Happy June, everyone!
This blog post will be the last post from the Reunification Working Group, which will be dissolved as of July 1 as the majority of us cycle out of our Board terms in both divisions. Please be sure that you are
signed up to receive regular emails and communications from ALSC so that you receive the
Reunification News and other updates as the work continues through other committees and task forces
over the next year.
Now, strap yourselves in!
This last year has consisted of a lot of behind-the-scenes planning and preparation between staff and
member leaders from ALSC and YALSA. Over the coming year, you will start to see those plans turning
into action, which is both exciting and scary. We know there will continue to be questions and some
things will still be up in the air for some time as we continue working through this very big and complex
process. But rest assured that a lot of feedback has been provided to us and it has greatly informed
how we are moving forward on various components of the reunification.
Rebranding
A lot of questions came up around rebranding over the last year, and while we didn’t have concrete
answers regarding a new name, or even the exact timeline, things are beginning to move forward now.
Here are a few updates (this is also outlined in the latest Reunification News email to members):
- We will continue operating under the ALSC brand until such time as a new name and brand are chosen. This is a practical necessity due to existing bylaws, policies, and internal governance mechanisms within ALA. This does NOT mean we aren’t dedicated to pursuing the important work of renaming and rebranding as soon as possible.
- The Board will be working with an external consultant starting in June, until February 2027. During this process, staff and member leaders will be working with the consultant to solicit
member feedback, develop a strategic mission and vision, and ensure all of these pieces inform
the development of a new brand that reflects our expanded reach and mandate. There will be
public consultation and member engagement throughout the process. - Standard language to describe the audiences and age ranges that we serve will be an essential part of rebranding. If you are at ALA Annual, please check out the conference scheduler and look for the Saturday morning “huddle” to provide your input on the best standard language to describe the new 0-18 age range that our combined membership serves.
Committee Restructuring
Many questions have arisen over the last year with regard to the way our committees will continue to
function and how they will be restructured to include our teen services colleagues and our newly
expanded age range.
- New Structure: The new committee structure will strike a balance between reducing our overall number of standing committees while continuing to provide the same level of support and opportunities for our members. We will release a full list of committees under the new structure once a final decision has been made.
- Special Considerations: The majority of decisions about committees will be made in one go at ALA Annual. But some decisions were made earlier this year to reflect special circumstances and to account for different timelines and workflow. For instance, the Intellectual Freedom Committee and the Public Awareness and Advocacy Committee will be joining forces as the Intellectual Freedom and Advocacy Committee.
- Award Committees: ALSC and YALSA award committees will be continuing as they are for the most part. The ALSC Board still had to make some difficult decisions related to three award/media evaluation committees, which did get sunset due to capacity constraints and financial implications: the Children’s Literature Lecture Award, the Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award, and the Notable Children’s Digital Media Committee.
- Accounting for continued change: The Board will be considering a motion for the new committee structure that accounts for needed flexibility, which will allow member leaders and staff to make nimble changes to committee charges and rosters over the next year, based on feedback from committee co-chairs, committee members, and the membership at large.
Bylaws and Policies
One other essential piece that is less public and less “fun” (at least for most folks) is the updating of our bylaws and governance policies to reflect our unified membership and the scope of the division’s
expanded mission and vision. The ALSC Board approved a task force to take on that work beginning in
the summer, so that we will hopefully have new bylaws for the membership to approve in 2027.
These are some of the largest and most complex pieces of the reunification that are being discussed
and decided on at ALA Annual. We are excited to see the rebranding process get underway and to see
the new committee structure get solidified so we can then get the volunteer process aligned with the
new committees.
Member Engagement
In the meantime, members can continue to volunteer for committee work and other opportunities through their respective ALSC or YALSA volunteer forms for the time being. The appointing officer and
staff will be using the coming year to best match volunteers with the new committee structure once it’s
finalized. We know there will be bumps along the way, but with your feedback and support, the growing
pains over the next couple of years will hopefully be a bit less painful!
Thank you all for continuing to support ALSC and YALSA through this process. We appreciate you and
we look forward to continuing the good work over this next year of continued transition.
See you in Chicago!
Rob