YALSA launches diversity campaign
Contact: Stephanie Kuenn
Communications Specialist, YALSA
312-280-2128
skuenn@ala.org
For Immediate Release,
December 11, 2007
YALSA launches diversity campaign
CHICAGO -Thanks to a grant from the American Library Association (ALA) to fund initiatives that support the ALA Ahead to 2010 Strategic Plan, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of ALA, announced the launch of YALSA Unity: A Diversity Initiative. The $8,000 grant, along with $1,000 in funding from YALSA, will support a Young Adult Services Spectrum Scholar, establish a new conference scholarship for a member with a diverse background and recruit young adult librarians at ALA affiliate conferences and events, such as the American Indian Library Association or REFORMA.
"This grant will allow YALSA to accomplish several extremely important goals - goals that are vitally important not only for our division but for our profession in general," said YALSA President Paula Brehm-Heeger. "One of the most exciting aspects of this grant is that it will now allow YALSA to fund a Spectrum Scholar, as well as initiate a scholarship for a member with a diverse background to attend the ALA Annual Conference in 2008 and also to exhibit at any ALA affiliate conferences in 2008."
YALSA was inspired to pursue this grant based on results of the ALA Diversity Office's Diversity Counts study, which showed that recruiting persons of diverse backgrounds (including race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, education, age, disability and economic status) to the library profession is a critical area for improvement.
"Diversity Counts clearly demonstrates the need for us to continue our efforts to draw a wide variety of people to the library profession," Brehm-Heeger said. "Our nation's libraries must reflect the communities they serve; this means making sure we are making every effort to recruit and retain a diverse, engaged work force of librarians. Grants such as this are vitally important in these efforts." For 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos and audio books 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.
