About YALSA
YALSA stands for Young Adult Library Services Association.
Our Mission
Through networking, advocacy, and professional development, the Young Adult Library Services Association empowers all those involved in the profession to provide equitable, diverse and inclusive teen services.
Read about us and our mission in Associations Now and check out our 2014 report on the Future of Library Services for and with Teens: a Call to Action
What We Do
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) brings together key stakeholders from the areas of libraries, education, research, out of school time, youth development and more to develop and deliver resources to libraries that expand their capacity to support teen learning and enrichment and to foster healthy communities. Read about us and our mission in Associations Now and check out this infographic (.pdf). YALSA is committed to embedding equity, diversity and inclusion principles throughout the organization, and to helping libraries do the same. Read our Statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
Advocate By participating in events like National Library Legislative Day and implementing District Days initiatives for libraries to participate in, YALSA works at a national level to inform and engage policy makers and elected officials about the important role libraries and librarians play in preparing teens to become engaged, productive citizens.
Research Through efforts such as its Research Agenda and Journal for Research on Libraries and Young Adults, YALSA promotes and disseminates relevant research.
Train In order to ensure that librarians and library workers have the skills needed to engage, educate and support teens, YALSA offers a wealth of continuing education activities, including e-learning and an annual teen services symposium.
Build Capacity YALSA provides over $195,000 per year to libraries through grants to help libraries do things like offer summer learning programs, hire teen interns and increase their digital media offerings. YALSA scholarships and stipends support librarians and library workers seeking to further their education or gain leadership skills. Read our 2014 report (pdf) on Helping Libraries Meet the Needs of Diverse Teens, or watch this 5 minute video.
Watch this video to learn about our Teen Read Week Activity Grant and its impact on helping libraries promote literacy amongst teens.
Promote best practices and identify trends
- Publish books, a weekly e-news, and a quarterly journal, Young Adult Library Services.
- Develop and disseminate national guidelines for serving teens in libraries, such as “Core Professional Values for the Teen Services Profession.”
- Curate industry content via blogs at http://yalsa.ala.org/blog and http://yalsa.ala.org/thehub
Help us help libraries and librarians by making a donation! Every dollar makes a difference!
Why Focus on Teens?
Teens are not simply “older children” – they have reached a developmental stage that requires a different strategic approach in order to effectively understand, connect with and serve them. In addition, the needs and developmental abilities of younger teens ages 13 to 15 vary from those of older teens ages 16 to 18. YALSA helps libraries increase their outreach to teens and serve them better. Unfortunately, research, including this Alliance for Excellence in Education report, shows that as an age group, teens receive the least amount of funding from the government, foundations and corporate giving.
YALSA Facts
- Current membership is more than 3,600 members
- Founded in 1957 and headquartered in Chicago, YALSA is a division of the American Library Association, a financially stable 501(c)3 charitable association.
Mission, Vision & Intended Impact Statements
Find out more about YALSA's mission.
Bylaws (PDF)
The governing rules for YALSA
Updated every three to five years, the strategic plan outlines the current goals of YALSA
Find volunteer forms, committee information, governing documents, and more information about YALSA in the handbook.
Find details on YALSA's governance, including its structure, board and executive committee members, minutes, board documents and more.
Meet YALSA's staff, headquartered in Chicago.
Read annual reports from YALSA's presidents and executive director.
See a list of organizations that YALSA works with to further its mission.
Find out more about YALSA's history.
