Friends of YALSA raised more than to give all YALSA members an Myracle, followed by well-known $25,000 to support YALSA initiatives and opportunity to learn more about working Congressional champions of libraries, U.S. services that impact the profession and with their legislators. Suzanne Larson Senator Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) and teens. Each year, YALSA’s Financial noted, “I made sure to attend the U.S. Representative Vernon Ehlers Advancement Committee and the board of conference sessions that offered advice and (R-Michigan). I am a Rhode Island directors decide what to focus on for that guidance about the event, wanting to make resident, and Senator Reed is officially my year. 2010’s area of focus was advocacy, the most of my time on Capitol Hill. In new hero!” Sower said that the speakers and five YALSA members were given addition, the staff members at the ALA were “a nice reminder that we do have $1,000 each to attend the ALA Annual Pavilion were extremely helpful in supporters out there and we are not alone Conference in Washington, D.C., and take answering my questions, assuring me that in this struggle.” She went on, “The part in the Advocacy Day rally that took all would go well and even giving me bright excitement and enthusiasm [of the rally] place on Tuesday, June 29. red LAD (Library Advocacy Day) t-shirts was highly contagious. I can’t begin to The 2010 Advocacy Day stipend for me, my husband and two young describe how being among such a large recipients were Heather Gruenthal, children. After all, rallying on Capitol crowd helps pump you up and gets you teacher-librarian at Orangeview Junior Hill was too good a family social studies ready to continue what needs to be done.” High and Western High School in the lesson to miss!” After the rally, people went to meet Anaheim Union High School District in Advocacy Day itself began with a rally with individual representatives and California; Angie Manfredi, head of youth on Capitol Hill. The five grant recipients senators. Gruenthal said, “We were all services for the Los Alamos County each met up with their state contingent. given ‘palm cards’ outlining the initiatives Library system in Los Alamos, New Sower said, “My first sight? A sea of red ALA is asking for support on: fund the Mexico; Suzanne Larson, library media shirts about a half-block away. It was then Library Services and Technology Act specialist at Bartlett Junior/Senior High I fully understood that this wasn’t just (LSTA) at $300 million; fund Improving School in Webster, Massachusetts; Susan about my library or the ones in my state; it Literacy Through School Libraries at Ridgeway, district library media specialist was about libraries across the nation. In a $100 million; and include in the for the Wooster City Schools in Ohio; and place where one voice may get lost among reauthorization of the Elementary and Andrea Sowers, young adult librarian, the noise, 1600 voices held the promise of Secondary Education Act a library and Joliet Public Library in Illinois. being heard loud and clear.” Gruenthal librarian at every school.” Gruenthal had All five attended the ALA conference, said, “I passed out buttons designed an appointment with Representative Dana and many of them took the opportunity to by Brian Selznick, 2008 Caldecott Rohrabacher (R-California). She said,
I was super worried about my meeting SARAH FLOWERS is the Editor-in-Chief of YALS and the President- with Representative Rohrabacher Elect of YALSA. because, from my research, I knew he
10 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 Flowers
was voting against all the initiatives that and I had a chance to tell them about had a story to share. In my case, I have were being put forth by ALA. A huge YALSA’s mission and give them one of lost two aides due to budget cuts. While stroke of luck was that I met Stephanie the “Teens Need Librarians” brochures I have always been the only certified Beverage, the director of my local created by YALSA. We actually had the librarian in a school district of 2,500 library in Huntington Beach, who had chance to speak with Representative students, I am now the person sitting at an appointment with Rep. Lujan himself, which was especially themiddleandhighschoollibraries, Rohrabacher’s legislative assistant gratifying for me, as he represents my splitting my time between the two. I am immediately following my appointment. home district. He seemed especially essentially doing the same job as my I was a constituent and had an interested in what libraries are doing in aides, cataloging, processing, and shelving appointment directly with the the communities he represents, and I books. Occasionally, I teach students Congressman so we decided to team up, resolved to work on inviting him to visit how to get on the online catalog or help which was a great idea, since she had my library during the 2011 District Days. them with research, but usually, I do the knowledge and I had the access. what my aides do with a high school Stephanie was a great mentor. She came Larson’s experience was also positive. education, even though I have two fully prepared with a packet of master’s degrees. The congressional aides information regarding use of the Because I work at a Massachusetts high listened with polite, rapt attention, but I Huntington Beach Library and the school, I opted to join the Massachusetts could tell by their faces they had no idea programs that directly benefited from delegation as they met with Representative on what was going on in the libraries of the LTSA grant funding we were asking Richard Neal (D-Massachusetts), the Ohio public schools. to support. Representative Rohrabacher lawmaker who serves my school’s gave us a generous amount of his time district. After wandering through the The AASL standards call for students and educated us regarding his position labyrinth of Capitol hallways, and asking to be able to think critically, draw on the issues at hand. no less than six people for directions, I conclusions, make informed decisions and found his office in time for the meeting. create new knowledge. They must be able Gruenthal then went on to Senator It was a wonderful experience; we met to participate ethically and productively as Barbara Boxer’s (D-California) office. Rep. Neal briefly, then settled in for a members in a democratic society, share that She said, longer chat with his legislative aide. She knowledge and be able to pursue personal was eager to listen and especially seemed and esthetic growth. I tried to stress this My second meeting was much more to like the stories of my students’ dilemma with my representative’s aides. comfortable, since my confidence was successes in the library and the new ways Sower said, boosted from watching my mentor’s that a school library’s resources are interaction with Rep. Rohrabacher. I fitting into the curriculum. She To say I was a bundle of nerves was an felt better prepared to go it alone with encouraged me to invite Rep. Neal to understatement; what I said would my packet of materials provided by visit my school, and I plan to do that in matter. Thankfully, I had been armed YALSA. I met with Patrick Scandling, the fall during one of his “district days” with some YALSA advocacy training and the Legislative Research Assistant of when the lawmaker is in Massachusetts. my ALA talking points; both made the Barbara Boxer, who listened attentively, process much smoother. It was also nice took notes, and asked a few questions. Ridgeway was able to share her to have others who had been long time passion for school libraries with two advocates with me as well. I learned quite Manfredi said, different legislative aides. a bit just by listening to what they had to say. Thank you both to Gil and Lexi, the After the rally, the other librarians from The Ohio delegation first met with aides from Rep. Deborah Halvorson (D- New Mexico and I visited the offices of an aide from Senator Sherrod Brown’s Illinois) and Senator Richard Durbin (D- our other representatives: Senator Jeff (D-Ohio) office and then with an aide Illinois), who took the time to meet with Bingaman and Representatives Martin from Representative Betty Sutton’s us about our concerns. Heinrich, Harry Teague, and Ben Ray (D-Ohio) office. All types of libraries Lujan. We spoke with their were represented including public, All of the YALSA grant recipients representatives about ALA’s key issues, academic, special, and schools. Each of us went away from Advocacy Day with
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 11 Advocacy Adventures
improved advocacy skills and a greater Larson noted that, as she left the a difference she can make. She said, appreciation for the need to make their legislators’ offices, she felt “as though I had “Of course, now that Library Advocacy Day voices heard. Gruenthal said, “I don’t know really spoken up and spoken out for is over, my work is far from done. Now that if I made a difference in the decision something I believe in, and I felt on top of I’m home, I plan on getting my co-workers making of these politicians, but I ended up the world. Along with that feeling was the involved in the process as well. I have plans educating myself about these issues so I can sense that ‘wow—that was easier that I to make training documents and resources better speak to them. I learned a ton about thought it would be!’ I now want to that will be available to staff and patrons advocacy and am now more prepared to encourage my teaching colleagues and my and accessible online. I also hope to do speak out for libraries and the teens we students to speak out in support of training sessions with staff that cover letter serve.” Manfredi said, “In all, the most libraries, and I plan to do all I can to help writing and other actions can be done to get gratifying part of my experience at the 2010 them find their voices, too!” the word to our representatives.” Library Advocacy Day was feeling that not Ridgeway also came away feeling Larson noted, “When I applied for a only was I speaking up on behalf of libraries encouraged. She said, “It felt great to YALSA YA Advocacy Travel Stipend, and YALSA, but for the teenagers who rely petition my representatives at the highest I wrote in my application that ‘I hope to on our library services. I remain grateful to level of government, especially about gain a better understanding of the political the Friends of YALSA for the opportunity something I feel so passionate about. I was process of advocating for vital library to participate in this event. I plan to use so impressed with the members of the services on a broad level.’ And now that YALSA’s resources and the training I Ohio delegation. In a matter of an hour, I I am back home and reflecting on my received during YALSA’s advocacy felt like I had forged new friendships and experience, all I can say is, ‘Boy, did I ever!’” program to be able to train other librarians shared an experience that all of us would For more information on how you in New Mexico to become advocates, remember for years to come.” can become an advocate for your library, because I know now, first-hand, what a Like the others, Sower is looking to see Robyn Vittek’s article on page ___ of rewarding and empowering experience it is.” the future and thinking about what kind of this issue. YALS
12 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 feature YALSA Perspectives
often think that teen librarians are a lot like devoted parents (or pet The People in Your I owners). Talk to a teen librarian, from anywhere in the country, and they’ll pretty quickly let you know that their teens are the best volunteers, the friendliest patrons, Neighborhood the most involved Teen Advisory Board (TAB) members and program attendees of any teens, anywhere. Of course you agree, while secretly (or maybe not so secretly) Using Local Collaboration to knowing that your teens are, in fact, the best anywhere. The fact is, we “preach to the choir” a Advocate for Teen Patrons lot in the teen librarian world. We know how wonderful our teens are, what a vibrant part of the community, and how By Robyn E. Vittek eager they are to learn, get involved, and make the world a better place. The problem is, not everyone knows that! The senior patrons stopping by after school are often frightened of the huge crowd of noisy teens standing in the doorway. Teens walking Advocacy Task Force, wrote an entry for of him or her, what benefit he or she will down the street get close scrutiny by the the YALSA blog (5/21/2010) that gave derive from participating (photo op, local police cruisers, and “no loitering” signs the following tips to inviting a government meeting future voters, and so on), and grace nearly every local business. official or legislator to your library event: any promotion or marketing you plan. So what’s a teen advocate to do? The l Always follow up with a thank-you note! best way to get the community to embrace l Use CAPWIZ (http://capwiz.com/ your teens is to help your teens reach out ala/home/) to find out who represents This isn’t just for the big-wigs. It and get to know the rest of the members of your district. works well with the town mayor or city the community. It is not always easy, but it is l Research the representatives and plan council members, School Board members, vitally important. Not only does it make life (or plan to invite them to) an event local police officers...you get the idea. easier for the teens and provide them with that aligns with their interests or When you get the people in charge on your learning opportunities, but by investing in platform. Is your senator an ardent side and able to see local teens for the the community, they feel stronger ties to stay environmentalist? Invite her to the friendly, enthusiastic individuals they are, it and improve the community as they grow groundbreaking of your TAB’s has a trickle-down effect on the people up, go to college or learn a trade, and have organic garden project. Is he big on with whom they are in contact. the choice as to whether to stay or to go. voluntarism? Ask him to present the certificates at your Teen Volunteer YALSA District Days Appreciation Party. Collaborating with Local YALSA’s District Days initiative is a l Send a formal written invitation on Infrastructure, Government, great way to start at the top. District Days library stationery. Be concise, but include and Community Organizations takes advantage of the fact that local important details—not just the time, Maricopa County in Arizona has a representatives often return to their date, and place, but what will be expected fabulous program in place for their teens districts when Congress is out of session for summer recess and reminds you to invite these local reps to visit your library ROBYN E. VITTEK is the Assistant Youth Services Coordinator for to see just what you and the teens are Akron-Summit County (Ohio) Public Library. She is a 2010 ALA doing. Beth Gallaway, Chair of the Emerging Leader and member of the 2010 YALSA Advocacy Task Force.
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 13 The People in Your Neighborhood
called “Maricopa County Teen Leadership know them, and pass on their knowledge Experience” (http://libcat.mcldaz.org/ and experience. Library-to-Library mcle/index.html). MCLE, as it is known, is Adrienne Strock, Teen Services Collaborations an elaborate partnership between Maricopa Manager for Maricopa County Library Jennifer Longee, the Librarian for Durham County government offices and the District adds, “It provides the opportunity Academy Middle School (Durham, North Maricopa County Library District to give to spark new interests that teens didn’t Carolina), blogged about some exciting teens rich learning experiences, volunteer know they had. From a library standpoint, programs she created (www.programming opportunities, and exposure to parks, I see MCLE as an opportunity to draw first librarian.org/library/planning/ libraries, and county agencies that provide time library users with the hope of partnerships-and-collaboration/ them with services every day. developing lifelong users.” collaboration-your-school-library.html). The teens attend an orientation and She said that she felt that school librarians then are expected to complete two or more are not expected to do much programming, activities—they are given many different Collaborating with but she saw some ways that she could help choices—in each of three sections: Local Businesses support the curriculum and what the government, community and environment. For ten years, the Akron Aeros minor teachers were doing, draw some attention In the government section, they might league baseball team (Akron, Ohio) has to the library, and give the students a fun help prepare for a local election; serve on a been hosting Aeros Education days in the learning experience by developing programs jury for Maricopa County’s teen court; or spring. The Aeros have solicited local herself. spend some time behind-the-scenes at a educational organizations and community One such program was a partnership county agency. agencies, such as the local library, to with not one but two local library entities. For the community element, they could provide an activity for children and teens at She collaborated with the Duke Medical learn how to care for pets at the local Animal four to five morning games early in the Library and Durham Public Library on a Control shelter, explore the local parks season, before school lets out. Area schools program based on the “Harry Potter’s system, join a book discussion at the library bring their students to the ball games as a World: Magic, Medicine and Science of or read stories to a Head Start classroom. field trip, honor roll celebration, or team or Harry Potter” traveling exhibit. The Duke In the environmental component, they club outing opportunity. As many as two Medical Library provided speakers on are given such opportunities as to study thousand students can attend a game, Renaissance-era medicine and science, as rocks and minerals, flora and fauna with visiting the tables each community agency well as artifacts for a physical exhibit. The the parks service; learn how the air quality sets up along the concourse to try the Durham Public Library housed the exhibit control van monitors pollution in the activities and collect freebies and and hosted the speakers, and Longee county; or learn more about where information. provided the audience by bringing the Maricopa County’s electricity comes from. This is a great example of a program school to ‘experience the magic’. She stated Teens also must provide at least ten already in place that not only works to that the kids learned a lot, and for many of hours of community service at one of the advocate for kids and teens but helps them, it was the first time to ever visit the participating agencies, and the final community agencies to get the word out local public library. segment involves participation in Maricopa about programs of which students and Obviously there are many ways to give County Library District’s Summer Reading teachers may have been previously your teens exposure to their community, and Program, which is tracked online. unaware. It’s not always necessary for us to to give adults in the community the You can see how well such a program initiate the advocacy opportunity; it’s opportunity to get to know the local would help teens to integrate and become important to remember that we’re teenagers. Each can benefit by learning more involved in the community, explore career probably not the only agency in town about the other, and by helping to connect opportunities previously unknown to them, wanting to give teens positive experiences teens with the community, we not only make contact with influential adults, and and reinforcement. Sometimes you just prove to the world what we’ve been saying provide the adults involved in the program need to put out feelers to see what is all along—that our teens are the best! —we with the opportunity to meet the teens in already out there and how you can become also get some much-needed positive publicity their community as individuals, get to involved! for our library organizations. YALS
14 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 feature Best Practices
ollaborating can be hard work— and very rewarding. YALS asked YA Q&A C three experienced YALSA members and collaborators to share some of their tips and tricks. Collaboration
YALS: What is your experience with By Stephanie Squicciarini, collaborating with other agencies? Maureen Hartman, and Maureen Hartman Erica Cuyugan In my previous job as Partnerships Coordinator with the Minneapolis Public Library, it was my responsibility to coordinate strategic partnerships for the library on behalf of youth. These collaborations ranged from small and focused—promoting National Mentoring inoneafternoon.Thisyear(ourfifthyear), awarded a Great Stories Club Grant. This Monthinthelibraryandonthewebsite—to we screened thirty-three films out of a record collaboration included MLS students from a larger and more complex, including working 180 submissions for the festival over two nearby college completing internship hours with the local schools and parks on a citywide days—one evening and one afternoon with the facility. But the longest lasting and summer reading program. Some of the most screening. Films now come from all over the most diverse collaborative endeavor has been exciting collaborations have been for and with country and Canada. the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival youth, including making the library the home (TBF) that I founded seven years ago. Over of the Minneapolis Youth Congress and the years, TBF has been made possible working with the Minnesota Historical Stephanie Squicciarini through the work of school and public Society and the University of Minnesota on The public library I work in is a school librarians in three different counties. For the History Day Hullabaloo, a library event district library, meaning our budget is voted past two years, it has included a partnership connecting students to library resources to on directly by residents of the school district. developed with a college and its education complete their History Day projects. So we have a natural and close relationship program. These cooperative and with the schools and collaborate on many collaborative layers work throughout the different projects. I also worked with a local year to create an event connecting teens and Erica Cuyugan juvenile detention facility after being authors. Partnership and collaboration are a great way to implement large-scale programs and ideas. I love partnering with librarians, teachers, community organizations, and other city staff STEPHANIE SQUICCIARINI is a Teen Services Librarian at the members on programs. For the past five Fairport (N.Y.) Public Library, the founder and director of the years, I have successfully collaborated with Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival (http://www.tbflive.org), youth advocates from our city’s Cultural and and a YALSA Board Member. Human Services departments on the Annual Santa Monica Teen Film Festival program. MAUREEN HARTMAN is a Senior Librarian at the Brookdale This program has grown in size and scope Library of the Hennepin County (Minn.) Library. since the first year, when we received about ERICA CUYUGAN is a young adult librarian at the Santa Monica forty submissions and screened eleven films (Calif.) Public Library.
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 15 YA Q&A
an entirely new dimension to your youth, people confidence to move on to bigger YALS: What are some your library, and your job! ideas and goals. When something isn’t of the “dos” and “don’ts” working, don’t be afraid to “tweak” or of collaboration that change things around. Finally, don’t be you have learned over Erica Cuyugan afraid to discontinue a collaboration or the years? The first thing I would suggest when partnership if, for whatever reason, things collaborating is to do as much are not working out. This ties in with the Maureen Hartman brainstorming as possible in the beginning. importance of evaluation and dialogue after Do make sure the library is getting Be open and flexible. Find out what each a program or idea has been implemented. something from the collaboration. Libraries other’s goals and vision are for the and librarians are often so willing to help collaboration. Once all the ideas are out on that we forget that both parties have to get the table, then talk about what you can Stephanie Squicciarini something out of any good collaborations realistically work on now and what you can I have learned to allow time for the or partnerships—otherwise they won’t save for the future. Make sure you consider relationship to develop and not assume sustain in the long term. each person’s workload and already existing that everyone has the same timeline or Focus on one thing at a time. job duties. Also, if you are working with a desired outcome. Be clear with each other Sometimes when we meet a new potential group, make sure each member comes away on all levels of expectations. Try to get to collaborator, we get really excited, have a from meetings with some tasks and know and understand the layers within the million ideas, and launch them right away. deadlines for completing these tasks. Once other organizations to learn how their Pick the one that makes the most sense some goals have been established, it is internal processes work. One of the most and the one your library can support the important to plan out future meetings, so critical pieces is working to each other’s most easily. On the basis of its successes that people can check their schedules early. strengths. As you get to know each person and failures, you’ll learn a lot about what After planning and implementation, a good with whom you are collaborating, you learn you can expect for future collaborations practice is to evaluate the program or idea what skills they possess and can bring to with that organization. soon after. Have an honest discussion and the project(s) and how those skills can Don’t go it alone. Remember the ask each other questions such as, “What enhance and develop the skills of others. library’s strategic priorities. Without the worked and what didn’t?”, “How can we As a result, the working relationship will be support for your collaboration—either improve for next time?”, and “How was the more productive and less stressful. from your direct supervisor or from the workload for each member of the Another critical piece is to set realistic system at large—you’ll have a hard time collaboration?” If you have audience guidelines and deadlines. For example, sustaining it. Even the best, most natural comments and suggestions, share these at school and public librarians each have idea, if it’s not the direction your library your evaluation discussion. different peaks in their work demands. can support, will end up pretty frustrating. In terms of “don’ts,” I have a few Pacing the efforts to more clearly match Don’t limit yourself to the tried-and- general tips. Don’t be discouraged if it takes those flows will allow for a better true. Many organizations can only think of time to schedule an initial meeting. If you synchronized project. Also be sure that the basics in terms of library have the time, continue to drop this person there is full buy-in and support for an idea. collaboration—distributing flyers, staffing or group e-mails or phone calls, and be It might not be the right time for an idea, a table, helping in promotion. These persistent and persuasive. Once you’ve got so don’t get discouraged. Timing is endeavors, while making your partner a collaboration going, don’t expect to important. It could take time to nurture an happy, don’t always meet the larger goals of accomplish everything in the first round. idea and develop it so that it works and is library service and rarely are worth the Most successful partnerships take time to mutually beneficial for all who will be time you spend on them. grow together and to learn from each collaborating. If it is an idea or project that Collaboration and partnerships are so other. Accomplishing smaller goals first you are passionate about, it will be worth powerful and rewarding—they can bring will help nurture the collaboration and give the wait! YALS
16 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 feature Hot Spot: Collaboration
ollaboration is a word that belongs in the same “warm fuzzy feelings” Four Steps to C list as love, peace, and healthy eating. The decision to collaborate on a project instantly creates visions of heightened creativity, enlightened Effective cooperation, and stunning results. The phrase “Let’s collaborate on this” does not magically lead to a successful outcome, however. The Chicago Cubs prove that Collaboration just because a group of highly talented people gets together in a team does not mean it can perform well. By Penny Johnson Most effective groups, teams, or committees go through four separate stages before achieving effective collaboration. In 1965, psychologist Bruce Tuckman coined an unforgettable mnemonic for this process: forming, storming, norming, and team requires this orientation period to encourage equal participation among performing. Groups must progress through establish goals and procedures. team members. the first three stages of development to This forming stage is not the time to This first stage is usually rather short. successfully achieve stage four. Whether expect free and open discussions or to Often it can be accomplished in the first you are a group leader or simply a create a consensus. In the beginning, committee meeting. Whether you are a participant, your awareness of these four fostering trust, encouraging relationship leader or just a member, you can help the essential stages of tasks and expectations building, and clarifying purposes and group progress by focusing on activities that will help propel your collaborative efforts expectations take precedence over making will build a positive working relationship. from an “oh well, maybe next season” decisions or taking action. The STORMING stage does not experience to a successful venture with If you are a committee chair, you seem to fit with the goal of a cooperative fabulous results. play a very important role during this team. The conflict, criticism, and FORMING is the first stage of group period. Group members will more likely confrontation that define this stage is the development. This is an orientation stage interact directly with you rather than opposite of the diplomacy and that can be compared to a first date. On a with other members. You need to direct peacemaking you would expect from a first date, relationships are polite and the team clearly by establishing clear successful collaborative effort. Surprisingly, reserved. You are trying to get to know each objectives, explaining task requirements, however, almost all observers of group other, trying to decide if this is a and generating a commitment to development have noted that for a group to relationship you want to continue. Caution, commongoals.Youshouldalso become an effective team, it must go through confusion, and courtesy are dominant. Members of your newly formed committee must also get to know each PENNY JOHNSON is the teen specialist at the public library in other. Together you must decide on the Baraboo, Wisconsin. Her involvement in YALSA includes chairing purpose and structure of the group and the Midwinter 2010 Social Event Task Force, the Midwinter 2011 your roles within that structure. Some Institute Task Force, and the Annual 2011 Pre-Conference Task questions you might ask during this time Force. She is also the organizer and current convener for the include, “Who are these other people? What is expected of me? Who is going to YALSA Serving Older Teens and Young Adults Interest Group. lead? What is supposed to happen?” Even While earning her bachelor’s degree in management, Penny had if you have worked together with other ample opportunity to study the principles of effective group members for years, forming a new organizations and dynamic leadership.
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 17 Four Steps to Effective Collaboration
a period of internal strife. Most often this is never achieve effective collaboration. innovation of your team because individual centered on a struggle for leadership or Harmony sometimes must be sacrificed as members have become uninspired to think influence within the group. Unless your the team attacks problems and independently or to consider ideas or committee faces this conflict, it will most accomplishes objectives. solutions that run counter to those likely become “stuck” or go “off-track.” Surviving the difficulties of this supported by the majority of the team. During this confrontational stage your conflict phase usually results in feelings of While there is a sense of cohesiveness that authority as chair may be challenged as relief, increased trust in each other, and a can be reassuring to you and other others jockey for position as their roles are sense that “we’re all in this together” as the members, the creative juices have stopped clarified. Working methods start to be group gradually moves into the flowing and your group is stagnant. defined. If you are a committee member NORMING stage. A hierarchy is Knocking your committee out of its you may feel overwhelmed by how much established, individual differences are groupthink rut is a challenge and calls for there is to do, or uncomfortable with the recognized, and task assignments are made specific action. Suggestions for addressing approach being used. You or others may based on skills and abilities. Now your groupthink include designating at least one even react by questioning how worthwhile team members know each other better, you team member as a critical evaluator or the goal of the team is and resist taking on may be socializing together, and you are devil’s advocate, forming multiple tasks. Some questions you may ask include able to ask each other for help and provide subgroups to develop independent ideas, “How will we handle dissension? How can constructive criticism. Your committee is inviting outside experts to critique the we make decisions amid disagreement? developing a strong commitment to the team’s decisions, and holding second- How will we communicate negative team goal, and is starting to see good chance meetings where decisions are information? Do I want to maintain my progress towards it. revisited and honestly evaluated. membership in this team?” Questions you may ask during this While successfully negotiating the Challenging group goals can be a healthy differentiation stage include “What are norming stage offers team members a sense processiftheconflictresultsingreater the norms and values of the team? How of accomplishment and progress, your team cohesiveness and acceptance. If the conflict can I best get along with everyone else? has not yet reached the optimal phase. becomes extremely intense and dysfunctional, How can I show my support to others? Short-term effectiveness may look rather however, the group may dissolve, or continue How can I fit in?” impressive, but for long-term results your as an ineffective team that never advances to There is often a prolonged overlap group must transition into the higher levels of maturity. between storming and norming behavior: PERFORMING stage. As a committee chair you need to be As new tasks come up, your group may The fourth stage of group aware this storming stage is an important lapse back into typical storming stage development is when effective collaboration part of team growth. Rather than behavior, but this eventually dies out. truly occurs. By successfully passing squelching confrontation or criticism, you As the committee chair you can step through the first three stages you and your need to provide a forum for open back during the norming stage and let your committee members have formed a expression. Focusing on process team take responsibility for progress cohesive relationship and are committed to improvement, recognizing team towards the goal. This is a good time to the group’s success. Individual differences achievement, and fostering win-win arrange a social or team-building event. are accepted without being labeled good or relationships are your group’s predominant You should concentrate on providing bad. Decisions are made through rational tasks for progressing through this stage. supportive feedback and encouraging team group discussion. Conflict is dealt with As a team member you should strive to member empowerment. Your team, rather openly and resolved. Members listen to turn challenges into constructive suggestions than you or any other single person, should each other and share information. for improvement. Everyone should be take responsibility for solving problems, Your group’s trust level is so well allowed to legitimately express their confronting and correcting mistakes, and established that it can organize and personal uniqueness and idiosyncrasies, so ensuring success. reorganize itself any way it wishes. You can long as they are not destructive to the One dysfunctional characteristic your operate in the absence of leading members. overall team. Diversity is productive. committee may develop during this stage is The work tasks can be knitted together If the members of your committee conformity in thought or action. Also because you are all are confident in each are more interested in keeping peace than known as “groupthink,” conforming is a other. Team members in this stage exhibit in solving problems, your group will phase that reduces the creativity and a sense of mutual responsibility and
18 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 Johnson
concern for one another as you carry out able to start focusing on other goals and Whether you are a committee chair your work. Your relationships are not areas of work. Being part of the team at this or participant, you should remain aware of limited merely to accomplishing a task stage feels easy compared with earlier on. this forming, storming, norming, and together but also extend to ensuring that Of course, reaching this stage of performing process. Conduct regular each team member is learning, developing, development does not equal Team reviews of where your group is, and and improving. Coaching and assisting one Nirvana. Continuous improvement needs adjust your behavior and leadership another is common. to replace accomplishment as a key approach to suit the stage your team has If you are the leader of such a dynamic objective. The challenges of this phase reached. In this way you really can group, delegate as far as you sensibly can. include seeking innovation and speed, reach the heightened creativity, Once the team has achieved high sponsoring and facilitating committee enlightened cooperation, and stunning performance, you should aim to have as members’ new ideas, and fostering results of your collaborative “light a touch” as you can. You will now be extraordinary performances. dreams. YALS
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 19 feature Hot Spot: Collaboration
The commercial the youth offenders are working on is part of a library High Impact programming partnership between the Mecklenburg County Sherriff’s Office (MCSO) and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Partnership Library (CML). As a librarian with CML, I am one of several CML staff members that facilitate library programs in partnership with the jail. The Mecklenburg Serving Youth Offenders County Sherriff’s Office defines a youthful offender as ‘inmates that are sixteen to seventeen years old.’1 While they may be By Angela Craig youthful offenders, the young men in my class are not so different from my other teenage patrons in the public library. In fact, if they were dressed in street clothes an observer would think they were regular high school kids. They joke around with n a classroom, five teenage boys gather project. For the past hour, I have been each other and with me as we wait for the around an iMac computer and helping the young men edit footage they officer to escort them to their pod. Before I collaborate on a special video project. shot of the Jail North library using Flip they leave I remind them they have only They are in the process of creating a cameras from the previous week. one more class to finish their commercial. commercial for their library and when “I think that one scene is too long,” “We’ll make it count, Ms. Craig,” a finished, the commercial will be shown to says a sixteen-year-old, highlighting a video seventeen-year-old inmate says as he walks their classmates with the goal of section with the mouse. His classmates out the door, and I know that they will. encouraging them to use their library. agree and they cut the scene by a few Huddled together over the iMac screen, seconds, making the transition to the next The Beginning of a they take turns using the mouse and editing scene smoother. Partnership the commercial. The project could easily be “That does look better,” concedes a happening in a high school classroom, yet fellow sixteen-year-old. I began facilitating library programs to the the five teens in my class are youthful “I told you it would, I’m like James youth offenders of Mecklenburg County in offenders currently housed at Jail North, Cameron,” says the first teen, making the 2007, but a solid partnership between one of two jail facilities in Mecklenburg group laugh. This is the first time any of the CML and the sherriff’s office had been in County of Charlotte, North Carolina. teens have used Flip cameras or an iMac, but place for several years. The library Green is the designated color for male the group caught on quickly and soon were collaboration would never have happened youth offenders, and each boy is dressed in uploading and editing their video footage like without the initiative of Margo Fesperman, a green jumpsuit with ‘Mecklenburg pros. Before we know it the hour is up and manager of library services for Jail North County Youth Offender’ written in white the class is over. However, instead of the class and Jail Central. For several years on the back. This class is the third of four being dismissed by a bell I use a phone in the Fesperman had built a strong library within sessions for the commercial and the teens classroom and call for an officer to escort the the jails and added part time and full time have been diligently working on their teensbacktotheirlivingquartersor“pods.” help to both libraries. Jail administrators wanted to offer youth offenders additional ANGELA CRAIG is a Library Location Supervisor with the programs along with their mandatory school curriculum, but there were not Charlotte Mecklenburg (N.C.) Library. She loves working with enough jail staff members to facilitate at-risk teens and is currently writing a book for Neal-Schuman them. The jail library motto is to “Fight Publishers tentatively titled Library Service for At-Risk Teens: Crime Through Literacy,” and as a former Bridging the Gap. staff member of CML, Fesperman knew
20 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 Craig
there were untapped resources with the Facilitating Library evaluation of a population like this is public library that could benefit the Programs to a important to your program success because youth offenders. ‘Captive’ Audience you have such a short time with them and “In order to be able to do all the you have to make it count.” interesting programs and activities, more At the beginning of my involvement with I found out early on that technology people were needed so working with the the jail I was a staff member with CML’s skills seemed to be an area that the teens Outreach Department of the public library outreach department. Initially I was a were lacking, and also where the jail had became an attractive option,” said hesitant about the partnership as I had programming gaps. One of my first classes Fesperman. “The partnership really just never worked with inmates before. was a work force development session opened so many doors to experiences our However, I wanted to give it a try. Like where the teens were supposed to create a youth would never have had the other staff members I went on a tour of the resume and cover letter. However, the class opportunity for prior to being here.” facility, which convinced me of the need for quickly turned in to a computer basics class A graduate student who was a library services. I agreed to be part of the as none of the teens knew how to type or part-time library associate with CML rotation, and since then I have enjoyed every work a word processing program. initiated the first outreach program, which minute of my association with the jail. Fesperman was not surprised when I was a book club for the youth offenders. The greatest partnership currently relayed this story to her. Fesperman saw the success of the program as exists between the Jail North facility and “The youth offenders might say that an opportunity to build a formal partnership CML, as that facility contains the larger they know how to use an iPod, but you give with CML. She approached library director number of youthful offenders and has the them one and they don’t know how to go to Charles Brown and Outreach Manager most consistent population. Jail North the next song,” Fesperman said. “Their Meryle Leonard. Brown, Leonard, and other houses the male youth offender population, typing skills are typically minimal, which library staff were invited to tour the Jail which is significantly larger than the female tells me they haven’t done a lot of North and Jail Central facilities and see if a population of Jail Central. The Jail North keyboarding in the classroom. If they are collaboration would be a good fit. facility is also conducive to programming as going to function in today’s world, get a job “I was very interested in working with it has designated classrooms, a computer and be part of the twenty-first century they the jail because I felt the library could offer lab, and a library. While Jail Central has a have got to have some computer based courses that would help the youthful library it has limited space and was not skills.” offenders whenever they left the facility,” designed with programs in mind. CML Armed with this knowledge the CML said Leonard. CML staff took a tour of does the bulk of it’s programming with the staff found a diverse assortment of both facilities to see if they felt male youthful offenders, but offers programs that were technology based, comfortable, met with jail staff members programs to the female youth offenders literacy based, or both. Podcasting proved and inmates and had a Q and A lunch. when the population can support it. to be extremely useful. By utilizing free Brown asked detailed questions about From a programming standpoint the software downloads the program cost was safety, especially for his staff. Convinced library activities that I facilitate with the minimal but allowed for a wide range of that CML personnel would be safe while youth offenders are not any different than programming. For example, with the facilitating programs, he gave Leonard free what I facilitate in a public library setting. poetry class the final project required rein to run the programs as deemed Everything that I have done, from participants to create a digital recording of appropriate. Fesperman was delighted technology based programs to book based their poem and save it as an MP3 file. Staff with the arrangement and worked closely programs, I have facilitated with teens both facilitated programs such as computer with CML to create suitable programs for inside and outside the jail. Leonard games, video games, and online scrabble the youth offenders. From there, the supports anything the staff wants to tournaments to help youth offenders library provided staff members from the facilitate with the youth offenders, as long become more tech savvy. In addition, outreach department and from other as the program addresses the needs of the gaming was a great team building activity departments who were interested in teens. for the teens as it required them to work working with incarcerated teens. By 2007, “All of our programming for the together and share equipment. the jail had a solid rotation of programs youthful offenders is always based on a Fesperman proved to be invaluable to facilitated by public library staff to the need, not just on what the staff wants to the CML partnership as she worked with youth offenders. do,” said Leonard. “Assessment and jail officers to clear the equipment that was
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 21 High Impact Partnership
needed for the technology programs. l Library and jail staff utilized the digital l See what the need of the facility is and Though originally hesitant about allowing products the teens created to showcase plan around it. so much equipment in with the youth what the teens learned and demonstrate l Follow the guidelines of the jail. The offenders, the officers relented when they the benefits of the CML partnership. protocols are there for the safety of the saw the benefits the teens were reaping staff and should not be ignored. from the library programs. From past experience I also found l If a jail facility already has programs, As staff facilitated the programs, we recognizing the youth offender’s efforts in offer something different, such as book also evaluated them. Because class time was the class go a long way in establishing a deposits or resource training for jail limitedtoanhour,theevaluationswerekept positive rapport with the group. On a staff. to a simple format. Often the instructor whim one day I printed out certificates of l If you are just starting out and have would pass out evaluations at the end of achievement for each participant of my some flexibility with the facility, class or even do a post assessment with teens creative writing class. The class had been provide one program in literacy and by asking them what they learned during the four sessions and the teens had worked one program in technology, then session. However, timing was always a factor very hard and written exceptionally good evaluate. Check in with jail and at times it was a challenge to get short stories. I wanted the teens to have a administration and make sure that the recurring data. The population of the two memento of the class and at the end I program is in line with their needs, facilities also presented challenges as there is handed out the certificates, which got an and adjust as needed. a high turnover rate, particularly within the emotional response from the teens. l When selecting staff to work with female population of Jail Central. Many of “I’ve never gotten a certificate for youth offenders, make sure that they the teens were incarcerated for short periods anything I’ve done,” said one sixteen-year-old. are open-minded and enjoy working oftimeandwereabletoattendoneortwo “This is my first certificate.” with teens. The staff members have to classes before they were released. Often I “I’m hanging this in my pod so I can be strong programmers and able to wouldhaveaclassoftenteensbutthe remember how much I enjoyed writing,” adapt their methods to fit incarcerated number would dwindle to two or three as said a seventeen-year-old inmate. teens. Jail is not the average library the youths were released from jail. Despite “I didn’t know the library did situation and often the inmates are these challenges the partnership progressed things like programs and give you non-traditional library users, so you and several best practices emerged: certificates. I’ll have to get my library card want their experience with the public so I can do this again,” said another library to be positive and encouraging. l Library staff used programs for teens seventeen-year-old. that were already developed with Since that class, I have made sure to “These youth, regardless for what CML and modified them to fit the have certificates for each teen that they’re in for, are in fact sixteen and needs of the youth offenders. participates in my class, even if the class seventeen years old and are teenagers with l Staff created quick, one-session classes only runs one session. If the teens associate a lot on their shoulders besides growing to facilitate with the teens that were good memories with the pubic library, up,” says Fesperman. “I hope that you can close to being released. “Interviewing perhaps they will participate in library see that they do want to learn and be Skills” was a popular class with the programs when they are released. I feel that creative and do have the ability to be equal female youth offenders as it could be alone is worth a certificate. to anybody else their age in the run for one class and gave inmates a community.” YALS skill they could use once they were released. Creating Future l Staff connected the programs with Partnerships Reference existing jail programs, such as Podcasting for a book report, creative Forming a partnership with a facility such 1. Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, writing with English, or gaming with as a jail or detention center can take time “Inmate Programs,” Sheriff’s Office, technology skills. This helped justify but is worth the effort. When pursuing a www.charmeck.org/Departments/ the program and gave staff a partnership, here are some guidelines to MCSO/Inmate+Information/ framework for their class. keep in mind: Programs.htm. Accessed June 3, 2010.
22 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 feature Hot Spot: Collaboration
no-Isle Libraries is a library district serving more than a half a Building Strong S million patrons in Island and Snohomish Counties of Washington state. The widespread communities we serve are varied and include busy commuter suburbs Community of Seattle, rural areas, diverse immigrant populations, island artists’ villages, small farm towns, tribal lands, and Navy bases. However, in 2006 when our director Partnerships Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory went out into these locations to do a series of community meetings with the public, one consistent message came across loud and clear from Sno-Isle Libraries and each of them. All were concerned about their teenagers. Universally the community the Teen Project members perceived that there was a lack of community resources and constructive activities for youth. In many places it was felt that outside of school there was simply By Dawn Rutherford nothing for teens to do. It was out of this resounding concern voiced for youth that the Teen Project was conceived. Together with the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation, a plan was developed to help Sno-Isle library staff learn how to better help youth build positive attributes to connections, based on local needs, connect with teens and community thrive. These fit in line well with the desires and resources. partners to plan improved services and mission of Sno-Isle Libraries that is “to be a 3. Engage teens in the library and create programs for teens: The Teen Project. And community doorway to reading, resources, deeply rooted connections to teens and beyond what is hoped to be accomplished and lifelong learning, and a center for to the community. with teens, the ultimate objective is people, ideas, and culture.” 4. Seek teen advocates and partners with community development, establishing Considering these inspirations and our youth serving groups as appropriate. libraries as both partners in problem mission statement, it was decided that the solving and as centers of community life. goals of the Teen Project would be to: To best achieve these goals, the Teen The Urban Libraries Council accepted the Project would focus on four libraries each Teen Project for the Executive Leadership 1. Establish the library as a center of the year. The Teen Contacts (not all Sno-Isle Institute. This year-long fellowship community and an important part of Libraries are large enough to have teen provided leadership support which helped community life. librarians on staff) from these community us define the project’s scope. 2. Create a framework and process to libraries come together every other week Another great inspiration for framing help libraries establish teen for an entire year. They are trained on this project was the Engaged Libraries study of the Urban Libraries Council (ULC), which encouraged libraries to make DAWN RUTHERFORD is the Teen Services Coordinator for connections with neighborhood leaders to Sno-Isle Libraries in Washington State. In addition to serving on help make the library a community center. Another was the Search Institute’s forty several YALSA committees, including chairing the first Great Developmental Assets, which teaches Graphic Novels committee, she just completed a three year term community leaders to work together to on the YALSA Board.
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 23 Building Strong Community Partnerships
topics relating to community building and Next, Teen Project participants are with almost any group of eight to twelve teens and share their experiences as the provided with public speaking training, teens. Advisory boards for cities and parks year progresses. There are no quick fixes focusing especially on crafting an elevator work especially well, as can church youth expected; it is understood from the speech. The elevator speech is a quick talk groups. YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, and beginning that this should be a slow and that can be presented to organizations and teen library pages also can make good focus steady process. To support the program, individuals who inquire about the Teen groups. Student organizations such as the Sno-Isle Foundation supplies money Project. This brief summary must be Honor Society groups can be a pleasure to for trainings, coaching, supplies for focus crafted by local staff members to be work with, while gathering random groups groups, and eventually seed money for effective, for by its nature, the Teen Project of teens from the library after school can be programming. Sno-Isle Libraries provides it is deliberately vague in overall description a bit more challenging. One librarian found support staff, off-desk time to devote to the to be flexible to the needs of specific that the most enthusiastic groups were project, and ample mentorship libraries and the communities they serve. those who got to leave their classes to opportunities. What the Teen Project results will look attend a focus group in the school library. First, the four Teen Contacts are like will depend very much upon unique All teen focus groups appreciate free pizza. trained in how to conduct community asset factors and feedback of a location. What is Once Teen Project staff complete a mapping. At this stage they are encouraged important in communicating the concept is series of focus groups, they are encouraged to begin by brainstorming with community that the Teen Project representative can to examine the findings for community library staff to identify local organizations speak with confidence about the goals of trends. The findings repeated what was and individuals working with teens. Next, the project and of the willingness of the learned in the community asset mapping appointments are made with as many of library to work with other groups. are particularly of interest. Great random these connections as possible to learn about Teen Project participants are then suggestions from teens are shared with the what it is they do, and what other trained to run focus groups. Using the Teen Coordinator and implemented quickly connections they can suggest. This process newly forged connections with community when possible. And most importantly, teens is repeated until all leads have been leaders, preestablished groups of teens are interested in volunteering with the libraries followed and a thorough community map sought out to use in focus groups. are contacted to help establish a local Teen has been created. Successful focus groups can be conducted Advisory Board. One of the central beliefs of the Teen Project is that truly successful programming cannot be achieved without Suggested Questions When Interviewing complete participation and support of teens. Community and Organizational Leaders What makes a successful program varies tremendously from library to library. l Tell me about what teen programs you are currently offering. The first year’s libraries took very different l What is working well with the program? approaches. In Marysville, the most l What is most challenging about offering this program? popular programs have been elaborate l How do you measure whether it is successful? after-hours events involving extensive l What have you found to be the most effective way to reach teens in promoting your programs? decorating, teens acting in murder l Do you work with a teen council or advisory group? mysteries, or energetic games based on l What do you think is the greatest challenge for teens living in this community? reality shows. At the Stanwood Library, l What programs would you like to offer in the future if you had the resources? teens found their librarian receptive to new l Given the resources of the library, how can the library best support your programs? ideas and were able to start a weekly l Who are the key people (staff and volunteers) in your organization who seem to be Dungeons & Dragons club. The Monroe well connected to your teen population? Library chose to take a riskier path, where l Are there key community people I should meet with? teens helped plan a rave that took place in l What community meetings do you attend that are effective networking opportunities the library meeting room one Friday night. re teen services? The Mountlake Terrace Library developed l What future programs would you like to see the library offer teens in the community? a series of monthly events taking place l Who would be key community partners in planning and providing these programs? Wednesdays after school, including game days, movie matinees, and craft programs.
24 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 Rutherford
All libraries had strong increases in programming numbers within one year Teen Project Focus Group Checklist after completion of the Teen Project. But while growing teen programming l Scribe (let leader focus on communicating with teens) can seem impressive and it does benefit l Flip chart (preferably Post-It one so pages can be stuck to walls. Allows teens to visualize questions, and work off of others answers) youth, it is only a small part of the Teen l Tape (if using regular flip chart) Project. Director Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory l Questions for focus group (preferably prewritten on flip chart) once said at a Teen Project orientation l Colored markers meeting that “the success of the Teen l Name tents (improve tone of communication, and decoration provides teens with Project should not be measured in program creative outlet) numbers, but by the personal growth of the l Colored pipe cleaners (gives teens something to do with hands) individuals involved.” Sno-Isle ensures this l Pizza (optional, but strongly recommended) by creating a strong structure of coaching l Small goody bags including your business card (optional) and membership around Teen Project l Library event calendars (current and previous to inspire discussion and ideas) participants. In addition to support from l Simple game for afterward (Apples to Apples is recommended) the Sno-Isle Foundation leadership early on in the project, each year our Adult/ Teen Services Manager Terry Beck, and affect service to teens, and how Teen teens help young reluctant readers. There the teen coordinator (me) work closely Project staff can make best use of them. are so many possibilities. with a community consultant. Martha Being able to provide this level of By understanding what resources are Dankers does not have a library support to staff is a true blessing. Greater currently in their communities and listening background, aside from being a customer, familiarity with service center staff, to what local teens need, our community which is a strength in this situation. Her including the teen coordinator, helps our libraries are better able to develop programs background is as a nurse who was Director Teen Contacts feel more comfortable and services for teens. Engaging both teens of Community Relations at a local hospital, tapping into the human resources and community partners in the ongoing which included developing partnership available to support them. Our consultant evolution and continuous reinvention of programs in the community. She has can visit the Teen Project communities to what libraries offer keeps things fresh, experience communicating with leaders strategize with staff. We are available to relevant, and creates meaningful and negotiating local politics. Her role is to consult and assist staff with programs and connections. By building and sustaining this provide a fresh perspective, help identify focus groups. They learn that assistance is culture of mutual support, we have been opportunities, coach individuals, and theirs for the asking. able to create innovative partnerships and provide training and feedback. All three of Now that participants have discovered programs that truly respond to the needs of us attend the bi-weekly meetings, where we who else in their communities is serving teens and the communities they live in. review Teen Project progress, provide teens, interviewed the teens through focus insight on experiences gained, reinforce groups, discovered internal support Resources positive actions, and encourage staff to available, and begun basic programming challenge themselves to go outside their with the help of teens, the groundwork is Sno-Isle Libraries’ Teen Project Manual is comfort areas to achieve personal growth set for the next phase. Teen Project available upon request. and greater community connections. libraries continue communicating with The Engaged Library: Chicago Stories In addition to working with the community partners and to seek out of Community Building. manager, coordinator and consultant who opportunities for collaboration. They take www.urbanlibraries.org/associations/ run the Teen Project, staff are also given the what they have learned, and share it for the 9851/files/ULC_PFSC_Engaged_0206.pdf. opportunity to learn more about what takes benefit of all parties involved. This can take Accessed August 23, 2010. place behind the scenes at the system’s many forms: teens pushing book-carts in forty Developmental Assets for service center. Staff from collection parades; promoting libraries and reading Adolescents. Search Institute. development, marketing, and facilities during the halftime show of the local minor www.search-institute.org/content/40- development come to Teen Project league baseball team; gaining the support of developmental-assets-adolescents-ages-12-18. meetings to share how their departments the local police guild for a program where YALS
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 25 feature Hot Spot: Collaboration
books.However,Ialsoknewthatasteens, they wanted a voice, their voice, to say what a Massachusetts great book was. When I asked students which books they liked, they were happy to share their opinions. I noticed that while other Teen Choice states had a teen book award, Massachusetts did not. I wanted to change that. I was the person who got the ball rolling. I had been on the Rhode Island Book Award Teen Book Award Committee when I was doing my teaching practicum in Rhode Island. I wanted to start a teen book award in Massachusetts. More than two years Our Partnership for ago, I went to a youth services committee meeting at the Central Massachusetts Massachusetts Teens Regional Library headquarters and asked if I could form a committee to create a Massachusetts teen book award. Right from the beginning, I wanted it to be a By Mary Ann Rogers, collaboration between both public and school librarians who worked with teens. Sue-Ellen Szymanski, The youth services committee gave me the green light and I then went to the Laurie Cavanaugh, and Massachusetts School Library Association executive board to ask them to be one of Mary Dunphy the sponsoring organizations of the award. The MSLA executive board approved my request. By this time, Sue-Ellen Szymanski, a public librarian from the Milford Town Library had decided to join ntil recently, there was no way between the Massachusetts Library me as a co-chair. Sue-Ellen went to the for teens in Massachusetts to Association and the Massachusetts Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) U recognize their favorite young School Library Association. This is our to ask them to co-sponsor us. They also adults books on the state level. That has story of how we collaborated to make this said yes, so we formed a committee. all changed now. The Massachusetts Teen award happen. Neither Sue-Ellen nor I had even run a Choice Book Award Committee has committee before but we were determined to announced that any teen can nominate Mary Ann Rogers try. We posted a notice on our electronic and vote for his or her favorite young (Co-Chair) discussion lists to see who would be interested. adult titles published in this calendar year. I was very pleased to see public librarians, The Massachusetts Teen Choice Book As a school librarian, I knew students liked to school librarians, and a youth consultant come Award Committee is a joint project read. It is great to entice them with new to the first meeting. We spent a lot of time brainstorming about what we thought this MARY ANN ROGERS is a school librarian at Newton (Mass.) South award should be and agreed to meet monthly. Over the course of the next year and half, we High School. SUE-ELLEN SZYMANSKI is a youth services librarian at wrote our by-laws, submitted our articles of Milford (Mass.) Town Library. LAURIE CAVANAUGH is a reference organization with the state and created a librarian at Brockton (Mass.) Public Library. MARY DUNPHY is a timeline of how we wanted to go about the school librarian at Higham (Mass.) High School and Middle School. nomination and voting process.
26 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 Ann Rogers, Szymanski, Cavanaugh, and Dunphy
We also held a logo contest for any teen about current books for teens by honoring were more in sync with your colleagues that wanted to design a logo that we could their chosen author with an award created who also work with teens, be it in the use for publicity. We got a lot of terrific by them. The sheer number of youth titles school library or the public library? entries and we chose our winner this spring. on so many bestseller lists encourages all Back in 2008, an idea was born, the Peter Muscasto, who was a junior at librarians that reading is still crucial to kids! fruit of much brainstorming. We as Waltham High School, created a terrific logo. Collaboration with MSLA is a natural librarians have the unique opportunity to Very early on the committee decided to for this award because school librarians have collaborate with each other and teens. By make this a teen choice book award. We significant contact with our target audience to enabling teens to be an integral part of the talked about the importance of teens promote and encourage their participation. process of nominating and selecting a title nominating and voting for their favorite titles. Our motivation has been to inspire all teens to for the MTCBA, our hope is to encourage Maureen Ambrosino, a youth get involved in the process. Already, students teens to not only be avid readers but also to consultant, set up a nomination and voting have expressed their interest by designing the make recommendations for others. mechanism online. She guided much of the logo for the MTCBA. The goal of launching I am the treasurer of MTCBA. I planning of this award and as of June 1, the Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award joined the committee in May 2009. It was 2010, any teen in Massachusetts can this year has been met and we await the the unique award process of MTCBA, nominate their favorite 2010 titles. The nominations and later, voting, to bring several focusing on teens as the primary source of nomination process will continue until years of planning to an exciting conclusion. nominations and selections that inspired December 31, 2010. The top five middle me to become involved. In my experience, school level titles and the top five high school Laurie Cavanaugh many teens expressed disappointment in level titles will be put on two separate ballots. (Secretary) the award winning books chosen. Last Each teen can vote for their favorite title winter for instance, I recommended a (both middle and high school) and the two Initially, I was intrigued by the idea of recent award-winning title to a student titles with the most votes will win the award. reading all the new YA books and being a who is an avid reader. I was surprised by The Web site is www.readsinma.org/tcba. judge, recommending the best new books to the student’s comment when she returned We’ll be giving out the very first teens through the awards process. I was the book: “Why did that win an award? I Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award on quickly converted to the idea of putting teens had such a hard time getting into it! It April 14, 2011, on YALSA’s Support Teen in the driver’s seat by having them nominate, seems that all these books that are award- Literature Day. We think that is a perfect judge, and vote on the award-winning titles. winning are not ones that I would pick up day to give out this award. We’re so excited This changed the model from the original to read!” Seeing the student frustrated with to finally have this award become a reality. example of the Rhode Island Teen Book the process, I recognized the void in the Award, where adults select the finalists for award selection process; the voice of the Sue-Ellen Szymanski teen to vote on, so I felt like our committee teens was not represented. (Co-Chair) was breaking new ground. As a school librarian, I have often have As a public librarian, I promote solicited input from teens who read books As a member of Massachusetts MLA YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten list during Teen and make suggestions for reading lists and Youth Services Section, later as secretary, Read Weekä each year, but the recommendations in the school library. A liaison to MSLA chair and currently, past- Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award school librarian at Hingham’s High School chair, I have had the opportunity to brings it down to a local level. I thought this and Middle School, I have enjoyed meeting participate in the creation of our brand new wouldmakeitseemmoreimmediatetoteens and working with public and school Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award. and local librarians. librarians in establishing this award. I Following a presentation about the Rhode already was collaborating with the Island Children’s Book Award by my co- Mary Dunphy reference and youth services librarians in chair and colleague, Mary Ann Rogers, at a (Treasurer) the Hingham and Hull Public Libraries, YSS meeting a couple of years ago, our but it has been a rewarding experience to executive board was energized to develop an How often have your teen patrons work closely with other school and public award that empowers middle and high complained about the award-winning book librarians in Massachusetts, working school students to share their excitement chosen by adults? Did you ever wish you towards a common goal. YALS
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 27 feature Hot Spot: Collaboration
highlight how one event can change the life of a teen. Fine Art Programs, Budget cuts are being felt everywhere— within school systems, family budgets, and libraries. Teens are facing limited Teens, and opportunities in school to experience art, theater, dance, and music classes because of budget cuts. Families who were once able to afford the costs of attending extracurricular Libraries activities in the fine arts may no longer have the money to do so. There are also teens who have had little or no exposure to the fine arts, regardless of the state of the economy. It is Changing Lives One also important to remember that the library is a place where teens should be encouraged to Program at a Time exploreandlearnmoreaboutthemselvesand the world around them. The availability of fine arts programs in the library allows teens to express themselves creatively, learn about By Natasha D. Benway different artistic fields and people, and interact collaboratively with their peers in various ways. Budget cuts and teen self-expression are only a couple of reasons for highlighting the fine arts at your library. Programs that ’ll never forget the day Megan’s father was the catalyst that propelled Megan to highlight the fine arts such as art contests, turned to me and said, “Thank you so begin to pursue photography as a serious writing contests, and dance workshops attract I much! Your library’s teen art contest career. The next year, Megan participated in a large number of teen participants and their has changed my daughter’s life.” Megan art contest after art contest, winning first parents. These programs are a great way to had entered our art contest and was now place and scholarships in nearly every contest increase community awareness for your library accepting the Best in Show Award at the she entered. She compiled her portfolio and and build community relations. Approximately 2009 Texas Media Awards during the was granted a scholarship to a prestigious art eighty participants attended our library’s art Texas Library Association’s annual school on the east coast. Gone was the shy, contest each time it was held in the last three conference. Previously, Megan had not felt insecure, self-taught photographer. Megan years. During all fine art programs, we confident in her artistic ability, and it was was now ready to take on the world. distribute information about other teen only through her family’s encouragement programs, the teen collection, and other youth that she had agreed to enter the library’s Why Should I Emphasize and adult programs offered at the library. teen art contest. the Fine Arts with the Megan was astonished when she won Teens at My Library? What Will This Cost Us? both her age category and best in show at Money and Time our library’s teen art contest. Megan’s father Megan’s story is not included here as a way informedmethatwinningtheartcontest to show my accomplishments, but rather to Since all libraries are mindful of their budgets, especially in view of budget cuts, many readers NATASHA D. BENWAY is the Young Adult Librarian at South may be wondering: Exactly how much do these types of programs cost? The answer is Regional Library located in The Woodlands, Texas. She has her simple—the programs will cost as little or as MLS and has completed 32 graduate credit hours in Dance from much as you want them to cost. The Texas Woman’s University. She currently serves on the Texas importance of introducing fine art programs to Teens Read Committee. teens at the library lies not in the end result,
28 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 Benway
but rather with the creative process each teen Next, consider the types of art work example, I have solicited and received gift goes through to reach the end result. For that will be accepted in the art show or what cards from local art stores and book stores example, a teen who enters a library’s art genres will be included in the writing for our library’s art and writing contests. contest will learn about peer review through contest. For example, at our library’s teen When advertising an art or writing the judging process; a teen who enters a art contest, we accept almost all artwork as contest, remember one thing: network, writing contest will practice how to use long as it can be hung and the artwork is no network, network! Leave no stone grammar and other literary devices correctly; larger than 11 by 17 inches. We have just unturned for the advertising campaign in and a teen who participates in a dance recently allowed three-dimensional artwork your community. Advertise in your local workshop will learn more about his or her on a first-come, first-served basis. Three- newspapers (many newspapers will publish body and the effects of movement. For the dimensional artwork is limited to the local nonprofit events for free). Also, post fine art programs described here, all you need dimension of the library’s display case. For information on your library Web site, or on is a room. Anything else is extraneous. the writing contest, teens compete in short an online local calendar. Distribute fliers at Although a fine arts program can be as story, poetry, and personal narrative. We your library and other areas where local inexpensive as it needs to be, the time and also included a script writing category one teens congregate. This may include coffee effort devoted to programming shows. It year. Of course, contests could include any shops, as well as local middle and high takes time and energy to find sponsors, to or all of these categories, as well as fantasy, schools. I strongly emphasize the identify outside teachers willing to teach science fiction, anime, and other genre. importance of networking with local middle free classes and to secure food donations. Finally, consider how the art contest and high school teachers. Several teachers But every minute spent is worth the effort. or writing contest will be judged. Will made our library’s art contest or writing When teens see that a lot of energy and there be first, second, and third-place contest a class assignment. Remember, use hard work has been put into a program, prizes? Will there be an honorable mention your art contest or writing contest as a way they feel valued and they feel that the work prize? Will awards be given for each age to help promote your library and its they are doing is important. group? It is also important to think about programs. The more people who know who will judge the contests. Our contest about and participate in your art or writing An Art Contest or A judges have included English and art contest, the more people may be interested Writing Contest, or college professors, high school teachers, in visiting your library. Advertising is all Maybe Both! local artists, writers, members of writers’ about building community awareness and guilds, and combinations of these. relations for your library. Art contests and writing competitions have Once a basic plan for the art or writing similar preparation plans and layouts, contest is made, it is time to think about A Movements Class or therefore I discuss both together here. For what type of prizes will be offered and how Dance Workshop: No examples of entry forms, fliers, posters, and to advertise the contest. For those in smaller, Dance Experience rules, please visit the Texas State Library and rural libraries or libraries where budgets have Necessary! Archive Commission’s 2009 Texas Teens been slashed, do not despair! Remember Read! Programming Manual Online available that all you need for these programs is a I would like to quell the fears of any at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/projects/ttr/ room, and you can even limit that to an area librarians who are reading this article. 2009/manual. Please feel free to adapt the of your library if you do not have a separate Please do not be distressed—you do not examples on that Web site to suit your needs. room. Teens are often happy just to have need to be a professional dancer to have a The first thing needed when developing their accomplishments recognized. For movements class at your library. All you anartorwritingcontestistoconsiderwhat example, you can display simple certificates need is space, a room, or even a space age groups will participate. Will this contest created by hand or with Microsoft Publisher outside on a nice day. Just remember that be open to contestants who are 12 to 18 along with the artwork. If you display the emphasis of a dance or movements yearsold,orjusttothosewhoare14to18 winning artwork at the library for a month, class, for all librarians and teens, should be years old? If a wide range of ages are entering many teens would find this a satisfying that dance is just movement, and you move the contest, then it is best to offer prizes for reward. If you are ambitious and want to every day. individual age groups. This ensures that find sponsors for your prizes, I encourage Dance can be found in such simple older students will not automatically win youtodoso.Youneverknowwhat movements as closing the car door, rising out first prize in every category. someone will donate for a good cause. For of bed in the morning, and even in brushing
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 29 Fine Art Programs, Teens, and Libraries
your hair. For librarians who would like to games and dance team competitions are being but teens love it when they are offered a have a movements class at their library, I have held, because the dance workshop will most mixture of different technique classes. prepared a full movements class plan that likely appeal to those who have some dance The final component that you must includes a basic warm up and three experience and you want to avoid time considered when planning a dance movement exercises. This class plan can be conflicts. You will attract some participants workshop is volunteers. With an art or found at the Texas State Library and Archive who have no dance experience, but most of the writing contest, you may need only one or Commission’s 2010 Texas Teens Read! teens who attend will likely have some dance two volunteers, but volunteers are an Programming Manual Online at http://www. background. About 60 percent of the teens absolute must with a dance workshop tsl.state.tx.us/ld/projects/ttr/2010/manual. who attended our library’s dance workshop because of its time span. Volunteers can Dance workshops can be challenging but had some dance experience, and about 40 help with set up and clean up, and they can exciting programs. For those who wonder if a percent had little or no dance experience. distribute water or food, sign teens in and dance workshop would appeal to your When holding a dance workshop, out, and handle crowd control. Some places community, you may be surprised. Since I had consider the type of space where it will be to look for volunteers include the local not found any information about libraries held. Unlike a movements class which may National Charity League, your library’s teen holding a dance workshop, our library was not last only an hour or so, a dance workshop advisory board, and high school volunteer sure how many to expect at our dance usually lasts several hours, so the space where groups. Always remember that it is better to workshop. Both times we held a dance it is held is important. First, you will need have too much help than not enough. workshop, our library had approximately sixty enough room so that the teens can move Take a moment and remember the last attendees. When planning a dance workshop, around without bumping into one another. time you helped a teen find a book that you remember that the information above about Next, consider the flooring in the space. The thought they would enjoy reading. networking to promote the program and best floor for dance is a hard surface that has Remember the spark that lit their eyes when asking for sponsors remains the same. For some “spring,” so that dancers can avoid they said, “This is perfect.” You made a example, donations for a dance workshop injuries to their knees and backs that might be connection, and through that connection, might include water and food donations as caused by activities such as jumping. This type the teen you helped will grow and learn well as studio space. There are some aspects to of flooring is found only in dance studios. The more about themselves and the world. planning a dance workshop that differ from next best dance floor is a hard wood or When you facilitate fine arts programs with planning an art or writing contest. The most linoleum floor. These types of floors will allow teens, it works the same way. You present a critical aspects are timing and space. teens to move and turn easily. Carpeted floors program and then watch for a spark to Timing for a dance workshop can should be avoided since they can cause too appear in one of the participating teen’s eyes, actually mean two different things. First, there much friction and lead to twisted ankles. andyouthink,“Thisisperfect,Ijust is timing of the dance workshop itself, that is, After considering the time, space, and changed someone’s life today.” YALS how long will the dance workshop last? Will it flooring for the workshop, you will need to last a whole day or half a day? Our library’s consider what types of dance will be offered dance workshop lasted from 9 A.M. until 6 P.M. and who will teach those classes. It is best to Resources It was a long day that included four classes, offer a mixture of dance techniques, such as two breaks, and lunch. To offer such a long ballet, modern, jazz, tap, improvisation, Benway, Natasha D. Texas Teens Read! TTR.10 workshop, I had to find four teachers theatrical dance, etc. Sometimes the dance Within Arms Reach the Future Is Yours. who were willing to teach different teachers who donate their time determine the “Dance!” Available online at the Texas State dance techniques classes. Consider having types of classes that will be offered. At both of Library and Archives Commission Web site, a half-day dance workshop if this time element the dance workshops that our library offered, available at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/ suitsyourprogramandresourcesbetter. all of the dance teachers donated their time to projects/ttr/2010/manual/dance.html, (2010). Second, timing also means when the teach the participating teens. Some potential Benway, Natasha D. 2009 Texas Teens Read! dance workshop itself will be held. The dance dance teachers include dance college Manual Time Twistin’ TTR.09. “Art and workshop should be held when it is most professors, local dance graduate students, high Writing.” Available online at the Texas State likely to attract the largest number of school dance teachers, local studio dance Library and Archives Commission Web site, attendees. This often means holding the teachers, and members of local dance available at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/ workshop on a weekend. It is also important companies. Again, the time and effort needed projects/ttr/2009/manual/artwriting.html, to notice when popular events such as football to locate dance teachersmaybefrustrating, (2009).
30 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 feature Hot Spot: Collaboration
Thefollowingarticleisexcerptedfrom Risky Business: Taking and Managing Risks in Library Services Selling Risk for Teens by Linda W. Braun, Hillias J. Martin, and Connie Urquhart.Risky Business is published by ALA Editions to Administration and is available at www.alastore.ala.org or 1-866-746-7252.
isk taking in libraries doesn’t and Colleagues happen overnight or with just one R person, and too often a risky idea or project comes to a standstill because the By Linda W. Braun, risk taker didn’t ask others for help. Garnering support from library Hillias J. Martin, and administrators and colleagues for a risky idea can be a scary challenge, but it’s an important Connie Urquhart step to take to ensure a project’s success. There are several different theories, issues, and methodologies to consider when pitching a risky project to administrators and colleagues. Here we provide a series of However, in many cases, this is easier Although these tips may not be tried-and-true tips and ideas for librarians said than done. Both large and small-scale surefire solutions, they can help the to consider before jumping off. Each risky projects can be tremendously complex, rife stressed-out staff reflect on why their risky project will require its own risky plan. with roadblocks, and can induce gigantic project is important to teens, themselves, Therefore, the risk taker may not need to levels of stress for the involved parties. and the library. Then take another deep use all of these steps. Or the librarian may If it becomes hard to remain positive breath and move onward! need to rearrange the steps to fit the needs about a project, here are some tips that of a particular project. Money, politics, librarians can consider to get back o Ten Steps for Selling Risk interpersonal relations, and overall strategic n track: As stated, the road to risk is paved with initiatives may be at play and should be politics, roadblocks, and more. But if the risk is carefully and sensitively considered when l Take a deep breath. well planned, there can be rewards in the end making a pitch to administrators or l Step back and look at the big picture. for everyone. Here are ten important steps to colleagues for a risky endeavor. l Take a break. take when preparing to pitch a risky idea. l Remind yourself why the project is a good idea. Stay Positive l Consider who will benefit from the Align the Risk with the Conveying positivity and dedication for project: teens, the library, library staff? Mission of the Library teens and the library is the single most l Talk with a colleague. Does your library have a mission or important skill everyone needs to master to l Ask for help! strategic plan? Is there a way that the risk ensure support from administrators and colleagues for any project. It may sound LINDA W. BRAUN is the immediate past president of YALSA and an silly, but it’s much harder for an education technology consultant with Librarians and Educators administrator to say no to a happy, Online in New York City. HILLIAS J. MARTIN is assistant director empowered, sincere, enthusiastic face than a grumpy one. It should inform every aspect for public programs and lifelong learning at the New York Public of your pitch from early information- Library. CONNIE URQUHART is teen services coordinator for the gathering to the final presentation. Fresno County Public Library System in California.
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 31 Selling Risk to Administration and Colleagues
can be embedded into part of a current overdo it. Just find ways to say hello and instance, if you try to move forward with library project, or does it complement past discover what you might have in common. an idea without consulting people who or upcoming initiatives? Making this An open, smiling face helps too. could be affected if the idea was put into simple match can help increase the priority There will always be people who enjoy practice, you’re not being strategic about of any idea, risky or not. negativity; we call these the naysayers. that risk. On the other hand, sometimes Some quick research will show that Naysayers find everything wrong with an the process of trying to make sure all the most libraries’ mission statements include idea and aren’t open to change. Pinpoint stakeholders have buy-in (if you’ll excuse language about providing free and equal these people early and establish the business-speak) makes it feel like the access, facilitating lifelong learning, and relationships with them. Having a positive pace of change is glacial, which is especially providing service to their communities. If connection with a naysayer will help to frustrating to teens.” finessed correctly, most risks could be reduce that person’s criticisms. It also works justified within the boundaries of any to seek out someone the naysayer admires Find a Mentor library’s mission. or trusts ahead of time —and see if this Mentors can help navigate the way up the The real challenge, however, is person would be willing to endorse the risk organizational hierarchy to administration. identifying how a risk might be aligned within before presenting it to the naysayer. They can share their experiences in getting an organization’s long-range plans. These may ideas passed and act as a sponsor when the be more specific, quantifiable goals such as Rally the Troops risk is presented. increasing online service or offering more aid Colleagues can be powerful allies. Movie Find someone in an administrative to job seekers. Or they may be more general, companies hold free previews to create position who will support the risk. She overarchingthemessuchastrainingstaffto buzz before a film’s release; fast food doesn’t have to be a teen services specialist, work better with youth, increasing the restaurants use test markets to try new but she should be supportive of risk taking library’s teen services presence on the Web, or menu items; publishers send out advance and of teen services. Ask this person to creating a more solidly realized teen services copies before a book’s street date. Building sponsor the idea or to act as a mentor department. These goals may not specifically excitement about a possible project before throughout the course of the project. This mention teens, but there is probably a way for presenting it to management lends will act as a kind of insurance to pad the risk the teen-related risk to fit. credibility to the idea. In addition, running when presenting it to the administration. If this inroad can be identified early in ideas by coworkers while they’re still in the the risk planning process, it will make idea form allows for potential problems to Know the Audience activating the risk much easier. Also, when surface. Having someone else pinpoint Whether you’re presenting to one person crafting the pitch for your plan, use the trouble areas before the decision maker has or a group, find out what motivates them. language created by the administrators a chance to do so can be invaluable; it Are they most concerned with the budget, (who are probably also the audience) in the provides an opportunity to address the the image of the library, or the teens mission, strategic plan, long-range plan, problems, fix them, or be ready to discuss themselves? Will the pitch presentation be and so on. This is a great way to morph the them at the presentation. for a task force with a specific charge, or for language of the pitch to match the It’s also smart to speak with those who the library’s board of trustees or senior communication style of your library. may be affected by the risk. However, be management group? aware that the more people who are Whoever it targets, the pitch Foster Relationships included, the more likely it is to slow down presentation should be tailored to that Create bonds by communicating with progress. Sara Ryan, the teen services audience in terms of quantity of colleagues and administrators to lay a specialist with Multnomah County Library information, language, visuals, and style. foundation for future opportunities. When in Portland, Oregon, said in an interview: For example, if the presentation is for it’s time to request permission for the risk, ”When I think about risks that haven’t the library’s senior management chances are those administrators who feel worked out, the reason for the failure isn’t group—people who make the decisions connected to the requester will look more typically in the nature of the risk itself, but don’t actually execute them—the favorably on the request itself. which is usually not around trying presentation may need fewer small details It’s generally more difficult to say no something new or changing the way a but might need to cover more big-picture when they trust, respect, and like the program works, but rather about the way impact. However, if the presentation is person. Sincerity counts, though, so don’t in which I tried to implement the risk. For for the young adult department or
32 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 Braun, Martin, and Urquhart
another smaller group, there will no program on financial planning? Do you the project? Will the project need an doubt be questions about the details of need materials on job readiness for the outside consultant to help with evaluation? the project. teen collection? Thinking through these important The key is to strike the balance The risk-savvy librarian should also be details and communicating them to between too much and too little aware of the timing of the pitch itself. Is colleagues will help speed up the decision- information. Only the librarian will be able the person receiving the pitch open to making process for any project, risky or to gauge how exactly to proceed. having someone walk into her office? Does not. It will also help increase the credibility a meeting need to be set up with a senior and reliability of the risk taker, which will Be Aware of Timing management group or board of trustees? build the foundation for the library to Money, politics, culture, and history all have Will the pitch be made at a staff meeting? accept more risky projects! an impact on the success of any risky Finally, how long will the pitch-giver have project. Risk-taking librarians should be to present? Risk-taking librarians should be Tell a Story savvy of these factors when creating fully aware of time constraints and plan After the risk presentation, it’s important proposals and plans for new projects. For their presentations accordingly. for board members and managers to have example, if the library has just undergone a Presentations should never, never, never go something tangible to share with others. series of major budget cuts, it’s probably not over time unless they’re in the final, crucial Remember that they want to be recognized the best time to propose a large, expensive decision-making moments or unless there as risk takers themselves and as supporting project. Instead, perhaps it’s best to propose is heated interest and conversation seems this new venture, so give them a story they a smaller, less expensive project and hold off to be going strong. can tell afterwards. on the larger one until better financial times. Even if it’s the latter, risk takers Successful stories include: Also, it’s important to be aware of should remain aware of the time and what’s happening culturally and historically announce to everyone that time is up, but l personal anecdotes in the library. For example, if a library they would be happy to continue if l information from patron feedback typically raises funds in the spring for fall everyone else can stay. forms projects, then a project for the upcoming At best, the presentation should be l survey results school year should be pitched in time for short, sweet, to the point, and full of l comments on a blog the library to raise money for it. That said, memorable details. That way the l case studies if technology is a part of the risky endeavor, audience will be itching to contact the risk l an explanation how the risk will aid in think carefully about the time frame taker after the presentation with any positive youth development (see the required to implement the technology in a follow-up questions. Forty Developmental Assets in Risky meaningful way. If you are pitching a tech- Business: Taking and Managing Risks based idea that needs to move quickly to Remember the Bottom Line in Library Services for Teens) take advantage of the technology, then Remember that money and numbers your pitch might need to happen at a count. In the pitch presentation, risk-savvy However, don’t overload your nontraditional time, and you will have to librarians shouldn’t shy away from honestly audience. Give them “takeaways”—little be clear in that pitch that the planning and estimating what the project will require in tidbits they can take away and repeat to implementation need to be on a fast track. terms of dollars and staff time. That said, others—but don’t overdo it. A few quality Furthermore, if the library has already the librarian should be aware of the anecdotes can be more effective than announced a major initiative or campaign library’s capacities and tailor the project to several mediocre ones. that can be tied to the risky project, the fit those factors. risk-savvy librarian should look for inroads Also, the risk-savvy librarian shouldn’t Believe in It to connect exciting risky ideas to what forget to include how she will evaluate the Passion and excitement are contagious. the library is already doing. For example, risk once permission has been granted to Enough said. if the library has launched a job readiness take it. What statistics will be generated campaign for adults, why not brainstorm from the risk? Will it affect circulation? with teens about their own job prep needs. Program attendance figures? Class visit and Be Prepared Should there be a resume-writing tour statistics? Will there be a survey for Have a well-thought-out plan, which workshop for teens, or perhaps a teens to complete when they participate in might include an elevator speech.An
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 33 Selling Risk to Administration and Colleagues
elevator speech condenses your plans l Try to find funding outside the both. In doing so, address plans for molding and goals into a sales pitch that you can library. Many businesses have public perception and educating the present in the time it takes for a short designated funds they are required to community to the benefit of the project. elevator ride with an administrator. Be gift each year. Take advantage of this Having steps already laid out for this will sure to make your plan available in the by asking early and keeping up help to persuade the decision makers. format that is most appealing to your relationships with local companies’ Looking at a new project as something audience. (See the “Know the Audience” community relations coordinators. that can be launched in beta is a way to section.) l Look to other government minimize risks. Consider pitching the risky Anticipate how questions will be organizations. They may not be able activity to administrators as a pilot or test answered, and make sure those answers to offer monetary support, but project. With a beta project, it’s possible to are positive. Also, risk takers should partnering with other organizations discover exactly what teens and members think about how they can keep the provides access to more nonmonetary of the community think about what’s being conversation moving as questions arise. resources and opens up a new base of launched and to be smart about responding Anticipate roadblock questions before the potential patrons. to actual concerns and informing everyone presentation so the conversations can l Take advantage of volunteers and of the activity’s value. avoid getting sidetracked. Friends of the Library groups. Finally, if the risk taker isn’t the one Volunteers may be able to offset the But We’ve Always Done It giving the presentation, the risky librarian money that would normally be spent This Way should make sure that the presenter fully on staff, whereas Friends groups are Small or monumental, change is difficult understands the nature of the risk and any usually open to new ideas for library for many people and often keeps good ideas tertiary information that may help her programs and projects. from turning into great realities. People explain it. l Emphasize how much return there who fear change must be reminded of all will be on investment. How will the the good that has come from previous Being Prepared potential outcomes of this project change in the library, such as offering video One of the best ways to be prepared for outweigh any costs? Show how game programs or adding graphic novels to pitching risky ideas is to imagine all the spending money on this risky project the collection. These ideas were a risk as questions and comments the may actually save money later on. well, but they’ve probably dramatically administration will have, and how to increased teen usage. answer them. Here are some examples. Sometimes being “budget-challenged” can be advantageous. Budget deficits force Putting It All Together What Will It Cost? libraries to be creative and pursue risky ideas So now what? The risky project is fully Invariably, if a risk is to be approved by they may have shelved earlier. Use this time realized; the pitch presentation is planned, a supervisor, manager, or board, one of to show alternatives to the status quo. prepared, and tailored to a specific audience. the first questions will be, “How much Handouts and takeaways are finished. The will this cost?” These people must work How Will It Be Perceived? presentation has been rehearsed in front of an within the confines of a budget, so it’s Public and school libraries alike must audience. The pitch is ready to go! All that possible they’ll have to cut back in remain cognizant of their community. For remains is setting up the time to give the pitch another area to finance this risk. The public libraries this means the voting and figuring out who will be there and how best answer to “How much will it cost?” public, and for school libraries this means much time there will be for the conversation. is, of course, nothing. Proposing an idea students and their families. Often this can Pitching your risky idea is probably the that will be free to implement is a great result in trepidation to try anything too hardest step to take, but it’s an important way to garner support. risky. Further, library administration must one that risk-taking librarians need to But this isn’t always possible, so here think about how the risk will impact the familiarize themselves with. And even if the are a few ways to answer the big money community, and how it will be perceived by risk isn’t approved, learning and knowing question and to be prepared with a plan of the community. Perception and reality often these steps will help any librarian build action for funding: diverge, and it’s important to think about credibility for future risky endeavors. YALS
34 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 feature Technology Perspective
or a certain type of tech-savvy librarian, the new music database Libraries Catch Up F Freegal, a product of Library Ideas, LLC, has been the hot topic of discussion for at least the last couple of months. Exploring Freegal raised a whole With the Twentieth lot of issues and questions in my mind about how libraries provide digital content to our customers and how we should be doing it. Century MP3s @ the Library By Mark Flowers For those of you who haven’t heard of it, or are fuzzy on the facts, here’s what you need to know: Freegal gives customers access to free, DRM-less mp3s from the Sony music entertainment catalog (the second-largest music company, according to Wikipedia1). libraries purchase the exact number of obviously, it is limited to a single music The purchasing library determines how downloads they are comfortable with company. Freegal says they are open to many tracks the customer can download buying. It also provides up-to-the-minute other companies becoming involved, but for per week (from 3 to 20, but most libraries statistics on usage, meaning that if a library now, having only one of the big four is seem to be going with 3 to 5). The library is getting swamped with download certainly a limitation for end users, and can also make use of a throttle mechanism, requests, they can choose to add more should be considered when deciding how to which limits the library to a certain number downloads at any time. Freegal’s staff also distribute library funds (more on this later). of downloads per week, thus allowing the keeps tabs on each library’s download Less obviously, there are some serious issues library to spread their downloads evenly history and offers advice to libraries as to with the metadata that Sony has provided. over the year. Once the throttle limit is how best to distribute their downloads. Individual track listings don’t make it clear reached for the week, new download And aside from a very cheap installation which version or remastering is available, requests from customers go on a wishlist, fee, Freegal charges libraries absolutely making it all too easy to download an which allows them to download these nothing except the per-download cost, alternate take or a rerecording of the song tracks the following Monday (or successive which is apparently somewhere around you want. Similarly, it is difficult to navigate Mondays if more than the library’s per- $1.25 per download. quickly between song, album, and artist. week downloads have already been put on In other words, this is the step into According to Jim Peterson from Library wishlists). Customers cannot put tracks the world of digital popular music that Ideas, these are issues that can and will be onto their wishlist if they have already used libraries should have taken a decade ago. solved, and I’m inclined to believe him, but their downloads, so there is no way for one until then, libraries subscribing to Freegal customer to game the system and end up Practical Issues should be prepared for at least a few on the top of the wishlist every week. complaints from customers. There is no software for the customer to Of course, that doesn’t mean that Freegal is Against those objections are the actual install and no download manager, making perfect. In terms of practical usage, it suffers experiences of libraries that have the process incredibly simple—just click from a few key flaws, which may lead to implemented Freegal. Debbie Moss, “download now,” and seconds later (on a frustration on the part of end users. Most assistant director at Orange County good internet connection), you’ve got a free song that is yours forever. Freegal provides library-specific MARK FLOWERS is a young adult librarian in Vallejo, California. He branding on the site, marketing materials, has been known to collect music in such archaic formats as vinyl and absolute budget-certainty because and compact disc, as well as various digital formats.
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 35 Libraries Catch Up With the Twentieth Century
Library, told me that she could not as large a selection as possible for If you haunt the right circles, you can “remember when a new service/product customers while balancing the needs of the hear quite a bit of negative buzz about has generated so much positive feedback.” community. By offering its entire catalog to Freegal, mostly about whether, as a service, Priscilla McAnally, director of the Paris, each customer individually, Freegal does it fits into our mission as libraries. The Texas, Public Library, echoed Moss’s exactly that. Plus, there’s no need to spend objections I’ve heard all revolve around the sentiments, saying that Freegal has become time or money on selecting, processing, ways in which Freegal differs from other “one of our more popular collections in a shelving, and so on. But spending the services we offer. It is different from CDs short time....The comments we have music collection budget on Freegal means because it gives away (rather than lends) received about [Freegal] have all been privileging the few users who download content. It is different from databases positive.” Those statements certainly don’t each week over the theoretically unlimited because it provides content to only a small invalidate possible objections (discussed number who can listen to each CD the portion of library users. It is different from below), but they do point to the huge library purchases. Also, the library downloadable audiobooks because users potential upside in customer reaction. essentially has to commit to providing generally only use audiobooks once, A somewhat less interesting, but no Freegal for the foreseeable future; whereas they will effectively own and listen less important, practical issue is how and otherwise the purchase hasn’t really added to these songs for life. how much libraries are going to pay for anything to the collection for future users. I’ll leave the heavy theoretical Freegal, an issue that is highly affected by Database money seems more sparring to the PhDs in library science, the potential popularity of such a service. plausible—in both structure and theory but let me posit one theory: these objections Once a library’s downloads are used up (as described above), Freegal most all stem from the fact that music is vastly (either under the weekly throttle or for resembles a traditional full-text database. more popular with our customers than the year), additional customers will be left But we all know that as databases raise databases, audiobooks, and other content. waiting for weeks or more until they can their prices, libraries have less and less In other words, critics are right that Freegal download again, leading to frustration. money for new ones. It hardly seems is different from other services that libraries The library may, of course, buy additional financially practical to use ever-diminishing offer, but not nearly as much as it might downloads, but that solution only raises database funds to pay for a service that has seem. The primary reason that Freegal the question of where to stop. I am far the potential to be increasingly popular and cannot allow unlimited access to a library’s from believing that libraries should not expensive. The solution for many libraries customers (as our magazine and audiobook offer a service because it would be too will probably be some mix of the two, databases do) is that the popularity of popular, but libraries should be aware perhaps with additional money from other downloadable music would make such a of the possible frustration to customers sources, but it should be emphasized that database exponentially more expensive. who may be waiting many weeks to get subscribing to Freegal will impact other If we are to take the concerns of their downloads. services we offer. On the other hand, we Freegal’s detractors seriously (and I think should remember that purchasing Freegal we should), we need to be honest about Where Will the Money not only holds out the possibility of the fact that theoretically these concerns Come From? attracting new customers to the library, apply to databases and downloadable but also of siphoning off at least some audiobooks as well, but practically A related issue for libraries is where, traditional CD customers who may prefer speaking, neither of those products was precisely, the money will be coming from to the online availability. ever popular enough to prompt concern. pay for these downloads. Leaving aside If there had been a worldwide external sources of revenue, the obvious Philosophical Issues phenomenon of pirating Consumer places seem to be either the databases/tech Reports articles, libraries would long ago services budget or the collections budget. The practical issues, then, may not be have been faced with and probably solved Neither seems ideal. In some sense, Freegal perfectly resolved, but are at least these philosophical issues. is the perfect tool of a collections developer. resolvable, and my discussions with Jim Although I have heard the complaint that Peterson lead me to believe that Freegal Legal and Ethical Issues Freegal takes collections decisions out of has every intention of working closely with the hands of selectors, this is proprietary libraries to do exactly that. Philosophically, On the other hand, even when we narrow thinking; the job of selectors is to provide the issues are more severe. the discussion to digital music, in theory
36 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 Flowers
libraries could have resolved these a simple equation between that content be in the forefront of these technologies. As philosophical issues decades ago. In the and print. By making the transition to a (perhaps) small example, Debbie Moss case of music, the crucial decision was digital, we inherently changed the content told me that “about 20 percent of the made not by libraries, but by the record we were providing without quite realizing patrons using Freegal had not used their industry in the mid-1980s when the it. Now DVDs can be hacked and library cards in over a year, so ...we’re industry, ostensibly promoting convenience downloaded. So can e-books. The concept re-engaging with some of [our] users.” For and audio fidelity, but in reality pursuing of a library simply lending an object and me, this speaks volumes about the ways in (what else?) profit, convinced music buyers then having it returned (with maybe some which technology can and should be used (including libraries) to repurchase their pages photocopied or a track or two by libraries to connect with nonusers. entire collections of LPs and cassette tapes dubbed onto a tape) is rapidly becoming There is almost certainly a better way in favor of compact discs. obsolete. Fortunately for us, the mission of to offer popular music to our customers What no one realized at the time was the library is not to be a toady to the U.S. online. I’m sure many of us could think of that the record industry had essentially Copyright Office. Our mission is to ways to improve Freegal, or of an entirely rung its own death knell by switching the provide information, and seeing as we have different system that would work better for world’s musical content to digital music already made the decision that digital libraries. And in the meantime, all the that could be reproduced endlessly and content is an important component of the Library PhDs out there can come up with transferred to other listeners, first via blank information we provide, we really have no the appropriate ethical standards that we CDs, later through the internet. choice but to continue along that path. should apply to those systems. But those Ever since the introduction of CDs, systems aren’t available right now. We are libraries have been a primary purveyor of Late to the Party limited to the products that are available on pirated digital music—customers check out the market, and right now, that means CDs legally, burn copies onto CDs or hard So, although librarians should absolutely Freegal.Fortunately,thereisnoreasonwhy drives semilegally, and then illegally think through and debate questions about we have to be tied to Freegal indefinitely— distribute the copies either physically or the place of digital content among library the content is DRM-free; there is no content over the internet. Libraries have plausible services, it is a debate that we are coming to manager; there is no long-term contract. deniability, of course, since they are not very late, and practically speaking, I would When a better product comes along, we can directly involved in the illegal aspects, argue that libraries don’t have time to wait andshouldgrabit.Untilthen,libraries but we shouldn’t kid ourselves that libraries for that debate to be resolved. We need to better have a pretty compelling reason for are not already providing free mp3s to our be in the online music business—there is a not offering Freegal to their customers. YALS customers. When you add to that the loss whole generation of potential library rate that most libraries experience for customers, and large portions of a number popular new CDs, it’s clear that we’re of other generations, who don’t use CDs. If Reference already spending plenty of money to we want to stay relevant (we do) and stay provide free music to a few people. in the business of offering music to our 1. “Sony Music Entertainment.” Wikipedia, When music was available only in customers (trust me, we do), then we can’t the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia. analog (on LP, 45, cassette tapes, and wait around for the perfect, most org/wiki/Sony_Music_Entertainment radio) it was very easy for libraries to make ideologically sound product—we need to (accessed August 15, 2010).
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 37 YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE
Historical Fiction Mash-Ups Broadening Appeal by Mixing Genres By Melissa Rabey
ost librarians would not think combination of them—many teens are A classic example of a historical fiction to put historical fiction at the looking for a complex story that sweeps mash-up is Sorcery and Cecelia, the M top of a list of fiction genres them away from their everyday concerns. delightful epistolary novel by Patricia C. popular with teens. Historical fiction is too While realistic fiction remains popular, Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Originally often equated with school, facts, and other many of the most popular novels in the published in 2003 and described as a uninteresting subjects. With some past decade are considered works of fantasy as written by Jane Austen, this historical novels, that is certainly the case. fantasy, such as the Harry Potter or novel tells the story of two cousins Within the past decade, however, many Twilight series. As the desire for fantasy navigating a Season in London and country works of historical fiction have been titles remains steady, publishers have life in an England that has a Royal College published that go far beyond these sought ways to broaden that genre’s appeal. of Wizards. The two sequels, The Grand preconceived notions. What explains this Fusing elements of fantasy, science fiction, Tour and The Mislaid Magician continue change? Look no further than the mash-up. or other genres with historical fiction helps the story of Kate and Cecelia through A mash-up, first used to describe the meet the demands of today’s teen reader, as marriage and children. Sorcery and Cecelia combination of two or more songs, now well as create a new interest within them represents one popular approach to joining refers to any joining of previously separate for unusual works of fiction. historical fiction with fantasy: adding magic items, creating a new format or genre. The to a historical setting. In the same vein, popularity of the literature mash-up has Historical Fiction there are Marissa Doyle’s novels about the grown by leaps and bounds since the and Fantasy Leland sisters. Bewitching Season and publication of Pride and Prejudice and Betraying Season are set in the 1830s and Zombies. However, before this book, more Thanks to the popularity of fantasy, mash- feature Persephone and Penelope Leland, subtle genre blending has been happening ups that combine historical fiction with well-bred twin sisters who happen to have in young adult literature for years. fantasy are perhaps the most popular kind magical abilities. Because magic is not a Librarians have seen, as Anita Silvey of mash-up. Just like that Reese’s Peanut proper hobby for daughters of the nobility, notes, that “today’s teens are crazy about Butter Cup commercial, historical fiction the sisters must conceal their talents. It is characters (and scenarios) that have little in and fantasy are two great tastes that taste only their desire to rescue a young Queen common with their own everyday lives.”1 great together. Several popular historical Victoria that makes the Lelands reveal Whether that means historical fiction, novels owe their popularity, in part, to the their abilities to others. fantasy, or science fiction—or a inclusion of fantasy elements within them. Libba Bray’s exquisite trilogy starring Gemma Doyle is another example. Starting in A Great and Terrible Beauty and MELISSA RABEY is the teen librarian at the C. Burr Artz Public continuing in Rebel Angels and The Sweet Library, part of Frederick County (MD) Public Libraries. After Far Thing, Gemma slowly comes into her magical birthright to protect the Realm. A serving on several YALSA committees, she is currently serving on shadowy otherworld, the Realm is the 2011 Michael L. Printz Award Committee. She is the author of threatened by actions of the past, and the forthcoming Historical Fiction for Teens: A Genre Guide, to be Gemma must undo the damage while published by Libraries Unlimited in December 2010. maintaining her position as a student in a
38 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 RABEY
genteel Victorian boarding school. I, witches, The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray. always explained how the character Coriander by Sally Gardner shows how a Thaniel is a wych-hunter who stalks the traveled into the past, the real point is fantastic element can be used as a metaphor. fearsome creatures known as wych-kin. seeing how the character adapts to this Coriander lives in London during the Finding a beautiful, dazed young woman unfamiliar setting. One of the best-known Commonwealth, when music, dancing, named Alaizabel, Thaniel decides to save examples is The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane gaming and other pastimes were strictly her, even though such action draws him Yolen. Hannah does not fully understand forbidden by the Puritans. Finding a pair of into conflict with the powerful cult that why her grandfather is still so angry about seemingly magical silver shoes, Coriander is infected Alaizabel with a wych-kin. An the Nazis and their actions during the taken to a fairy tale kingdom, the world that equally dangerous world is seen in Marcus Holocaust. During the Passover Seder, her mother actually belonged to. While this Sedgwick’s My Swordhand is Singing, set in Hannah is selected to open the front door hidden world is full of exotic beauty, it is a remote Transylvanian region. Peter lives for the prophet Elijah. This sends withering away, not unlike Coriander’s own with his father in a small cottage outside Hannah back in time, to a Polish ghetto in world. Only Coriander can rescue the fairy the village. Everyone thinks the village gives the 1940s. Thought to be a girl named world—and her own—by restoring its them protection from danger, but when Chaya, Hannah slowly and horribly health and vitality. dead men—what we would call realizes what the Holocaust did to the Historical fantasy is not all magic and vampires—begin attacking their loved ones Jewish people. Restored home just as fairies, however. Equally successful have and friends, Peter will discover the secret magically, Hannah now has a greater been novels that give supernatural his father has kept all these years. empathy for her grandfather. creatures a historical context. Vampires These are just a few examples of the In The Black Canary by Jane Louise and werewolves are not romantic young rich works that are created when fantasy is Curry, a strange shimmer is the indication men but bloodthirsty, terrifying beings in united with historical fiction. Both fantasy of the time portals that transport James these novels. Patrick Jennings’ The Wolving and historical fiction are built upon the from modern-day London to the 1600s. Time shows how outsiders have often been world the author creates for the reader: Finding himself stuck in the past, biracial persecuted throughout history. Laszlo’s exploring its environment, explaining its James becomes part of a children’s choir family is from the region now known as rules, and introducing characters that fit that entertains Queen Elizabeth. Although Hungary, but they live near the France- within such a world. The only difference is his parents are well-known musicians, Spain border, working as shepherds. that historical fiction uses the past as a James always disliked the hardships of a However, Laszlo’s parents are werewolves, starting point, while fantasy relies upon an performer’s life. As a member of the choir, and he knows that some day he will author’s imagination to create a new world though, he realizes his own musical gifts, become one as well. After the village priest or put a new spin on our own world. When and discovers what makes his parents travel turns against the peaceful werewolves, the author reinvents the past with the world to sing and play. With this Laszlo must decide whether to join his fantastical elements, it gives the novel more realization, James will have to find out if he parents as wolves or remain fully human. opportunities for creativity. The fantasy is wants to travel back to his own time. Like Blood Ninja by Nick Lake has a clever given a sense of reality thanks to history James, Tommy from Backtracked by Pedro premise: what if ninjas are really vampires? and the historical fiction is given a shot of de Alcantara also struggles with his modern When Taro is run through by a ninja’s vitality from fantasy. As long as fantasy problems in the past. Tommy is a big fan of sword, his only hope is being turned into a remains a popular genre, there is little New York City’s subways, riding on them vampire by a good ninja. Once he becomes doubt that historical fantasy will continue to distract himself from how his jerk of an a vampire, Taro begins ninja training and to be published. older brother has been lauded as a hero hopes to avenge his father’s death. since dying on 9/11. His trips to the past let While some novels give supernatural Historical Fiction and him see the subways being built and allow creatures a basis in reality, others take Science Fiction him to work out his modern-day problems. historical settings and bring them closer to Any melding of science fiction and fantasy with the introduction of Historical fantasy may have received more historical fiction does not have to be light supernatural elements that change the attention, but equally popular genre blends on the science. In some novels, like Black world. The dark, atmospheric world of have existed for even longer. For example, Powder by Staton Rabin, it is alien Victorian London is the setting for Chris history and science are often fused in works technology that helps create a time Wooding’s tale of demon hunters and that feature time travel. Although it is not machine, providing a strong grounding in
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 39 HISTORICAL FICTION MASH-UPS
science fiction for this story. Langston creates an utterly compelling novel based friends, and saving her best friend from the decides to travel back to the 13th century, on historical events yet full of original bonds of slavery. In Helen Hemphill’s The using his teacher’s time machine, to stop scientific elements. It is likely that in the Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones, Roger Bacon from using his formula for future, steampunk will do more to Prometheus was born on the day the gunpowder. Langston’s best friend was just convincingly combine historical fiction with Emancipation Proclamation was signed. killed in a drive-by shooting, and Langston science fiction. Now thirteen, he lights out with his cousin, thinks that if gunpowder had never come determined to find his father who was sold to the West, his friend would still be alive. Historical Fiction and away before freedom. On the The author cleverly uses elements of both Adventure trail, Prometheus’s skin color does not science fiction and historical fiction to craft matter—it is his skill with horses that the story. Philip Reeve takes a slightly For readers in search of a good, fast-moving does. And in the Wild West of the 1870s, different approach in his Victorian story, librarians often recommend adventure adventures aplenty are possible for two scientific tales, creating an alternate British stories—many of which are set in the past. African American boys. Empire that controls the neighboring In our time of precautions and comforts, the planets as well nations of the Earth. These idea of sailing across the ocean or traveling Conclusion novels are full of scientific gadgets and to the frontier is foreign. In the past, travel historical attitudes. In Larklight, we meet and its dangers were often the only way for There has been some disdain for the mash- Art and his sister Myrtle, who live in a a young person to make their dreams come up format. In discussing Abraham Lincoln, house that takes up an asteroid that orbits true. So modern readers find many thrills in Vampire Hunter, Publishers Weekly noted the Moon. Their adventures include giant historical adventure. that it is not truly a mash-up, but that it spiders, space pirates, and more, continuing Several historical series take advantage “works off the premise of the mashup, taking in Starcross and Mothstorm. of history’s nautical adventures. L.A. Meyer’s something somewhat sacred and highbrow Going beyond time travel lies another Bloody Jack adventures feature Mary Faber, (here an iconic American historical figure) approach to combining science fiction and an orphan who passes as a boy to join the and pairing it with a low-brow pop culture historical fiction: steampunk. Considered a Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. fascination.”3 But mash-ups in young sub-genre of science fiction, steampunk Known as Jacky, she is involved in a dizzying adult literature do not seem to work in the envisions a world with engineering and array of ship battles, social struggles, secret same way. Instead, they seem more technology that is futuristic for that spying, and warfare in this series. Through it focused on simply combining unlikely period.2 This does not mean that Queen all, she believes that she will be able to find elements to tell a richer, more complex Victoria uses an iPad—but she might use a and marry her sweetheart, whom she met story. Perhaps because young adult device that runs on steam to send messages when she was living as a boy. Another literature has spent so many years being to far-flung parts of the British Empire. similar series is Adventures of a Young Sailor disdained, its authors are more willing to And steampunk does not have to be set in by Paul Dowswell, which follows Sam’s try a disdained format like the mash-up. the Victorian period; Scott Westerfeld’s attempts to form a career in the Navy. He By giving the mash-up its due, and fully Leviathan proves that. In this novel, an faces obstacles like capture, forced service on exploring what this technique can achieve, alternate version of World War I begins a merchant vessel, accusations of treason, young adult authors have made the with each side having very different and transportation to Australia, but these mash-up respectable. weapons from the historical armaments. are not enough to make Sam give up on his Whether or not you feel mash-ups The Central Powers, including Germany naval career. are good literature, it seems that they are and Austria-Hungary, has giant machines On the other hand, sailing ships are here to stay. This can only be a good thing known as clankers. Meanwhile, England not the only way to find adventure. For Cat for fans of historical fiction, as mash-ups and the other Allies use giant animals that Royal, the heroine of an eponymous series help spread this genre beyond its core have been genetically engineered. by Julia Golding, 1790s London is full of base. The books highlighted in this article Representing these two combatants are excitement. Having grown up the ward of are just a few examples of historical fiction main characters Aleksander, an Austrian the Drury Lane Theater, Cat is determined mash-ups: a wide range of titles further prince on the run from assassins and to protect her home and the life she loves. explores connections between historical Deryn, a British girl who passes for a boy That means facing up to London’s street fiction and other genres. Mash-ups give to join the British Air Service. Westerfeld toughs, getting help from her aristocratic readers a fresh look at genres that they
40 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 RABEY
might otherwise overlook, whether it is Marissa Doyle. Betraying Season. (New York: Scott Westerfeld. Leviathan. (New York: historical fiction, fantasy, or science Henry Holt, 2009). Simon and Schuster, 2009). fiction. In addition, hardcore genre fans Sally Gardner. I, Coriander. (New York: Dial, Chris Wooding. The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray. canfindnewtwistsoncommonplots 2005). (New York: Orchard, 2004). when a historical element is added. Time Julia Golding. The Diamond of Drury Lane: A Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Sorcery will tell, but one can hope that the Cat Royal Adventure. (New York: Roaring and Cecelia. (New York: Harcourt, 2003). historical fiction mash-up proves as long- Brook, 2008). Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. The lived as zombies, vampires, and other Helen Hemphill. The Adventurous Deeds of Grand Tour. (New York: Harcourt, 2004). supernatural creatures. YALS Deadwood Jones. (Honesdale: Front Street, Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. The 2008). Mislaid Magician. (New York: Harcourt, 2006). The Books Patrick Jennings. The Wolving Time. (New Jane Yolen. The Devil’s Arithmetic. (New York: York: Scholastic, 2003). Viking, 1988). Libba Bray. A Great and Terrible Beauty.(New Nick Lake. Blood Ninja. (New York: Simon and York: Random House, 2003). Schuster, 2009. References Libba Bray. Rebel Angels. (New York: Random L.A. Meyer. Bloody Jack: A Bloody Jack House, 2005). Adventure. (New York: Harcourt, 2002). 1. Anita Silvey. “The Unreal Deal,” School Libba Bray. The Sweet Far Thing. (New York: Staton Rabin. Black Powder. (New York: Library Journal, October 1, 2006, www. Random House, 2007). Margaret K. McElderry, 2005). schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/articles/ Jane Louise Curry. The Black Canary.(New Philip Reeve. Larklight. (New York: teens/865031-353/the_unreal_deal.html. York: Margaret K. McElderry, 2005). Bloomsbury, 2006). csp (accessed August 6, 2010). Pedro de Alcantara. Backtracked. (New York: Philip Reeve. Starcross. (New York: 2. “Steampunk,” http://en.wikipedia.org/ Delacorte, 2009). Bloomsbury, 2007). wiki/Steampunk (accessed August 6, Paul Dowswell. Powder Monkey: Adventures of a Philip Reeve. Mothstorm. (New York: 2010). Young Sailor. (New York: Bloomsbury, 2005). Bloomsbury, 2008). 3. Rachel Deahl. “Why the Mash-up’s and Marissa Doyle. Bewitching Season. (New York: Marcus Sedgwick. My Swordhand is Singing. Zombies Won’t Stop,” Publishers Weekly Henry Holt, 2008). (New York: Random House, 2007). 257, no. 3 (January 18, 2010): 9.
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 41 YALS Professional Resources
The first section includes books with GLBTQ main The Reader’s Advisor Online. Online: www.readersadvisor characters who are questioning their sexuality, experiencing first online.com. Libraries Unlimited, an imprint of ABC-CLIO. loves, and coming out to their friends and family. Other chapters/ titles include GLBTQ characters or issues in supporting or This resource is a dream come true for teen librarians. Its intuitive secondaryrolestoothercharactersorthemes.Thefinalchapter interface enables multiple access points to the content of the ends with advice about collection development—why library Genreflecting series published by Libraries Unlimited. Easy to use collections should include GLBTQ titles, how to find quality search screens result in bibliographic information (including a link to GLBTQ literature for teens, how to promote the collection you your library’s online public access catalog) and descriptions about have, and a discussion about concerns that librarians may have specific books, with a Read-Alike Finder that allows a narrowing or with this type of literature (restrictive collection development broadening of results by genre, appeal, character, topic or theme, and policies, dealing with challenges, and so on). The appendix includes a location. A Read-Alike Quick List offering Related Reads list of Web sites with resources for GLBTQ teens that offer and Author Read-Alikes is a unique feature that gives librarians support and information, as well as book suggestions and authors the option of printing lists for patrons in a hurry. Below the of GLBTQ literature to watch. For selectors on a budget or those bibliographic information about the work are informative descriptions who need some additional guidance, there are core lists of five, ten, of the Related Reads, Now Consider (offering genre suggestions), and fifteen recommended titles that will quickly round out Author Read-Alikes, Series Related Reads, and links between Fiction collections. The book is generally well written and relevant. and Nonfiction Read-Alikes. This resource is a godsend to anyone —Karin Thogersen, Young Adult Librarian, Huntley (Ill.) Area looking for books in a series, as it provides series order. Every genre Public Library. category has a pop-up definition that can broaden any librarian’s reader’s advisory palette, and the help screens are clear and concise. With more than four hundred genres, subgenres, and reading Hauser, Judy. The Web and Parents: Are you Tech Savvy? interests, this database is a virtual treasure trove that no librarian Libraries Unlimited, 2009. ISBN 978-1-59158-795-8; will want to be without, and it is updated monthly. The Browse By 190p; $40 search allows serendipitous searching, while the Advanced Search offers more specificity. Whichever way you choose to go about it, This book is designed to teach parents of school-age children the bottom line is this—the Reader’s Advisor Online is a resource about Web 2.0 products to help them connect with their that gives thorough, precise results, fulfilling its promise of children. That said, the book is actually written for people who “bringing books and readers together.” —Pat Oey, Student, San Jose have never before heard of a single 2.0 product and have only a State (Calif.) School of Library and Information Science vague idea about how to use the internet. It covers blogs, social networks, wikis, search engines, podcasts, RSS, Web sites, forums, photo management, and graphic generators, and it has Webber, Carlisle K. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender a small chapter on ethics. Most of the book could have been and Questioning Teen Literature: A Guide to Reading written years ago, and there is aplethoraofotherbooksonthe Interests. (Genreflecting Advisory Series). Libraries same topic. Unlimited, 2010; ISBN: 9781591585060; 131p; $45.00. Chapters include a list of vocabulary words for concepts that may or may not be important for the chapter, and a list of questions This resource will help librarians develop their teen collections and from parents with answers, most of which were previously assist patrons in discovering gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and addressed in the chapter. Mildly helpful screenshots are included, questioning (GLBTQ) titles. Annotations include brief but as well as detailed lists of instructions for particular Web sites. descriptive plot summaries, awards received, and type of literature Drawbacks include a few mislabeled screenshots and mildly (GLBTQ), and they are organized according to different genres/ inaccurate or overly simplified definitions. The organization could categories. Titles range from classics (1969) to those published as be better, but I appreciate the author’s emphasis on the fact that just recently as 2009. Books are classified according to major themes because you find something on the internet, it does not mean that it (keywords follow if other major themes might also place them in is not copyrighted. The back of the book has a list of lesson plans for another category). Chapters cover realistic fiction, “issue” books, instructing others that correspond with each chapter. —Sandy genre fiction (historical, mystery, speculative), books in different Sumner, Instruction and Outreach Librarian, Morehead (Ky.) State formats (graphic novels, manga, poetry, verse), and nonfiction. University.
42 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 Professional Resources
Although it provides only basic information, this book is Peck, Penny. Readers’ Advisory for Children and ’Tweens. up to date, and it is an easy and quick guide for suggesting Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2010; titles to children and ’tweens. It mentions several Web sites, ISBN: 978-1-59885-387-3; 190p; $36. along with a list of books, that can help locate book recommendations for children. The author has also included Readers’ Advisory for Children and ’Tweens is a practical guide to helpful suggestions and ideas forpromotingbookstochildren readers’ advisory for children ages birth through 12. The book and parents. Additionally, the author has annotated and offers helpful suggestions and some great advice on conducting reviewed several social networking sites that allow tracking readers’ advisory interviews and on issues and trends that a and sharing what is read with other librarians. Primarily librarian may encounter when working with parents and children. aimed at children more than young adults, this book is a good Several sections provide book lists, broken down by age groups and addition for libraries that need a professional resource in the topics, of suggested titles, including read-alikes, graphic novels, area of children’s readers’ advisory, and where ’tweens are a emerging readers, reluctant readers, nonfiction, poetry, folklore, large part of the service group. —Cara Waits, San Antonio cultural books, and materials for different age groups. (Texas) Public Library YALS
Guidelines for Authors
Young Adult Library Services is the official publication of the Young practice relating to teen services and spotlights significant activities Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American and programs of the division. Library Association. Young Adult Library Services is a vehicle for For submission and author guidelines, please visit www.ala continuing education of librarians working with young adults (ages .org/yalsa and click on “Publications.” twelve through eighteen) that showcases current research and
Index to Advertisers
ALA Public Programs Office ...... cover 3 HW Wilson...... cover 2 Association for Library Service to Children...... 19 YALSA ...... 12,48 Disney Book Group ...... cover 4
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 43 the YALSA update Association news
Find the latest YALSA news every Friday at the YALSA Blog, http://yalsa.ala.org/blog.
Read YALSA’s 2010 Register for Midwinter l Serving specific teen populations, Awards Speeches including older teens and teens who Meeting do not typically visit the physical Speeches from YALSA’s 2010 literary Join YALSA January 7–11 library award winners are available online at in San Diego l Tips for building partnerships across www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists. Download library departments to strengthen teen PDF versions of this year’s speeches, YALSA has big plans for San Diego—and services including those from: we want them to include you! The ALA Midwinter Meeting will take place January Registration for this additional event l Jim Murphy, accepting the 2010 7-11, 2010 in Boston. Register by costs $195 for YALSA members, students Margaret A. Edwards Award for An December 4 at www.ala.org/midwinter to and retirees; $235 for ALA members; American Plague: The True and save up to $25 over onsite registration fees. $285 for nonmembers. Registration Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Here are a few highlights from YALSA’s opens October 1 at www.ala.org/ Epidemic of 1793; Blizzard! The Storm Midwinter schedule (complete details midwinter. If you want to attend this That Changed America; The Great available on the YALSA wiki workshop without attending Midwinter, Fire; The Long Road to Gettysburg; and www.tinyurl.com/yalsamw11): follow the instructions at www.tinyurl. A Young Patriot: The American com/yalsamw11. Friday, January 7 Revolution as Experienced by One Boy. Find out how you can get more l Deborah Heiligman, accepting the Join us for our Midwinter Institute, Teen involved in YALSA at YALSA 201, 2010 Nonfiction Award for Charles Services and the Whole Library, 9 a.m. 4-5 p.m. Designed for members who are and Emma, as well as finalists Candace to 4:30 p.m.. This workshop will provide active YALSA participants, you can chat Fleming, Philip Hoose, Tanya Lee support to teen services librarians in with YALSA committee chairs and Stone, and Sally Walker. working with all library departments and YALSA’s nominating committee about l Libba Bray, accepting the 2010 staff in providing, advocating for, and moving into leadership positions or you can Michael L. Printz Award for Going promoting teen services. Participants will discuss becoming a YALSA author with Bovine, as well as honor book authors explore: the publications committee. John Barnes, Deborah Heiligman, Meet your fellow YALSA members at Adam Rapp, and Rick Yancey. l The changing demographics of teens our annual happy hour, 5–7 p.m., location and how that will impact library TBD (check the wiki). Enjoy drink specials In addition, you can watch L.K. services while you network with your colleagues Madigan’s video acceptance for Flash l Recent research on teens and its and win prizes from YALSA. Burnout, which won the 2010 Morris implication for library services Join us from 8-10 p.m. for YALSA’s Award, as well as the full Printz ceremony. l Tools and techniques for managing Not-So-Silent-Auction, location TBD! YALSA also offers bookmarks featuring its teen services within the larger library Enjoy light refreshments as you bid on 2010 award winners. All of the tools and context fabulous items donated by your fellow videos can be found at www.ala.org/yalsa/ l Successful tactics for gaining funding and YALSA members. Planned by the booklists. administrative support for teen services Financial Advancement Committee,
44 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 proceeds from this event will support the may sponsor formal conference programs, 6:00 to 7:30. Join your colleagues from Friends of YALSA. (See a complete list institutes and seminars, or prepare ALSC, the American Association of of biddable items at the YALSA publications. School Librarians, and YALSA for light Midwinter wiki, www.tinyurl.com/ YALSA is thrilled to introduce a new refreshments and a cash bar. yalsamw11). Interested in donating an annual feature to the Midwinter Meeting, Finally, cap off your time in San Diego item? Donations will be accepted the Past Presidents’ Lecture Series, 4– with the Morris/Nonfiction Awards through Dec. 15; contact Pam Spencer 5:30 p.m. Our inaugural lecture will be Program and Presentation from 8 to Holley at [email protected] for more presented by Mary K. Chelton, professor 10 p.m. Help YALSA celebrate the 2011 information. in the Graduate School of Library and winners for the Morris Award and Information Studies at Queens College in Excellence in YA Nonfiction Award! Saturday, January 8 New York and founder of Voice of Youth Authors will be invited to speak about Want to learn how to be more involved Advocates. their winning titles and light refreshments with YALSA? Come to our Leadership will be served. Monday, January 10 Development and All Committee To register and learn more about meetings! The most exciting part of any ALA YALSA’s plans for Midwinter 2011, visit Leadership Development is for Midwinter Meeting is definitely the ALA the YALSA Midwinter Wiki at YALSA committee, taskforce, and jury Youth Media Awards Press Conference! www.tinyurl.com/yalsamw11. chairs and those interested in chairing. Come bright and early Monday morning to A continental breakfast will be served the ceremony (8–9:15 a.m.) and find out at 8 a.m., with the meeting from 8:30 who won this year’s top prizes in young New Publications to 10 a.m. adult literature. The award from YALSA All Committee is a working meeting announcements include: for YALSA’s committees, taskforces, and YALSA added two new titles to its juries, but it’s also a chance for those not on l the Alex Awards, honoring the ten collection of professional development a committee to learn more by sitting in. It’s best adult books with teen appeal, will books: Young Adults Deserve the Best: a great introduction to the business of be announced at 7:45 a.m., before the YALSA’sCompetenciesinAction YALSA. Come at 10 for a continental press conference begins. by Sarah Flowers, published by ALA breakfast, with meetings beginning at l the Michael L. Printz Award for Editions, and Annotated Book Lists for 10:30 and finishing at noon. Excellence in Young Adult Literature, Every Teen Reader: The Best from the as well as honor books Experts at YALSA-BK by Julie Bartel Sunday, January 9 l the Margaret A. Edwards Award, and Pam Spencer Holley, published YALSA elections open soon, so before which honors an author for a specific by Neal-Schuman. you vote, come to the YALSA Coffee work for lifetime contribution to with the Candidates Forum from 10:30 writing for teens Young Adults Deserve to noon. Meet and mingle with the l the Odyssey Award for Excellence the Best: YALSA’s candidates who are on the ballot for the in Audio Production for Young Competencies in Action 2011 election, including President-Elect, Adults, plus the honor recordings Fiscal Officer, Secretary and Board of (co-administered with the Association As high school enrollment continues to Directors at Large. Attendees will enjoy for Library Service to Children rise, the need for effective librarianship light refreshments and get the chance to [ALSC]) serving young adults is greater than ever win door prizes. l the William C. Morris Award, for the before. “Young Adults Deserve the Best: Want to know what teens really think best first book written for young adults Competencies for Librarians Serving of books released this past year? Come by a previously unpublished author. Youth,” developed by YALSA, is a hear local teens reflect on the nominees l the YALSA Excellence in YA document outlining areas of focus for for the 2011 Best Fiction for Young Nonfiction Award, for the best providing quality library service in Adults list at the BFYA Teen Session, nonfiction book written for young collaboration with teenagers. In this 1:30–3:30 p.m.. adults book, Sarah Flowers identifies and expands Want to get involved in YALSA in a on these competency areas. This useful more informal way? Looking for others Can’t make it? Watch the event live work includes who share your interest areas in teen via a webcast from the ALA homepage or services? Come to YALSA’s Discussion liveblogged on the YALSA Blog, http:// l Anecdotes and success stories from and Interest Group Open House, 4–5:30 yalsa.ala.org/blog. Details on both will the field p.m. Discussion groups are informal groups be available on the YALSA wiki in l Guidelines which can be used to create where members talk about common December. evaluation instruments, determine interests; interest groups are more formal Meet with your colleagues at the Joint staffing needs, and develop job and organized to discuss specific topics and Youth Division Member Reception from descriptions
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 45 l Additional professional resources Apply for More cassettes for review. YALSA and the following each chapter that will help than $40,000 in cooperating publishers offer one year’s librarians turn theory into practice worth of review materials as a The first book to thoroughly expand Grants and Awards contribution to a library in need. The on this important document, Young from YALSA estimated value of this collection is Adults Deserve the Best is a key Deadline: Dec. 1 $30,000. foundational tool not only for librarians but also for young adult specialists, youth More than $40,000 worth of grants and advocacy professionals, and school awards are available to YALSA members. YALSA Names administrators. The deadline to apply for the following Spectrum Scholar Young Adults Deserve the Best is grants and awards is December 1, 2010. available at the ALA Store, To learn more, visit www.ala.org/yalsa, As part of its commitment to improving www.alastore.ala.org or by calling 1-866- and click on “Member Awards and diversity in the profession, YALSA chose SHOP-ALA. It costs $45 or $44.50 for Grants.” Awards and grants available this Hoan-Vu Do as its 2010-2011 Spectrum YALSA members. year include: Scholar. Do will attend the San Jose State University School of Library and l Baker and Taylor/YALSA Information Science. Do is YALSA’s third Annotated Book Lists Conference Grants. Funded by the sponsored Spectrum Scholar, a program for Every Teen Reader: Baker and Taylor Company, two funded by the Friends of YALSA. YALSA The Best from the Experts grants of $1,000 each are awarded has made encouraging diversity in the at YALSA-BK to librarians who work directly profession a priority. with young adults in a public or The Spectrum Scholarship Program Pam Spencer Holley and Julie Bartel school library to enable them to provides scholarships to American present a painstakingly selected trove of the attend the Annual Conference for Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/ very best YA literature as chosen by the the first time. African American, Hispanic/Latino and members of the YALSA-BK discussion l BWI/YALSA Collection Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander list. Each book is fully annotated and Development Grant. This grant students pursuing graduate degrees in generously cross-referenced, creating a rich awards $1,000 for collection library and information studies. Its resource that offers a wealth of ideas for development to YALSA members mission is to improve service at the local any school or public librarian who works who represent a public library, and level through the development of a with collection development, readers’ who work directly with young adults representative workforce that reflects the advisory, reference or programming for ages 12 to 18. It is funded by Book communities served by all libraries. Since young adults. Wholesalers, Inc. 1997, the ALA has awarded a total of 683 Here you’ll find thousands of book l MAE Award for Best Teen Spectrum Scholarships. annotations organized into chapters Literature Program.Designedto covering dozens of hot topics, including: honoraYALSAmemberwho developed an outstanding reading Connect Troubled l Teen issues or literature program for young Teens with the Power l Fantasy, horror, mystery and other adults, the award provides $500 to of Reading genres the winning librarian and $500 to l Family situations their library. The award is made Great Stories CLUB l Gender-specific literature possible through an annual applications open through l Pop culture grant from the Margaret A. November 19 l Screenplays, novels in verse, books Edwards Trust. with great beginnings l Frances Henne/YALSA/VOYA ALA’s Public Programs Office and l And more... Research Grant. This grant of $500 YALSA announced the theme and book provides seed money for small-scale titles for the fourth round of Great Stories Annotated Book Lists for Every Teen projects that will encourage research CLUB grants. Electronic applications for Reader: The Best from the Experts at that responds to the YALSA Research the reading and discussion series will be YALSA-BK is available through Agenda; funding is provided by accepted Sept. 13 through Nov. 19 at Neal-Schuman. It costs $65 ($58.50 Scarecrow Press. www.ala.org/greatstories. Funding was for YALSA members with discount code l Great Books Giveaway Competition. provided for this program by Oprah’s YALSA) and is available for purchase Each year the YALSA office receives Angel Network. on Neal-Schuman’s Web site, www. approximately 1,200 newly published YALSA’s Outreach to Young Adults neal-schuman.com or by calling children’s, young adult and adult with Special Needs Committee selected 1-866-NS-BOOKS. books, videos, CD’s and audio “Second Chances” as the Great Stories
46 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010 Club theme, along with the following About It” reading and discussion series, YALSA Governance Update titles: traveling exhibitions, film discussion programs, LIVE! @ your library and The YALSA Board was very productive at l Hate List by Jennifer Brown (Little, more. Recently, the ALA Public this year’s Annual Conference. Here are a Brown Books, 2009) Programs Office developed www.Prog few highlights: l Dope Sick by Walter Dean Myers rammingLibrarian.org, an online resource (Amistad, 2009) center bringing librarians timely and l The board approved a policy for the l The Brothers’ Torres by Coert valuable information to support them in brand new YA literature blog and the Voorhees (Hyperion, 2009) the creation of high-quality cultural prog proposal for the readers’ choice rams for their communities. For more booklist. The blog will launch later Launched in 2005, the Great information on the ALA Public Prog this year and the reader’s choice list Stories CLUB (Connecting Libraries, rams Office, visit www.ala.org/ will launch in 2011. Each will provide Underserved teens and Books) is a book publicprograms. opportunities for teens and librarians club program designed to reach to get involved in learning about, underserved, troubled teen populations talking about, and highlighting great through books that are relevant to their YALSA’s New Research reads for teens. lives. All types of libraries (public, school, Journal Seeks l This year YALSA offered travel academic and special) located within or Manuscripts stipends to five YALSA members to working in partnership with facilities attend and participate in Library serving troubled teens in the United This November, YALSA will launch its Advocacy Day. The stipends were States and its territories are eligible to new, online, open-access, peer-reviewed funded by donations to Friends of apply for a Great Stories Club grant. research journal, the Journal of Research YALSA. Because of the success of this Potential organizations for Great Stories on Libraries and Young Adults at http:// program, and because YALSA is CLUB partnership include juvenile justice yalsa.ala.org/jrlya. Research that used committed to helping members be facilities, drug rehabilitation centers, to be published in YALS will now be strong advocates, the YALSA Board nonprofits serving teen parents, published in the Journal of Research on voted to continue to fund these alternative high schools, agencies serving Libraries and Young Adults. The first stipends over the next several years. teenaged foster children, shelters serving issue will feature papers presented at the l Every five years, the YALSA Board homeless and runaway youth, and other 2010 Young Adult Literature evaluates the association’s dues agencies. For tips on creating a Symposium in Albuquerque, New structure with an eye to guaranteeing partnership, visit www.ala.org/ Mexico,Nov.5-7. the association’s fiscal health and high greatstories. The purpose of the Journal of quality service to members. The board Following the application process, Research on LibrariesandYoungAdultsis agreed to place a dues item on the 150 libraries will be selected to develop to enhance the development of theory, 2011 YALSA ballot to find out from a book discussion program for teens research, and practices to support young members if a revision of the dues is based on the three theme-related titles adult library services. Journal of Research viable. The vote will include a and will be given copies of the books to on Libraries and Young Adults promotes proposal to add a new membership share with each participant. Participating and publishes high quality original rate, “non-salaried members,” to the libraries will also receive access to an research concerning the informational existing categories of membership in online toolkit to support the program, and developmental needs of young the Association. A separate ballot item including sample discussion questions, adults; the management, implementation, will ask members to consider raising recommended titles for further reading and evaluation of library services for dues $10 for regular members and $5 and other resources. Small cash grants young adults; and other critical issues for students and retirees. ($100-$200) will be awarded to up to relevant to librarians who work with l The board approved a new interest 25 sites for the support of program- young adults. The journal also includes group — Managing YA Services — related expenses. literary and cultural analysis of with the mission to be a forum for For more information on the Great classic and contemporary writing for supervisors and managers to exchange Stories CLUB, including guidelines, book young adults. ideas on supporting staff at all levels descriptions and application instructions, Submissions and questions about the that working with young adults in visit www.ala.org/greatstories. new research journal should be sent to Jessica public libraries. The group will also The ALA Public Programs Office Moyer, editor, at [email protected] develop strategies and tactics to address promotes cultural and community or [email protected] the needs of current and future programming as an essential part of submitting a paper, please read through the managers in young adult services. library service in all types and sizes of call for papers and the author guidelines at l The Evaluation Tool Task Force libraries. Successful library programming the journal’s website, http://yalsa.ala.org/ presented a draft of the tool that the initiatives have included the “Let’s Talk jrlya. board asked them to prepare .When
Fall 2010 | Young Adult Library Services | YALS 47 completed this tool will help libraries work. A proposal for the award was Symposium, which will be in St. evaluate the quality of their teen discussed and the board agreed to Louis, Mo., Nov. 2-4, 2012. services. The evaluation instrument is move forward with the proposal by l The board discussed establishing a being developed as a complement to submitting required documents to the writing award for YALSA and the recently revised competencies, ALA Awards Committee. directed Sarah Flowers to work with Young Adults Deserve the Best, and YALSA’s other editors to come up the board agreed that when complete The YALSA Board also met via with a proposal. will be highly useful to a wide variety conference call in August, primarily to of audiences including library discuss post-conference reports from This list of discussions and decisions administrators, trustees, library school Chairs; however a few items of business made by the YALSA Board in D.C. and faculty, and teen librarians. were addressed, including: via conference call is a small example of l At Midwinter 2010, the YALSA what the board worked on in June and Board voted to create an award to l The board voted to create a logo use August. The full agendas, downloadable honor a YALSA member group chair, policy for YALSA’s logos supporting documents and minutes are member group member, or entire l The board approved the location for available on the YALSA web site in the member group for their outstanding YALSA’s 2012 YA Literature Governance section. YALS
48 YALS | Young Adult Library Services | Fall 2010