1957
"The Young Adult Services Division was formally established in June 1957, after a massive reorganization effort within ALA made substantive organizational changes, including the splitting of the Association of Young People's librarians (established in 1941) into the Children's Library Association and the Young Adult Services Division. Mildred Batchelder was the first Executive Secretary (1957--1965), serving both the Children's and Young Adult divisions from her ALA Office. Ruth Tarbox took over the Executive Secretaryship in 1966 and retired in October 1973; she was followed by Mary Jane Anderson (December 1973 -- September 1975). The new dues structure of ALA in 1975 eliminated the two free divisions previously given with a basic ALA membership and instead put each division on a pay-your-own-way basis.
After a trial year, YASD had enough membership support to hire an Executive Secretary of its own (4/5-time), and Evelyn Shaevel, September 1975-1989, became the first YASD Executive Secretary to devote all her time to YASD. In 1980 the position title was changed to YASD Executive Director.
YASD is many things to many people. To some it is the national organization which turns out booklists and TOP OF THE NEWS; to others, a place to turn for help with specific work problems; and to others, an opportunity to meet and work with other librarians who share their interests. Over the years, YASD has done all these things, and more -- produced booklists, guidelines, displays and exhibits, sponsored conference programs and preconference workshops, worked with other associations and ALA divisions, plus continuing to co-sponsor a Line journal with (ALSC) in TOP OF THE NEWS. And YASD has not been without its own internal tensions, as some committees have been appointed and floundered, with a major self-study at the instigation of ALA's Committee on Organization (1971) and the resignation of several YASD presidents in mid-term." Read more from YALSA