ALSC Testimonials

Networking

• "Being in ALSC and on award committees and the Children & Libraries Editorial Advisory Committee has enriched my work life and my resume and my general enjoyment of life. Where else can you find people to discuss fingerplays, popular children's literature, and programming...and be just as excited about all of them as you are?"
• "ALSC membership connects me with a cadre of the most committed and industrious children's librarians in the country, giving me direct access to the best ideas, practices, and friendships imaginable.Participation in ALSC business is a great way to pick up expertise in the field, working with experts on important and engaging projects. Even more, ALSC participation is a wonderful way to build general professional skills, like planning a project, running a meeting, or meeting a deadline. Learning those sorts of skill in the context of books and kids and information is both gratifying and useful."
• "It is nice to have "friends" that I can go to about problems, program ideas, or collaboration. When you are a part of ALSC, you have a full set of people and recourses at your fingertips. You are never struggling on your own; ALSC is always there to help."
• "It is an essential part of my professional development and networking."
• "Being an active ALSC members means that I have a built in base of thousands of like-minded people who are passionate about making connections between young people and libraries."
• "Joining and being involved with ALSC is a chance to meet with some of the greatest minds in the field and to expand your horizons above and beyond what you do on a day-to-day basis. Involvement with ALSC will result in the most professional activity you will have in your career."
• "Working in a library is the best job around, but it can sometimes be isolating. The size and location of most libraries in the U.S. make it difficult to network with professionals from around the country. ALSC provides a number of ways to interact with other librarians through conference attendance, online classes, and social networks."

Service

• "I like being able to be involved virtually, even when I can't travel to the ALA conferences. I still can work with others and help to make libraries a better place. There are always surprises in every job. Being part of ALSC means that I have a whole set of people who have already dealt with or have ideas on how to deal with the challenges that come with working in libraries."
• "It has provided wonderful opportunities to serve on a variety of committees including the Newbery and to get ideas for programs or how to solve problems from other professionals. Sharing information be it about books, programs, or patrons."
• "I joined ALA & ALSC because I saw other people I respected were members but I didn't understand how to get involved. Being part of a professional volunteer organization, especially one the size of ALA, was all new to me. Soon I was lucky to get a call from the Nominating Committee and before I knew it, I was on the Newbery Committee. I continue to be motivated to stay involved by the gratitude I feel to an organization that has provided me with so many opportunities to learn and grow."
• "The best part about being an ALSC member is that there has been something for me at every stage of my career. When I was a brand new librarian, there was a scholarship opportunity for attending my first conference. Service on the same committee that facilitated that award let to an opportunity to chair the committee. Now that I’ve past the ten year mark as a librarian, ALSC continues to offer new ways to develop professionally. I look forward to what the future holds."

Recognition

• "ALSC is a crucial line on any children's librarian's resume. ALSC provides focused resources for our area of the profession--the listserv can be a lifeline for new librarians; the website provides a wealth of information and tools; and Children and Libraries provides regular professional development. Of course, there is also the ALSC Newsletter, which gives you glimpses of what other libraries are doing. Membership in ALSC is a way in which professionals support the profession they are in--it all comes back to them."

Education & Professional Development

• "I joined ALSC to get the reduced admission to the Institute in 2008. I stayed a member because I've found so much support and so many great ideas from my fellow members."
• "I feel like I've grown quite a bit as a professional because of ALSC. It's not just the training opportunities--even though they've been wonderful--it's the fact that I have access to all kinds of experts in the fields of child development and library service. It's the connections I've formed with other members that's allowed me to learn and grow, and become a better librarian."
• "ALSC gives you the inside connection to all things related to children and libraries. There are so many different areas represented, and committees related to each. By making contacts with others interested in children's services, you open yourself to professional growth and new ideas that can help you better serve your own community."
• "I have been able to grow and expand what I do in my job and I have been able to maintain a sense of our profession in the larger world as a result of my involvement with ALSC."

Advocacy

• "Being a part of ALSC has afforded me tremendous opportunities for professional growth. ALSC members are smart, informed advocates for children and reading. Being in their company helps me be a better librarian!"
• "Do you consider yourself to be a professional? Then join your professional organization so you can take an active role in shaping the future of ALSC and librarianship."
• "It's the only way to become the best advocate for children, literacy and life-long learning for a library professional. You will benefit much more than you will realize just from being involved in library leadership."
• "I was a member of ALSC for many years while working in management for library wholesalers and during that time the contacts and information I gained through membership was valuable. Now that I work for myself I continue to value the contacts and information but I also get a level of professional involvement and growth that I wouldn't have otherwise. I have a greater understanding of the division's challenges and I appreciate being part of the solution by being a participant."