YALSA announces Badges for Learning continuing education offering

CHICAGO — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is expanding its professional development offerings with its Badges for Learning virtual badge program.

Librarians, library workers and library students with an interest in young adult library services can complete learning-based tasks and develop skills tied directly to the seven (7) competency areas covered in YALSA’s Competencies for Serving Youth in Libraries. Participants will develop projects in one of seven areas to show proficiency in that area. Once proficiency is proven, participants will earn digital badges that can be displayed in virtual spaces, such as social media websites or online resumes. The program is free, completely virtual and asynchronous.

In the spring of 2012, YALSA was awarded funding for this project by HASTAC, the Mozilla Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation. The badges are aimed at helping to guarantee that all library workers have the skills and knowledge necessary to provide high-quality library services for and with adolescents.

For information about other e-learning opportunities, please visit http://www.ala.org/yalsa/onlinelearning.

For more than 50 years, YALSA has worked to build the capacity of libraries and library staff to engage, serve and empower teens. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to www.ala.org/yalsa. Contact YALSA office by phone,(800) 545-2433, ext. 5293, or email yalsa@ala.org.