“A very exciting time to consider running for the board!”

An Interview with Incoming ALSC Board Member, Heather Love Beverly

Are you interested in learning more about running for a leadership position in ALSC? In this blog post, Heather Love Beverly shares her experience serving in YALSA, what excites her about serving on the ALSC Board, and advice for those interested in serving in a leadership position within the association.

1. What committees have you served on over the years, both ALSC and YALSA?
   
   I’ve been fortunate enough to serve on a wide variety of committees for both Divisions. Some highlights include being a member of the 2024 YALSA Printz Award Committee, the Chair of ALSC’s Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media in 2022-2023, Chair of YALSA’s Symposium Evaluation Taskforce in 2021, a member of YALSA’s Symposium Planning and Marketing Taskforce from 2022-2023, a member of ALSC’s School Age Programs and  Services Committee both in 2019-2021 and 2025, the Chair of  ALSC Children and Libraries Editorial Advisory Board in 2016-2017, and a current member of ALSC’s Professional Recognition and Scholarships Committee. I’ve loved the depth and variety of all these various committees I’ve worked with over the years!
   
   
2. What have you enjoyed most about serving on the YALSA Board? 
   
   Hands down, what I’ve enjoyed most has been the amazing people I have had the privilege of meeting and working with as a member of the board. Everyone I have met—from fellow board members, to ALA staff members, to YALSA members– has been so passionate about library services for teens, and they all care so deeply about the issues teens and libraries are facing. It’s been very rewarding to work with such an amazing group of people, all with similar goals and passions.
   
   
3. What surprised you the most about serving on the Board?
   
   For me, I found it surprising, and rewarding, to see just how much YALSA did as an organization. Being on the board exposed me to the full scope of what the Division offered—from amazingly curated resources on hot topics, to professional engagement opportunities, to all the various committees that kept the Division running. I was always discovering a new resource that YALSA provided to its members, and it delighted me to share what I learned with my fellow librarians. Truly, ALA’s Divisions have a wealth of resources available to its members, just waiting to be discovered.
   
   
4. What excites you the most about serving on the ALSC Board?
   
   Just as I learned so much more about YALSA as an organization once I was on the board, I am looking forward to learning more about ALSC, too. Even though I have been a member for years, I know that there is so much more to learn about this amazing organization, and I am eager to find it all out!
   
   I am also looking forward to helping shape the future of ALSC as the reunification with YALSA solidifies. I care deeply for both organizations, having been a member of both ALSC and YALSA for the entirety of my library career, and being able to be a voice for both divisions as they blend together is deeply meaningful to me. I am eager to help shape the future of a reunited YALSA and ALSC!
   
   
5. Why should teen-focused folks consider running for the ALSC Board?
   
   This is a very exciting time to consider running for the board! With the reunification of ALSC and YALSA going forward in September, the next year’s ALSC Board will be setting the tone of what that blended union will look like. It is vital that the board is filled with voices that speak for youth of all ages—babies to grade school students to tweens and to teens! It is more important than ever to make your voice heard, to speak for the communities we are so passionate about serving. 
   
   
6. What advice do you have for someone who is hesitant to run for a leadership position in ALSC?
   
   The thing I have always loved about the library profession is how absolutely kind, nice, and welcoming everyone is, and that goes doubly so for the ALSC board, too. While it may seem daunting to run for the board, perhaps even overwhelming, you will be working alongside amazing and wonderful people who will help you every step of the way. We are a helping profession, and that means we help each other, too.
   
   
7. Anything else you would like to share?
   
   Being involved with YALSA and ALSC has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional career. Through the work I have done as a committee member and a board member, I have learned so much, broadened my skill set, and made so many colleagues turned friends, all while working on things that help the library community at large. It has been both a privilege and an honor, as well as a true delight!

Thank you, Heather, for sharing your expertise!

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If you’d like to self-nominate, or nominate someone you think is a stellar leader, for consideration for the ALSC Board, please fill out this Informal Nomination Form for the 2027 ALSC Ballot. Filling out the form expresses interest–it’s not a firm commitment. So if you’ve been looking for opportunities to develop higher level leadership skills for your career, summer is the season for expressing interest in board service!

We’re seeking candidates for the following positions:

• ALSC Board of Directors member (3 open seats)
• ALSC Vice President/President-Elect (1 open seat)

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Today’s blog post was written by Celeste Swanson, Co-Chair of the ALSC Nominating Committee. Currently, she is the Youth Services Director at the Hamilton East Public Library in Fishers, Indiana. She can be reached at acbadger@gmail.com