YSS Ballot Candidates: YSS Chair Elect and WLA Board Liaison

Check out who is running for YSS Chair Elect and WLA Board Liaison!  

We asked our candidates to give us a statement about themselves and we also asked each candidate to describe herself using 3 children's or YA lit characters.

YSS Chair Elect Candidate

Claire Parrish

Rice Lake Public Library

Candidate's Statement

Hi everyone, I’m the Public Services Director at the Rice Lake Public Library and I’m so thrilled to be considered for the position of Chair-Elect on the Youth Services Section Board. I love YSS and all the professional development and social opportunities it provides!  I’ve been involved with the group since the start of my career, through everything from webinars to regional meet-ups.  I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to serve as a Director at Large from 2018-2020, where one of my main roles was working with the WLA Conference Planning Committee to coordinate the YSS sponsored programming. I’m ready to jump back into the wonderful world of YSS leadership and believe that my knowledge of how the group functions will be an added advantage to my leadership.

There are lots of important discussions for the profession to be having, particularly in the areas of diversity/inclusion and how we move forward through the challenges that the COVID-19 global pandemic has brought to light. I strongly believe YSS is the perfect place to dig into these complex areas of our work, serving as a sounding board and resource for all library staff.  As your Chair-Elect, I would strive to continue the tradition of excellent service and support to librarians throughout the state.  I would be honored to serve, thanks again for considering me!  

Three Characters

Bruce, from the Mother Bruce series by Ryan T. Higgins

Claudia Kincaid from From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 

Alanna from the Lioness Quartet books (this might be more who I WISH I was like...but I'm still using it!)

WLA Board Liaison Candidate
Linda Jerome
LaCrosse Public Library

Candidate's Statement

Linda Jerome is the teen librarian at La Crosse Public Library where she has worked for almost 30 years. She has been an active member of YSS for more than 10 years and has served as the chair of the Children’s Book Award committee and the chair of the YSS board. She also recently started teaching a continuing education course on teen services for UW-Madison’s iSchool. She states, “Being part of the WLA board as the YSS liaison would provide the opportunity to share the awesome work being done by our section with our larger library community while also utilizing my experience and enthusiasm to help our organization successfully move through this unprecedented time in our profession.”

 Three Characters

Hermione Granger: Unsurprisingly, I'm a lover of knowledge (especially random stuff) and a big reader who strongly believes that knowledge is power

Iko from the Lunar Chronicles: No, I'm not a robot but I am a pretty enthusiastic human being who is outgoing and very loyal to my friends!

Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh: Like Rabbit, I'm an organizer and I like to be put in charge of things 😀

Thanks YSS Team!!

A grateful WLA president thanks my colleagues, peers and dear friends in the Youth Services Section for your tremendous support over the course of this year!

It is a big deal for a YSSer to become President of the Wisconsin Library Association. There are not many of us over the 127 year history of the Association. I am mindful of the honor and of the importance of having, as leader, a youth services person.

Your extra added fun at the amazing fall conference that we just finished lifted me up. The presidency is both a joy and a challenge. Knowing that you all were cheering me on gave me strength and great joy.

I hope all of you reading this dream a big dream of doing this job some day. You can do it. Youth librarians have mad planning skills; facilitation skills; project management skills; decision-making skills; advocacy skills; sharp intellects and an ability to cut through the clutter to find the gems we need to make a great association.  You have a strong YSS support system as well as an association full of peers in small libraries, academic libraries, special libraries and in units big and small who want to get to know you and work with you.

Please consider stepping up as a leader and becoming involved beyond YSS in larger WLA activities, committees and board work (the secretary position on the board will be in the 2019 election). There is always an adventure ahead!

Meet the Board: Sue Abrahamson, WLA Board Liaison

It's a new year and we have a new YSS Board!  This series will introduce each board member with some delightful questions and even more delightful photos.

Sue Abrahamson, WLA Board Liaison

What was your favorite childhood book?

I do not remember having books in my house as a child.  The first books I remember reading for pleasure (more like a trainwreck that you can’t take your eyes off) were the V.C. Andrews Flowers in the Attic books.

In what format do you like to read?

I prefer print and graphic novels, but always have an audiobook in the car CD player.  eBooks are great for travelling ….  Just need to go somewhere.

What do you like to do in your free time to recharge?

Bicycle, walk, play with grandkids, work on family tree (Ancestry.com), dream about vacations we could take

What are you reading right now?

In the car CD player: The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, read by Jane Entwhistle.

For book club: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Working my way through 2017 CCBC Choices: Moo by Sharon Creech

What is your biggest goal for YSS in 2018?

Inviting more members to join and participate.  It’s all part of WLA President Marge’s charge to: Invite, Excite and Ignite! I can’t wait to see the 12 months of coding product that YSS is working on now.

Contact Sue: sabrahamson@waupacalibrary.org