Summer isn’t just about school breaks and summer reading for youth and teen librarians–it’s also the season to consider serving on the ALSC Board! The Nominating Committee wants to hear about youth and teen library workers who are interested in serving on the ALSC Board.
What do board members get out of their service? A whole lot of leadership experience and professional development, that’s for sure! Here’s what previous ALSC and YALSA members shared about what skills they developed through their board service.
“Being YALSA president gave me the opportunity to speak to various stakeholders that I might not get the opportunity to do so otherwise–including members that might disagree with board decisions, presidents from other divisions, and of course working closely with the YALSA executive director. I always had to act on representing the organization and not my personal interests.” – Kelly Czarnecki, former YALSA Board member
“Serving on the ALSC Board helped me hone my communication skills, intentionally practice critical thinking and thoughtful decision making, improve collaboration, and build a professional support network. Serving during a strategic plan drafting year let me explore processes that guide our organization, and the ability to synthesize multiple viewpoints into a shared vision translated directly into strategic planning and work in my own organization.” – Jaime Eastman, former ALSC Board member
“The [skills] that come to mind are writing and structuring proposals in ways that were clear and beneficial to the organization; listening to a wide variety of voices at the table, and understanding the value of preparation and evaluation. That’s the one thing from my many years on the YALSA Board that has stuck with me the most.” – Todd Krueger, former YALSA Board member
“Librarianship can occasionally be isolating, ALSC committee and board work has given me friends and colleagues who I bounce ideas off of, collaborate with and enjoy spending time with at conferences. In this time of transition with the reunification, board service will mean that you contribute to our combined division in ways that will impact our profession for many years to come.” – Katie Lawrence, outgoing ALSC Board member
“Serving on the YALSA Board of Directors had an immense impact on my professional career. It provided me with experiences that built my skills in project coordination and leadership, particularly in managing projects both in-person and in virtual environments. I also developed the skills to create effective meeting agendas and improved my time management when leading meetings, specifically in keeping meetings on topic and within the intended timeframe. Finally, as I sought to move professionally to working in Library Administration, serving on a nonprofit board gave me the foundational skills needed to understand Library Board and nonprofit fundraising processes and procedures.” – Colleen Seisser, former YALSA Board member
With the reunification of ALSC and YALSA this fall, the 2027 Board of Directors will be the first to fully serve the newly merged divisions. We’re seeking candidates for the following positions:
- ALSC Board of Directors member (3 open seats)
- ALSC Vice President/President-Elect (1 open seat)
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 Information 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!
Today’s blog post was written by Amy Koester for the ALSC Nominating Committee.