Autumn is my favorite time of year, and I always look forward to the “ber” months, but this year arrives with a touch of sadness. Starting September 1st, YALSA will no longer be its own standalone division, as it reunites with ALSC. On the eve of this reunification, I took advantage of a day off to go hiking—a perfect opportunity to reflect on all the ways my life and career have been enriched by my YALSA membership.
I joined YALSA as an undergraduate and took advantage of the asynchronous professional development opportunities available through the website. I distinctly remember watching a webinar for new library professionals where the speaker offered advice that has stuck with me ever since: “You need to have your professional development plan and goals.” It opened my eyes to the many forms PD can take—from volunteering and attending conference sessions to watching webinars, completing trainings, and reading blogs, articles, research, and books. Importantly, it highlighted the power of volunteer work as a growth opportunity. YALSA became the first professional organization I volunteered for when I was appointed to the 2014 Awards & Booklist Marketing Taskforce during grad school. It quickly turned into my primary hub for PD through its rich resources, including “Snack Breaks,” the YALS Journal, the YALSA Blog and Hub, webinars, and more.
When I started as a new public librarian, I reached out to Paige Battle, a nearby high school librarian. The first thing she asked was whether I was a YALSA member. She then invited me to serve as her Administrative Assistant while she chaired the 2015 Alex Award committee. It was an incredible opportunity that gave me behind-the-scenes experience with award committee work and sparked a collaborative partnership that continues to this day. Over the years, Paige and I collaborated on eighth-grade outreach, presented at conferences, ran a Mock Printz Book Club for teens, and worked together to ensure local youth had access to library resources. This was the first meaningful professional connection YALSA brought into my life, but it certainly wasn’t the last.
As I was hiking, I was listening to Elizabeth Acevedo’s new book, Anger is Only a Shadow. Acevedo will forever hold a special place in my heart, not only as an extraordinary writer, but because I had the privilege of serving on the 2019 Printz Award committee when The Poet X was our winner. Serving on the Printz committee was a lifelong dream, and I had no idea it would connect me with such an incredible group of people. My committee remains deeply connected through a group text where we celebrate each other’s birthdays and successes, while offering support through hard times and tough questions.
I have always deeply appreciated YALSA’s commitment to prioritizing and centering teen voices. This focus is essential in our day-to-day work with youth, and it must remain a core tenet of our professional division. It was a joy to see teens I worked with share feedback during the Best Fiction for Young Adults discussions at Midwinter in Seattle and participate in Teens’ Top Ten, writing reviews for publishers to help shape the books created for them. Even though Teens’ Top Ten is currently on pause, we will continue seeking meaningful ways to elevate teen voices within our newly reunified division.
YALSA provided one of my most significant leadership development opportunities through the Transforming Teen Services Train the Trainer project. It was here that I trained in Teen Connected Learning and computational thinking, and explored the developmental ages and stages of youth. Finding mentors in this project allowed me to share these lessons with my state’s library community, a period of immense professional growth that helped shape my skills as I transitioned from a frontline librarian to a youth services manager. This experience also instilled in me the value of computational thinking—specifically the iterative process of trial and error, failing, and adjusting. This reunification may not be perfect at first, and our steps may need readjustment as we build into the future.
Reflecting on my experience, I realize that the value I found as a YALSA member is mirrored in ALSC. As a reunified group, we have the opportunity to become an even greater network of talented professionals, sharing expertise and support. Moving forward as a division, and with your help, we will continue to be a place for professional development, networking, and community building. Together, we will foster mentorship, develop library leaders, and continue to lift up teen voices.
Though YALSA as a standalone division is ending, the true gifts of membership remain. On this final day, I wore my favorite YALSA t-shirt. Even when the concert ends, we still get to wear the merch—cherishing the memories of where we were then as we step forward to build this next exciting chapter together.
Danielle Jones
2026-2027 Vice-President/President-elect,
Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
The post Reflections on YALSA appeared first on ALSC Blog.
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