I have been a Teen Services Librarian for over 15 years, and a member of YALSA for 13 years. Recently I decided to expand my youth services knowledge and joined ALSC. I have found the resources in ALSC to be helpful in my professional growth. In honor of ALSC and YALSA’s reunification, here are three amazing resources available to ALSC members that have helped me as a Teen Librarian! Online Course and Webinars Just like YALSA, ALSC offers exclusive free access to webinars and online courses. While the content of these recordings are more focused on children’s services, there are many that are relevant to teen services as well. Webinars I found helpful include Training Frontline Staff to Deal with Book Challenges Effectively and Out-of-School Time: How to Plan STEAM Programming in Your Library. Notable Children’s Book List and Recommended Book Lists ALSC’s Notable Children’s Books is a curated list…
Tag: networking
Crashing a Membership Committee Meeting
When I first joined ALSC in 2023, I enjoyed seeing all of the great posts come through ALA Connect and reading the ALSC blog posts, but knew that I was craving more in terms of connecting with others in the field. Upon renewing my ALA/ALSC membership earlier this year, I decided to do something about that. So I crashed a Membership Committee Meeting. I started to panic during the meeting when I realized everyone in attendance already knew each other, but was quickly welcomed by all. This crashing of the meeting turned into a happy accident for both myself and the committee. ALSC members are able to attend process committee meetings (just not awards committees) to check out what work is being done! It turned out that the Membership Committee needed additional members at that time and I was able to contribute my expertise right away by taking over blog…
I’ve Arrived: ALA 2025!
#alaac25 Seven conferences later, and the magic still hasn’t worn off. This year marks my seventh ALA Annual Conference and my second year live blogging for ALSC, an honor I can’t believe I still have. If you read my bio you know that I have retired from the high school I worked in. Yet here I am at ALAAC 2025. SO many of my friend asked why am I going if I am not working anymore. My answer, I am still working a part time BUT there’s something about the energy of thousands of passionate library professionals all in one place that keeps me coming back year after year.
Building Professional Confidence through ALSC
Spring has sprung and it’s still never too early or too late to start getting involved with ALSC! As a Youth Services Librarian who joined ALSC right at the start of their career, I can tell you that contributing to this organization has been one of the biggest driving factors behind keeping me motivated and engaged in my profession- and I believe it can be that for anyone too! Networking Some of us love it, some of us not as much, but no one can deny the power of having a strong network of professional support. Don’t leave it to the extroverts to have all the fun! Linking up with lots of other youth librarians can be tough since we’re all scattered across the country, but luckily virtual meetings have made it easier than ever for us to get together and share our ideas and experiences. One way you can…
Networking at a Table Full of Beads
I am here to attest to the absolute joy and calm that the Boulder Public Library’s Library Lodge brought to so many #pla2024 attendees, particularly the Friendship Bracelet area. A huge thank you goes to the staff who came to Columbus, and to their colleagues back home who kept the library running. Three days of sessions and exhibits is a lot to take in, and knowing this space was here as a respite helped many an attendee regroup and process the ideas and information heard, whether inside our own heads or more often, in conversation with others at the table.
“I Have Glitter in My Hair, and You’re Telling Me I Have to ‘Network?'”
When I started my first full-time youth services position back in the beginning of 2019, a word came up in those first conversations with my new coworkers that completely terrified me: networking. I had come from the world of teaching, and networking seemed like a very intimidating, corporate concept that seemed to have little to do with my job of planning story time themes and creating fun children’s area displays. I wasn’t even quite sure how the process worked– my mind could only conjure up images of a fancy cocktail party where everyone tried to get the ear of the “big guy” (whoever that was). Fast forward almost five years, and my idea of networking in the library is very, very different from what it was. While in 2019 I had thought about it as an unquantifiable ability that I would need in order to “get ahead,” today I think…
Networking at Your Library…and Beyond!
A colleague—and friend—once told me that I was the best “natural networker” she had ever met. I was stunned, because the idea of going to a networking social and trying to make small talk throughout the evening and to sell myself sounds completely and utterly miserable. I’ve never even attended a networking event. The idea of doing so makes me break out in hives!
Overwhelmed By: Professional Connections
Reaching traditionally marginalized or underserved communities is overwhelming. We don’t want to make this work look easy; it truly isn’t. However, we believe library staff at any level can do it with the right tools and support. This year, we’re bridging the gap between tangible resources and getting started. Today, we’ll focus on building professional connections.