Contact: Stephanie Kuenn
Communications Specialist, YALSA
(312) 280-2128
skuenn@ala.org
NEWS
For Immediate Release
May 20, 2008
YALSA names diversity stipend winners
CHICAGO —Helen Snowden and Angie Miraflor are the 2008 Supporting Diversity Conference Stipend recipients, announced the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Each will receive up to $1,000 to use for registration, housing and other costs at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif.
Snowden, who will complete her MLS from Drexel University this spring, said the stipend will help her “hit the ground running” as she prepares to begin her career as a young adult librarian. She was inspired to apply after attending Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia in January.
“This opens up so many doors for me,” Snowden said. “Librarians are not people who just check out books. They’re so much more than that, and this gives me the opportunity to see what’s out there. I’m excited and ready to go.”
Miraflor works with teens at the San Jose Public Library in California. She hopes to network with other teen librarians and share ideas as she attends ALA Annual Conference.
“I need to start connecting with others who are doing teen services so we can all interact and see how we can help each other,” Miraflor said. “I’m eager to learn about programs and ideas that I know little about and use them at my library.”
The two stipends are part of the YALSA Unity Diversity Initiative, administered by YALSA through funding from ALA’s Ahead to 2010 initiative. Diversity is defined by the ALA Diversity Counts report, which includes race, ethnicity, language background, sexual orientation, education, age, disability and economic status in its definition.
For more than 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.