YALSA opens registration, mini-grant applications for Teen Read Week™
Contact: Stephanie Kuenn
Communications Specialist
312-280-2128
skuenn@ala.org
NEWS
For Immediate Release,
April 15, 2010
2010 theme is Books with Beat @ your library®
CHICAGO — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), launched its Teen Read Week 2010 Web site at
www.ala.org/teenread on April 15 (Support Teen Literature Day). In addition to free registration, visitors to the Teen Read Week Web site can find activity ideas relating to this year’s theme, planning resources, publicity tools and applications for Teen Read Week Mini Grants.
Teen Read Week will be celebrated Oct. 17-23, with a theme of Books with Beat @ your library, which encourages teens to read poetry, audiobooks, books about music and more, for the fun of it.
“With librarians around the world all celebrating teen reading during the same week of the year, we create a strong united voice speaking up for the importance of teen reading and specifically reading for pleasure,” said Linda W. Braun, YALSA president. “Having that one voice helps librarians to demonstrate that around the country librarians, teens, and educators see the value of teen reading. Teen Read Week provides the resources and combined voices for a strong teen services advocacy campaign.”
For the first time, YALSA will offer Teen Read Week Mini Grants, which award 10 mini grants of $450 and $50 in Teen Read Week products to librarians to offer programs, services or events for Teen Read Week. The mini grants are funded by Team Teen Read Week, which includes ALA Graphics, Bloomsbury, Carolrhoda Lab, Cinco Puntos, Free Spirit Publishing, Random House, Scholastic, Sleeping Bear Press, the William Morris Endowment, and Viz Media.
Registrants will be eligible for the following giveaways and contests, courtesy of Team Teen Read Week:
- The first 300 YALSA members to register will receive a free copy of “Hearts at Stake” by Alyxandra Harvey
- Four registrants will win a collection of titles from Cinco Puntos, including “Sammy & Juliana in Hollywood” (autographed), “He Forgot to Say Goodbye” (autographed), “Last Night I Sang to the Monster”(autographed) and “Pitch Black”
- One registrant will win a collection of 25 Teen-rated manga titles from Viz Media’s Shonen Jump and Shojo Beat lines
Nonprofit supporting organizations include AdLit.org, the American Association of School Administrators, American Booksellers Association, Cable in the Classroom, International Reading Association, Kidsnet, Kids Care, Los Angeles Young Adult Authors, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Education Association, National School Boards Association, readergirlz, SmartGirl.org, Speak Up Press, Swept Away TV/The Rock Star Stories, and TeenInk.
Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers and other concerned adults. The purpose of the event is to increase the number of teens who are regular readers and library users. It began in 1998 and is celebrated the third week in October. For more information, contact the YALSA office by e-mail at yalsa@ala.org, or by phone at (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390.
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.
