For immediate release | April 1, 2016

YALSA honors four members with 2016 YALSA Writing Award

CHICAGO — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), named the winners of its 2016 YALSA Writing Award, with members winning in four categories.

The winners are as follows:

The winners of the journal articles will each receive a $500 monetary award due to the more extensive nature of their work while the winners of the blog posts will each receive a $200 monetary award. All winners will receive a plaque and be recognized at YALSA’s Membership Meeting at the ALA Annual Conference this summer in Orlando. The award is supported through funds donated to Friends of YALSA. To learn more, or to make a donation, visit www.ala.org/yalsa/givetoyalsa/give.

The YALSA Writing Award recognizes the contribution of YALSA members who have written an article or blog post for the association’s journals or blogs that is timely, original, relevant to YALSA members and well-written.

Each year, YALSA’s blog managers and journal editors select a shortlist of up to five articles or posts that meet award criteria to submit to the YALSA Writing Award Jury. Items are selected based on the following criteria: applicability to a variety of library settings, originality of ideas, timeliness, relevance to young adult librarianship, persuasiveness of arguments, quality of writing, clarity of presentation and contribution to the YALSA membership. The articles must address young adult library services or information regarding young adults that can be applied usefully to young adult library services.

The 2015 YALSA Writing Award Jury members are Geri Diorio, chair, Teen Services Librarian, Ridgefield Library, Ridgefield, CT; Emily Calkins, Online Services Librarian, King County Library System, Seattle, WA; Kim Herrington, Librarian, Robert Turner College & Career High School, Pearland, TX; Renee' Lyons, Assistant Professor School Library Media Program, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee; and Lauri Vaughan, Librarian, The Harker School, San Jose, CA.

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.

Contact:

Anna Lam

Communications Specialist

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

alam@ala.org