Happy Spring, everyone!
Warmer weather seems to finally be on the way for many of us. And just like the sunshine and heat bring forth the flowers, so too is the reunification work blossoming into reality. This last week we saw the election of new Board members who will be laying the foundation for the newly reunified division. The ALSC Nominating Committee worked hard to engage with both ALSC and YALSA leadership to find candidates who can meet the needs of members working across children’s and teen services. And the results are in!
The incoming President-Elect of the division is Danielle Jones, who has been an active member of both ALSC and YALSA for many years. In her candidate statements she noted, “We are at a critical juncture with the planned reunification of ALSC and YALSA. My active involvement in both gives me a unique perspective and commitment to ensuring a successful transition, prioritizing both children and teens and the professionals who serve them.”
The new Board members joining Danielle will be Heather Love Beverley, Deadra (Dee) O. Brown, and Renee Ting, all of whom bring a fantastic mix of children’s and teen services experience to their upcoming new roles. We are excited to see the new Board of the unified division working together to meet the needs of our combined membership (as of Sept. 1, 2026).
Last month, the combined ALSC Organizational Effectiveness and YALSA Organization and Bylaws committee posted about the upcoming changes to enhance efforts for both divisions to assess, restructure, combine, and reformat our existing committees in order to meet the needs of all of our members. This work is beginning to show real results, and we look forward to finalizing the new committee structures and focus areas in the coming months once we have completed consultation with chairs and engaged with committee feedback. We know that change is never easy, but we are committed to finding a meaningful balance that will lead to more fulsome engagement with member needs while causing as little disruption as possible.
Staff continue to work hard in the background to ensure that moving forward, we will have the tools we need to serve everyone effectively. This includes increased member communications and an updated reunification dashboard site during the transition period, as well as refreshed back-end systems for the combined volunteer database, and working with central membership services to navigate the complexities of the membership changes for current YALSA and dual members.
Last, but not least, the Reunification Working Group is developing recommendations for the Board to approve in the coming months, and developing a timeline for strategic planning, rebranding, and updating all policies and bylaws (you know, the “fun” stuff!) We are currently exploring a facilitated board orientation at ALA Annual to start planning for the upcoming strategic planning work over the next year.
The Boards of ALSC and YALSA continue to work tirelessly to meet this challenging moment, and we greatly appreciate you, our steadfast members, for your understanding and patience as we navigate these many interconnected pieces to deliver you the best possible results in the coming months!
Next month, we will hopefully be able to share some additional member engagement opportunities coming up at ALA Annual, but in the meantime, be sure to join us tomorrow at our second Town Hall for more updates and a chance for Q&A.
As always… Onwards!
Rob Bittner
Co-Chair, Reunification Working Group
ALSC Past-President