Teri S. Lesesne wins Frances Henne/YALSA/VOYA Research Grant

Contact: Nichole Gilbert


312-280-4387


ngilbert@ala.org

For Immediate Release


April 2002

Teri S. Lesesne wins Frances Henne/YALSA/VOYA Research Grant

Teri S. Lesesne was awarded the 2002 Frances Henne/YALSA/Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) Research Grant. This $500 grant, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), was announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting, January 18-22, 2002, in New Orleans.

Lesesne's research proposal "Project H.E.A.R.: Help Encourage At-Risk Readers" will place audiobooks and cassette players with reluctant middle school readers. Lesesne plans to study differences in responses between students who listen to books versus students who read books, and will look at the role audiobooks might play in encouraging students in their recreational reading. The YALSA Research Committee is particularly excited that this research targets middle school reluctant readers and their use of alternate media to encourage reading and listening skills.

"I'm thrilled!" Lesesne said. "We're hoping that our findings are going to put into place new strategies and activities that others can use with reluctant readers."

Lesesne is an associate professor at Sam Houston State University where she teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in young adult and children's literature in the department of library science. She is a 15-year veteran of the middle school English classroom as well. A frequent speaker at conferences and a columnist for a variety of journals, Lesesne also serves on the advisory boards of the
ALAN Review, Reading Teacher and
VOYA. She is an active member of YALSA and co-author of the forthcoming edition of YALSA's Hit List and the National Council of Teachers of English's (NCTE)
Books For You.

The YALSA Research committee members are: Sandra Hughes-Hassell, Drexel University, Philadelphia; Frances Jacobson (Chair), University High School Library, Urbana, Ill.; Melanie Kimball, University of Illinois, Champaign, Ill.; Kathy Latrobe, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla.; Richard Lord, John F. Kennedy High School, Bronx, N.Y.; Sarah O'Neal, Atascocita Library, Humble, Texas; and Mary Jane Tacchi, New York Public Library.

Applications for the 2003 Research Grant will be available April 1 from the YALSA office or online at the
Web site.