Saturday morning started bright and early for several ALSC members as we headed to ALSC 201 to discuss reunification updates!
Many ALSC Board members were in attendance, and it was great to hear behind-the-scenes updates on naming, bylaws, and committees. Board members shared that this past year was a year of transitional logistics: communicating the reunification, converting YALSA memberships to ALSC memberships, and merging committees when necessary. However, this upcoming year will be largely focused on “defining who we are as children and teens.” The board will be working with a consulting company to revamp ALSC’s strategic plan, mission, and vision, as well as ultimately updating the name of the organization.
Throughout the session, there was a lot of stress on the fact that ALSC’s goal is to serve children and teens. Everyone emphasized that they do not want teens to get lost in the shuffle, and they do not want teen librarians to feel as though they do not have a space. The board is being very intentional about incorporating teen services into everything that they do, including ALSC Institute, which boasted a wonderful Teen Services Development Day as well as several amazing teen-focused sessions throughout the weekend.
If you’re interested in learning more or engaging in further conversation about the reunification, there will be two forthcoming Town Halls this upcoming year. These will be an opportunity for members to discuss what they want to see from this iteration of ALSC. Stay tuned for the announcement of those dates!
Annaliese Melvin (she/they) is a children’s librarian at a neighborhood library in Washington, D.C. Originally from Pennsylvania, she moved to the DC-area in 2020 to become a special education teacher after graduating with her bachelor’s from Arcadia University. In 2023, she graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a master’s degree in Library and Information Science and transitioned into the library field. Annaliese currently works to bring more inclusive programming to DC Public Libraries for children of all ages. She is passionate about equity, inclusion, reading, and Philadelphia sports.
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