Rinio wins Frances Henne/YALSA/VOYA Research Grant

CHICAGO — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) awarded the 2016 Frances Henne/YALSA/VOYA Research Grant to Deborah Rinio. This $1,000 grant will provide seed money for her research project, “Teacher and Librarian Collaboration in Alaskan Secondary Schools: A Quantitative Approach.”

As collaboration between teachers and librarians continues in secondary schools, partnerships that successfully improve student information literacy skills should be brought to light. Rinio’s research looks to analyze which activities Alaskan secondary school partnerships have progressed student information literacy and aims to use this to create best practices in the classroom and library.

“The jury found Rinio’s research to be extremely beneficial to the success of students and the librarians supporting those students,” said Jury Chairperson Kellie Tilton. “Information literacy is a vital skill young adults need to possess but, often, it is a difficult skill to teach. We are excited this research will give librarians collaborative practices that are proven to work for students and will help promote information literacy skills in the curriculum.”

Rinio is a doctoral student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, working with Dr. Gary Jacobson in the areas of information literacy and specific teacher and librarian collaboration in K-12 education. She was honored to hear that her proposal was selected.

“It is our hope that Rinio’s findings, and subsequent best practices, will enhance young adult’s information literacy skills by providing librarians with support and suggestions that have produced achievement,” said Scaff. “As collaboration is common in K-12 environments, these results will assist in the cumbersome planning process while removing the guesswork of what works for our students and what does not.”

More information about the Frances Henne/YALSA/VOYA Research Grant, as well as the application for the next round of the grant is available on the YALSA Awards and Grants website, www.ala.org/yalsa/awards&grants. Applications must be submitted online by Dec. 1, 2016.

The YALSA Frances Henne Award Jury members are: Chair Kellie Tilton, University of Cincinnati Blue Ash; Stephanie Barta, Westerly (Rhode Island) Public Library; Patricia A. Clingman, Winters-Bellbrook (Ohio) Community Library; Rebecca Leonhard, Leysin American School; and Amanda L.S. Murphy, Warren-Trumbull (Ohio) County Public Library.

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, or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or e-mail, yalsa@ala.org.