Greetings from my first time attending #alsc26!
When I found out that ALSC was hosting a one-day event dedicated to teen services, I knew that this year I needed to attend. As a teen services librarian, I know firsthand that there is something so unique about working with teens, and I was so excited to spend Thursday meeting fellow library staff who share in this feeling while learning about how we can best support teen services in the library space.
Thursday morning kicked off with keynote speaker Delali Adjoa, whose debut novel, The Free Verse Society, has been longlisted for the National Book Award. When asked about the inspiration for her debut novel, she shared that while she was visiting Florida, she was driving past mansions and found herself asking, “Who would these people be if they lost everything?” And from there, The Free Verse Society was born. Adjoa shared more about her writing process and why she writes the heavy themes that she does for teens, sharing that “we don’t need to paint a prettier picture of the world for teens, because they are living these lives…it’s important to show these characters overcoming these issues.” She also wants teens to take away that they have the power to create on their own, as Jay and Derek do in The Free Verse Society, and that it can serve as a source of power and healing. She ended with another key take away from her book, which is an important reminder for teens, library staff, and all of her readers: “How things are now isn’t how they would always be.“
Thursday morning kicked off with keynote speaker Delali Adjoa, whose debut novel, The Free Verse Society, has been longlisted for the National Book Award. When asked about the inspiration for her debut novel, she shared that while she was visiting Florida, she was driving past mansions and found herself asking, “Who would these people be if they lost everything?” And from there, The Free Verse Society was born. Adjoa shared more about her writing process and why she writes the heavy themes that she does for teens, sharing that “we don’t need to paint a prettier picture of the world for teens, because they are living these lives…it’s important to show these characters overcoming these issues.” She also wants teens to take away that they have the power to create on their own, as Jay and Derek do in The Free Verse Society, and that it can serve as a source of power and healing. She ended with another key take away from her book, which is an important reminder for teens, library staff, and all of her readers: “How things are now isn’t how they would always be.“
What a way to kick-off Teen Services Development Day and National Institute 2026! I can’t wait to see what the rest of the event has in store.
Today’s Conference Contributor is Amy D’Arco (she/her/hers). Amy is the Teen Librarian at the The Manhasset Public Library in Manhasset, NY and is the 2026 president of the Young Adult Services Division of the Nassau County Library Association. She has been a young adult and teen services librarian for the last five years after making a career shift from working in publishing. She is looking forward to meeting fellow teen librarians and hearing Delali Adjoa discuss The Free Verse Society, especially now that it has been longlisted for the National Book Award! When not at the library, Amy can most likely be found drinking entirely too much coffee, watching Survivor with her husband, quoting Gilmore Girls, or cuddling with her cats, Stella and Luna (yes, like the picture book!).