ALSC/YALSA Reunification FAQs

What is Happening with YALSA?

After many years of effort by ALA and YALSA members, YALSA remains financially unsustainable, with 8 of the last 10 years running in an operational deficit. Consequently, ALA is pursuing the reunification of YALSA with the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). This means that YALSA will be dissolved from a governance perspective, and member activities will be transitioned into ALSC.  

While ALA remains committed to meeting the needs of practitioners in the fields of children’s and teen services, we know that this news will come with many questions from YALSA members. 

Please see the FAQs below for more details and to learn how to submit your feedback to the YALSA Board and staff as we work towards the reunification of ALSC and YALSA. 

Reunification Details and Timeline

How Was Reunification Decided Upon? 

Since December 2023, ALA has utilized a shared staffing model to support YALSA when ALSC’s Executive Director stepped in as YALSA’s Interim Executive Director, while continuing to hold the Executive Director position in ALSC. This was a short-term solution to a longer-term challenge as YALSA has carried a net-deficit budget for more than three years. 

ALA has been in conversation with YALSA and ALSC’s Executive Committees, discussing possible options to reunify the divisions, since historically, teen and children’s services were housed under one division (read more on ALSC’s History here and YALSA’s History here).  The parting had been amicable and recognized the growth of teen services and the expanded member work in dedicated teen spaces in their libraries, but this is no longer a sustainable model.   

Through the recent conversations, ALSC leadership resolved that ALSC is open to including teen services in the spectrum of the division's programming. Both divisions have considered many ways to define this new relationship, and both agree that “reuniting” is a strong path forward, given that ALSC and YALSA were a combined unit many years ago. Reuniting ALSC and YALSA is an integral part of the ALA Forward initiative, an effort that aims to optimize how we work together, align our structure with strategic goals, and empower ALA to deliver even greater value to members and libraries. 

Why is YALSA pursing reunification over other options? 

YALSA and ALSC’s Executive Committees have identified clear advantages to reunification, including: 

  • Reuniting will allow ALA to continue providing over 2500 YALSA members with dedicated resources and opportunities to support teen library services and expand ALSC’s collaborative efforts from children through teens.  
  • Cost savings to members who currently hold both ALSC and YALSA memberships (roughly 30% of members). 
  • A continued shared staffing model, which ALA has seen positive results with so far, and overlap with membership. 
  • Combining staffing resources while still maintaining a distinction between teen and children’s services and familiarity with the programs, services, awards, and other projects unique to each division. 

Will Teen Services still have a unique space within ALA? 

Yes – while ALSC has traditionally been the home for library service to children from birth through eighth grade, ALSC leadership is working towards ensuring that a unique space for teen services is maintained during the reunification process. ALSC is reassessing and re-envisioning  many of its programs and member benefits. 

Reuniting will require discussions on how best to brand and promote the reunited unit. A timeline for this work has not yet been determined. 

What is the timeline for reunification? 

The proposal for the dissolution of YALSA and reunification with ALSC has already been submitted to ALA’s Committee on Organization (COO), and we have an aggressive but optimistic timeline: 

  • Mid-June 2025 - COO submits final proposal to ALA Council  
  • End of June 2025 at Annual Conference - ALA Council votes twice to approve proposal   
  • September 1, 2025 – August 31, 2026 will be a transition year inclusive of:  

Collecting member input to determine division priorities and what members would like to see retained from YALSA’s current structure and programming slate. This will include opportunities for members to give feedback via a survey, membership meetings at ALA Annual Conferences in 2025 and 2026, community forums, and focus groups; 

Aligning staffing with ALSC and YALSA division priorities; 

Managing transitions on internal systems (finance/budgeting, membership databases, etc.); 

Building the FY27 budget to reflect planned projects, activities, and current endowments. 

  • August 31, 2026 - Dissolution of YALSA effective  
  • September 1, 2026 – Reunification effective  

Membership and Dues

What will happen to my YALSA membership after dissolution? 

After the dissolution of YALSA on August 31, 2026, any active YALSA memberships will automatically convert to an ALSC membership. When it is time to renew your membership, you will renew as a member of the newly reunified division.  

Will I receive any rebate or proration on my YALSA membership if I renew or become a YALSA member after September 1, 2025? 

ALA will not be providing prorated memberships or rebates for YALSA memberships, even if the timeframe in which you become a member of YALSA or renew YALSA membership is less than the typical one-year cycle. 

What will happen if I am a member of both ALSC and YALSA?  

After the dissolution of YALSA on August 31, 2026, your ALSC membership will remain active – however, your YALSA membership will cease to exist.  

We are still determining what this will mean in terms of access to past member-only YALSA materials and other resources. As mentioned above, ALA will not be providing prorated memberships or rebates for YALSA memberships, even if the timeframe in which you become a member of YALSA or renew YALSA membership is less than the typical one-year cycle. 

Will membership dues change for the reunified division? 

Membership dues will be reviewed by the ALSC and YALSA boards during the transition year. 

YALSA Programs, Awards, and Committees

Is TeenTober happening in 2025?

Development of new materials and dedicated efforts to promote TeenTober are on hold as ALSC and YALSA determine priority projects to move forward as part of the reunification. An existing toolkit for TeenTober, graphics, and merchandise are available for those who wish to highlight opportunities to engage teens and to advocate for and raise awareness of the importance of year-round teen services in libraries - check out the dedicated TeenTober page for more information.

Please check back in late summer 2026 for more information on TeenTober.  

What is happening with the YMAs?

The Youth Media Awards (YMA’s) will be held in person on January 26, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. CST in Chicago, IL at the Hilton Chicago. Registration to attend the in-person announcements will be required and made available in December 2025. The announcements will also be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person.  

Through August 31, 2026 ALSC and YALSA awards will continue to operate out of their respective independent divisions. As of September 1, 2027, all awards will operate out of the newly reunified division.  

All programming for both ALSC and YALSA is being examined during this transition year. The awards are an integral part of both divisions and ALA. We anticipate that many of the awards will continue to be conferred going forward. 

How reunification will affect policies and procedures for awards, including whether in-person attendance will be required for deliberation, will be determined prior to the start of 2028 awards work. 

If you have been appointed to a 2027 awards committee and have questions about how reunification will affect your work, please contact your committee chair.

What is happening to YALSA's Committees?

Through the 2025-2026 committee term, ALSC and YALSA committees will continue to operate under their respective divisions. Much of the committee work will be focused on developing content for existing outlets (blog posts, journal articles, webinars) and contributing input on reunification efforts. Additionally, during this time, ALSC and YALSA staff, member leaders, and the Reunification Working Group are considering opportunities to reorganize ALSC and YALSA committees, including sunsetting committees that no longer meet the needs of the newly reunified division and combining committees that serve similar purposes. More information will be available in the upcoming months. 

I am a YALSA member. Will I be able to vote in the upcoming elections for the new board?

Because YALSA is dissolving, there will be no election for YALSA in 2026. ALSC will hold elections for the upcoming committee / service year. Any YALSA member wanting to vote in the upcoming elections for division leaders will need to also become an ALSC member, if they do not already hold joint membership.

The ALSC and YALSA Nominating Committees have worked in tandem to develop a slate that includes members who may run for office with ALSC (ALSC members) but who also have a YALSA membership and a commitment to teen services. 

I've heard about work surrounding ALA Forward - what is it?

As you may have heard, ALA is embarking on a new strategic initiative – ALA Forward – to ensure the sustainability of the organization. ALSC and YALSA reunification is part of this work, as well as a wider assessment of all ALA programs and products, and the organizational structure within ALA. ALA will provide updates on ALA Forward work, as they become available. 

How can I be Involved and submit my feedback? 

We know that this news is a lot to take in and we understand this may come as a surprise. Please be assured that ALA leadership and your division leadership are cognizant of the benefits and challenges of this new relationship, and we are all committed to ensuring the priorities of both divisions are upheld.  

Additional steps for reunification will include opportunities during the transition year for members to give feedback via a member survey, during membership meetings at ALA Annual Conferences in 2025 and 2026, virtual community forums, and virtual focus groups. 

The full year transition through 2025-2026 is built in to address the deliberate efforts to seek member input and to expand the work within ALSC in a way that is least disruptive to existing programming, activities, and staff capacity. ALA is committed to supporting the transition work by providing additional staff support from across other ALA units, including the Membership, Finance & Accounting, IT, and Communications offices.  

ALSC & YALSA Reunification Town Hall (October 2025)

This is a recording of the initial reunification town hall, led by the ALSC & YALSA Working Group, responding to member feedback, concerns, and questions, and outlining next steps in the reunification process.