YALSA to offer four online courses
Contact: Stephanie Kuenn
Communications Specialist, YALSA
312-280-2128
skuenn@ala.org
For Immediate Release
May 7, 2007
YALSA to offer four online courses
CHICAGO - The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), is offering four online courses this summer: “Making the Match: Finding the Right Book for the Right Teen at the Right Time,” “Pain in the Brain: Adolescent Development and Library Behavior,” “Power Programming for Teens,” and “Using Electronic Databases with Teens.”
Classes will take place July 1 to July 30, except for “Making the Match,” which runs from July 1 through August 10. Registration opened on May 7, 2007.
“Making the Match: Finding the Right Book for the Right Teen at the Right Time” participants will become experts at connecting teens with books! In a recent survey by Smartgirl.org and YALSA, the majority of teen respondents said that they would read more if they knew about more good books to read. In this e-course, participants will learn how to make a successful match between library materials and teen library users. Course participants will explore adolescent development, learn about teen reading preferences and take part in an active discussion about specific books and library materials that meet the varied needs and interests of teens. Teri Lesesne will teach this course.
“Pain in the Brain” Teen brain development rivals that of the toddler years—maybe that explains the attitude and characteristics of this historically underserved age group. Participants will find out exactly why teens act the way they do and learn how librarians can address patron behavior issues in a way that will develop relationships with young adults. Beth Gallaway will teach this course.
“Power Programming for Teens” will help participants attain a higher level of service to teens at their library or school. Designed for library staff who are beginning to find success with a few teen programs, participants will learn how to develop and implement more programming ideas that will work at their facility. Amy Alessio will teach this course.
“Using Electronic Databases with Teens” will review several electronic databases guided by an evaluation form that will be provided. Students will experiment with three databases and create a local tip sheet for use by teen patrons. Nancy Keane will teach this course.
Teri Lesesne is a professor of Library Science at Sam Houston State University where she teaches classes in young adult literature. She is the author of two professional books, “Making The Match” and “Naked Reading.” She writes reviews of YA books for VOYA, SIGNAL, The ALAN Review, and Voices From The Middle. In her spare time, Lesesne consults with school districts and presents seminars across the country in YA literature.
Beth Gallaway is a YALSA Serving the Underserved Trainer. She works as an independent library consultant to both individual libraries and regional library systems. She writes VOYA's Game On column and contributes to a number of blogs.
Amy Alessio has enjoyed the constant advice of her Teen Advisory Board for over eight years in her capacity as teen coordinator for the Schaumburg Township District Library in Illinois. She is the YALSA fiscal officer and the editor of the YALSA online journal YAttitudes in addition to being active in the Illinois Library Association. She has presented locally and nationally on teen services and writes about young adult literature for Teenreads.com and Crimespree magazine. She also is the co-author of “A Year of Programs for Teens” with Kim Patton (ALA Editions, 2006) and instructor for the YALSA online course Power Programming for Teens.
Registration for the course is available online from May 7 through June 15 at www.ala.org/yalsa. The cost for each course is $135 for YALSA members, $175 for ALA members, and $195 for non members. The course is the equivalent of a one day face-to-face workshop. More tips on taking online courses can be found on the YALSA Web site at: http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/onlinecourses/info.htm.
For 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos, and audiobooks for teens. For more information about these awards or for additional lists of recommended reading, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists. For more information about YALSA, please contact us via e-mail, yalsa@ala.org; or by phone at 1-800-545-2433 ext. 4390.