Committees, Juries, Advisory Boards

Committees, juries, taskforces and advisory boards are appointed groups established by the Board to help carry out the work of YALSA. Appointed groups are regularly assigned specific tasks by the Board to complete. These groups are for members who:

• want to give back to the organization and help YALSA achieve its goals
• have the necessary time to commit to devote to the work of the group
• are skilled in conducting work virtually through tools such as ALA Connect, video chats, Google Docs and more
• enjoy working in a team environment
• are enthusiastic about supporting and advancing YALSA's commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

To learn more about the responsibilities of committee members, check out the Committee FAQ visit YALSA’s Handbook or read an article about association committee service (PDF) from ASAE.

If you decide that you have the necessary time to devote to an appointed group and want to use your skills to give back to the organization, consider filling out a Volunteer Form.

Taskforces | Juries | Strategic and Advisory Boards | Book Award Committees and Blogging Teams

Taskforces

Annual Conference Marketing & Local Arrangements

Midwinter Marketing & Local Arrangements

National Library Legislative Day

Symposium Planning Taskforce



View the full list of taskforces. Taskforces are appointed on a rolling basis, as they are formed by the Board.

Juries

Juries are appointed in the early fall and work from Nov. through Jan. YALSA has several award juries who determine the winners of the grant or award with the same name:

Strategic Committees and Advisory Boards

These are appointed in March and start work in July. The purpose of a strategic committee is to help carry out the business of the association by handling matters such as membership recruitment, fundraising, blog oversight and support, and much more. If you have not served on a committee before and would like to help YALSA carry out the work of the association, strategic committees are where you can get your start. All Strategic Committees and Advisory Boards are 100% virtual except for the Executive Committee. Volunteer by filling out the Committee Volunteer Form between Dec. and Feb. each year.

Book Awards Oversight Committee

Division and Membership Promotion

District Days

Programming Committee (formally Education Advisory Committee)

Executive Committee

The Hub Advisory Board

Financial Advancement

Joint School/Public Library Cooperation

Board Development Committee (formerly the Governance Nominating Committee)

Organization and Bylaws

Research

Research Journal Advisory Board

Teen Civic Engagement Committee

Teens' Top Ten (formerly YA Galley)

YALS/YALSAblog Editorial Advisory Board

Book Award Committees & Blogging Teams

Award Committees and Blogging Teams are appointed each October and work begins in Jan. for Teams and Feb. for Committees. Committees choose YALSA's award winners (Alex, Edwards, Morris, Nonfiction, Odyssey, and Printz). YALSA members with previous book evaluation experience and previous successful committee experience are considered more seriously for positions on selection committees than those without previous committee experience. Volunteer by filling out the Committee Volunteer Form between June and September of each year.

Award Committees

There are no virtual members on award committees, except for the Edwards Committee, and members must attend ALA's Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference.

Alex Award Committee

Margaret A. Edwards Award Committee

Michael L. Printz Award Committee

Nonfiction Award Committee

Odyssey Award Committee (co-administered with ALSC)

William C. Morris Award Committee

Blogging Teams (virtual)

Blogging Teams work 100% virtually and are not required to attend conferences.

Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Blogging Team

Best Fiction for Young Adults Blogging Team

Great Graphic Novels for Teens Blogging Team

Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Blogging Team