YALSA honors four members with inaugural YALSA Writing Award

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

• Sarah Ludwig for best article in the previous volume of Young Adult Library Services, for “Teen Tech Camp” (Vol. 9, Number 2)
• Casey H. Rawson for best article in the previous volume of The Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults for “Are All Lists Created Equal? Diversity in Award-Winning and Bestselling Young Adult Fiction” Vol. 1, Number 3 (Spring)
• Linda Braun for best post on the YALSABlog between Dec. 1, 2010, and Nov. 30, 2011, for “The Internet IS a Toaster”
• Maria Kramer for best post on The Hub between Dec. 1, 2010, and Nov. 30, 2011, for “In Which Our Author Tips Her Cog-Bedecked Top Hat to Steampunk”

The winners for the journals will each receive $500, due to the more extensive nature of their work. The winners for the blog posts will each receive $200. All winners will receive a plaque and be recognized at YALSA’s Membership Meeting at the ALA Annual Conference this summer in Anaheim, Calif.

“The winning articles range in topics from genre literature to technology to diversity issues, reflecting the broad interests of the YALSA community,” said Whitney Winn, committee chair. “All of the honored authors presented timely, original pieces that were persuasive and well-written. The jury was impressed with the quality of submissions, is pleased to honor the best from last year’s publications, and looks forward to seeing more exceptional articles from YALSA members this year.”

The 2012 YALSA Writing Award Jury members are Whitney Winn, chair, Goleta, Calif.; Joni Richards Bodart, San Jose State University SLIS, San Jose, Calif.; Jennifer Brannen, Durham County Library, Durham, N.C.; Amy Pelman, Burlingame Public Library, Burlingame, Calif.

The YALSA Writing Award recognizes the contribution of YALSA members who have written an article or blog post for the division’s journals or blogs that is timely, original, relevant to YALSA members, and well-written. Each year, YALSA’s blog managers and journal editors will select a shortlist of five articles or posts that meet award criteria to submit to the YALSA Writing Award Jury. Items will be 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.

For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos and audiobooks for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists, or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or e-mail, yalsa@ala.org.