YALSA gears up for Midwinter with special events and media awards
Contact: Stephanie Kuenn
Communications Specialist
312-280-2128
skuenn@ala.org
For Immediate Release
September 18, 2007
YALSA gears up for Midwinter with special events
and media awards
CHICAGO - The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced its preliminary plans for Midwinter Meeting, to be held in Philadelphia, Jan. 11 - 16, 2008, just in time for members to take advantage of the bundled registration for both Midwinter and the 2008 Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif., June 27 - July 2. Through September 30, those who purchase the bundled Annual and Midwinter registration will save 20 percent over advance registration for both conferences. To learn more, visit
www.ala.org/midwinter.
YALSA will kick off Midwinter with “Taking Teen Services to the Next Level,” a one-day preconference focusing on advocacy on January 11. Attendees will learn how to collaborate with community organizations to maximize outreach to teens, gain more support from administrators and library trustees and take advantage of funding opportunities. “Taking Teen Services to the Next Level” marks the beginning of YALSA’s three-year advocacy campaign; YALSA also plans to offer a special kick-off program for the new campaign during Midwinter.
YALSA’s annual Gaming Night has become a hotly anticipated event for Midwinter attendees as well. At this year’s event, experienced gamers, beginners and everyone in between will find something new in the world of online, video and tabletop games while enjoying refreshments, networking with other young adult librarians and checking out the latest in video and tabletop games popular with teens.
Finally, Midwinter marks the announcement of the 2008 Youth Media Awards—including the Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature, the Edwards Award for lifetime achievement and the Alex Awards, presented to the top ten adult books with young adult appeal.
“Midwinter is a great chance for members to learn more about our division and how it operates, but it also offers events that are not to be missed,” said YALSA President Paula Brehm-Heeger. “The Midwinter Gaming Night allows members to network with peers while learning more about the techie stuff teens want to know, our preconference will give them must-have training on how to effectively spread the word about our work and how to translate that communication into real-world results—and those attending our Youth Media Awards will be the first to hear who has won YALSA’s many awards including the Printz, the Alex and the Edwards, which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year.”
To learn more about YALSA’s Midwinter events, watch for updates on YALSA’s Midwinter Meeting Web page at
www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/midwinter.htm.
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.