Hello all!
The Youth Media Awards press conference recently took place in Chicago on January 26th, and it was a fantastic morning with a whole lot of amazing books being celebrated across numerous divisions, roundtables, and affiliates. If you weren’t able to attend, or if you haven’t yet had a chance to watch, check out the recording.
One of the questions I heard more than a few times over the course of the weekend in Chicago was, “what’s going to happen with the YMAs moving forward?” With all of the work of ALSC and YALSA’s reunification underway, there have been many questions and concerns regarding the awards and the announcements, particularly now that Midwinter/LLX is no longer occurring. I have heard concerns about the announcements going virtual, or some committee work no longer happening in person, which was a particular concern for some of the larger committees. Well, wonder no more! As some of you may have seen on ALA Connect on Feb. 11, a decision has now been made:
Beginning in 2028, the biennial National Institute will shift to an annual conference each January, aligning with the Youth Media Awards announcements!
So, what do the next few years look like for both the National Institute and the YMAs? Here’s a summary breakdown:
- October 2026: ALSC National Institute
Through our reunification efforts with YALSA, this year’s ALSC National Institute in Buffalo, NY will include a new pre-conference for Teen Services Development, which will take place on October 1st. This can be attended as a stand-alone event, or it can be combined with the remainder of National Institute for a discounted rate. We are excited to be offering this as a first step in integrating teen services programming into the National Institute. Moving forward, we will be working to ensure that teen services programming is a regular part of the new annual conference starting in 2028! - January 2027: Youth Media Awards stand-alone event
Similar to this year, the 2027 committee work and announcements will take place in Chicago, including the press conference once again being open to the public. - January 2028: First Annual Reunified National Institute
This will be the first of the newly aligned National Institutes with a unified membership and regular teen services educational offerings. It will take place in Chicago and include time for committee work and the Youth Media Awards press conference. The biggest difference from past years is that the National Institute takes place from Wednesday through Friday as opposed to over the weekend, meaning that YMA committee deliberations will be held on Tuesday and, if necessary, Wednesday, with the YMA announcements shifting to Friday morning instead of Monday. - January 2029: Second Annual Reunified National Institute
This will mirror the previous year’s format and will once again take place in Chicago to allow for the division to ensure robust processes are in place and expectations are managed before considering a rotating location again in the future.
I hope that you will join me in celebrating this announcement as we continue uplifting amazing literature through the YMAs, and providing top-tier professional development opportunities for all of our teen and children’s services professionals within the newly unified division, starting on September 1st, 2026.
We know that we can only make this incredibly complex undertaking work with the support of our members. And so, I want to take this time to thank all of you in both ALSC and YALSA for your feedback, assistance, encouragement, and understanding. There is a lot of change on the horizon, but we know that by working together under our newly unified division, we can continue championing literature and library services for children and teens now and far into the future!
Onwards!
Rob Bittner
Co-Chair, Reunification Working Group
ALSC Past-President