2018 YSS Ballot Candidates: Directors at Large

Check out who is running for YSS Directors at Large!

Ann Hamland

Anne Hamland

Candidate for YSS Director-at-Large

Tell us a little about what you do at your library.

As the Public Library Services Consultant, I provide consulting in Children's, Teen, and Adult services, coordinate digital resources and the digital library, and assist member libraries with websites.

Why do you want to be more involved in YSS?

I want to be more involved as YSS members are active, passionate, and driven. YSS members work together to accomplish great work, provide excellent resources, and support youth services librarians across the state and nation. I have benefitted from YSS resources, been thankful for support, and attended every YSS event I could get my hands on. I want to give back and contribute to this wonderful section and profession.

Do you have a favorite library memory - either as a librarian or before?

This may not sound like a favorite memory, but it is! In elementary I broke my arm riding an antique bike with one brake to the library, but that didn't stop me! I packed a lunch and road my bike to the library every day each summer.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I spend my free time chasing my kiddo around and finding fun things to do outside. Wisconsin is a great place to live!

In honor of this year's WLA YSS luncheon speaker, Chris Grabenstein and his book Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library, what is your favorite board game?

Parcheesi of course! It's the grown-up version of Sorry! and the only game I can beat my husband and father in.

Emily Zorea

Emily Zorea

Candidate for YSS Director-at-Large

Tell us a little about what you do at your library.

That would be everything related to kids, families, and books... and I love the variety and spontaneity. Between answering the phone, shelving returned materials, adding items to my cart for next month’s book order, planning STEM/Storytime/Family Events/Lego Club/Book Club/School visit programs, talking with kids and teens that need someone to listen as I also staff the circulation desk, I also have taken the time to build in moments of reflection into my day. What worked well? How can I keep making the best…better?

Why do you want to be more involved in YSS?

Every time I attend a YSS meeting or event I am blown away by the passion of the youth services librarians that I am proud to call colleagues. They have made a profound difference in my librarianship as I take the ideas they share and run with them at my library. As a new-er member, I want to especially represent the voice of young librarians and encourage them to be active and share their voices and experiences. 

Do you have a favorite library memory - either as a librarian or before?

A new mom comes to the library every week to check out a backpack filled with board books which she then reads to her infant son. After a month of visits, her son began to cry when his mom tried to return the library books to the book drop! He really loved them and did not want his mom to bring them back! So, now she knows that she can’t return all the library books at once, and has to keep a few books back for him to hold on the drive home. Early literacy in action!

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love to listen to audio books as I walk to the library and just finished "Legend" by Marie Lu. I also really enjoy experimenting with new recipes, especially for my slow cooker. And, in the evening, I usually am editing photos or watching TV re-runs of Psych; Murder, She Wrote; or Good Eats with Alton Brown with my husband and two sons.

In honor of this year's WLA YSS luncheon speaker, Chris Grabenstein and his book Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library, what is your favorite board game?

Risk! My older brother was obsessed with that game and being competitive, I always tried to beat him. It rarely happened, but now that I have sons of my own, we play together and I hold my own in the game for world domination!

Sara Christopherson

Sara Christopherson

Candidate for YSS Director-at-Large

Tell us a little about what you do at your library.

I have been the Youth Services Assistant at the Grantsburg Public Library since April 2018.  This is a new position at Grantsburg Public Library - previously the youth services tasks were shared among the staff.  As with most YS staff, I facilitate story time and Summer Reading performers, perform readers advisory, help patrons with all types of requests, check out books...Specific to this position, I am a member of a committee formed to rejuvenate the children's area at the library.   I have been advocating for a space and materials for teens - including but not limited to applying for and receiving a YALSA Top Teen Teen Books Award for the library.

Why do you want to be more involved in YSS?

I would like to be more involved in YSS because I am passionate about small rural libraries having a voice in larger conversations.  Libraries of all sizes do amazing things - it is important for libraries of different sizes to learn from each other.

Do you have a favorite library memory - either as a librarian or before?

My favorite library memory is probably one from my childhood - the library I am currently employed with.  Due to distance and time, I was not allowed to visit the library much as a child but I remember finding books in the children's area - it was like an alcove or four season porch area with windows on all three sides, librarian knowing me by name and checking out my books with old fashioned library cards.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, I like to read thrillers and YA books, knit, spend time with my family, and travel.

In honor of this year's WLA YSS luncheon speaker, Chris Grabenstein and his book Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library, what is your favorite board game?

My favorite board game is The Game of Life.

Meet the Board: Caitlin Schaffer, Director at Large

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.

Caitlin Schaffer, Director at Large

What was your favorite childhood book?

I always loved Richard Scarry books and The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown. I was also constantly reading comics, from Archie to Barbie to Sonic the Hedgehog. 

In what format do you like to read? EBooks? Print? Graphic Novel? Audiobook?

I definitely have an affinity for graphic novels. I'm especially loving all of the diversity that exploded onto the comic scene in the past few years. I generally prefer print, but have a growing appreciation for audiobooks now that I commute.  

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

I sing in a Milwaukee area choir, and my partner and I like to frequently host and attend game nights with friends. Otherwise I drink lots of coffee, enjoy making and eating soups of all kinds, play with my cats (because of course), binge watch my fair share of cerebral and trash TV, and work on feminist cross stitch projects. 

What are you reading right now?

I'm a discussion facilitator at my library system's upcoming Mock Awards, so from the holidays through now I've been reading the Caldecott, Newbery, and Printz front-runners for my table. It's a weird feeling to have assigned reading again!

What is your biggest goal for YSS in 2018?

Myself and Julie Kinney are spearheading a 12 Months of Coding initiative that will hopefully culminate in a go-to resource for librarians who want to fearlessly incorporate coding into their youth services programming. We can't wait to share all of the fantastic coding programs from innovative librarians throughout the state! 

Anything else you’d like to share?

I don't want to presume that I know much at all, but I'm more than happy to share pretty much anything upon being specifically asked. So feel free to take me up on that! In the meantime, let's keep chipping away at that whole "saving the world" thing that we do.

Contact Caitlin: cschaffer@cooney.lib.wi.us

Youth-Librarians-to-Directors Speak Up!

Our YSS-sponsored program at the WI Association of Public Librarians conference in Lake Geneva was boffo.  Library Directors Connie Meyer of the Dwight Foster Library in Fort Atkinson, Hollis Helmeci from Ladysmith's Rusk County Community Library and Becca Berger from the Door County Library in Sturgeon Bay shared their journeys from youth librarians to directors and what they learned along the way.

The session Everything You Need to Know You Can Learn in Storytime, coordinated and planned by YSS board member Leah Langby, was presented as a series of questions that the panelists addressed. The questions and some of the answers:

How did work in youth services help you to be a better advocate for libraries?
Storytelling skills helped Meyer to hone her advocacy skills in promoting and speaking up for the library. She also discovered that the broken record approach works just as well for funders as for children. Planning ahead for storytimes served her in the work of planning as a director and she discovered that her ability to find another way around obstacles was definitely a result of working with kids.

Hollis found that her experience with promoting literacy and services to youth has continued to be useful as a director. She stressed that constant repetition to help the community and funders understand the importance of library services was a skill brought forward. Working with community groups as a youth librarians was vital in moving to work on the larger collaborative community stage as well.

Berger shared how her time in youth services helped her concentrate on her extroversion, a skill that has been immeasurably helpful as a director before funding bodies. Both children's librarians' and directors are "on" most of the time so those skills carry forward.

What quality did you practice as a children's librarian that you use as a director?
All three panelists agreed that flexibility learned as a youth services librarian- from being open to change to mental agility - allows you to grab opportunity and effect change as a director.  Becca also mentioned that skills in diplomacy really helped her deal with the politics needed for a director's work.

What was one of the rudest shocks and also one of the most pleasant surprises you encountered about the job change?
Helmeci cited the depth of antipathy staff felt toward teens was a surprise.  On the positive side, it was great to have much flexibility in schedule and vacation without worrying about constant programming and SLP.

Connie was surprised at how little contact she had with kids after the change (though expected, she missed the freshness and "realness" of kids' reactions). She agreed with Hollis that scheduling flexibility was a wonderful plus as a director.

Becca found that management and supervision, again though expected, was difficult. It is very different as a director to have most work done through other people. On the plus side it is really rewarding to see how supportive the community is for youth services.

Do you have any advice for library directors in the audience with regard to working with youth services librarians or the role of youth services in a library?
Becca advised simply being good to them and support their work.

Hollis suggested that directors do an occasional storytime and drop by programs and the department. If you are not present, you don't understand what youth services people are doing.

Connie advised appreciating youth services folks not only by word but also by what you do as an administrator through support and funding - make youth services a priority and realize that youth services are the future of your library.

Do you have advice for youth services librarians with regard to working with administration (this question also was a springboard for an audience question on how to work with an administration that seems unresponsive to youth services concerns)? 
Green advised that directors can't change what they don't know. Step up and express yourself. And follow the chail of command rather than going around it to address problems.

Berger suggested coming at problems in a issues-based way and provide possible solutions to make the interaction more successful.

Helmeci expressed the thought that staffers have good and bad days and directors need to be sensitive and step in and help relieve stressed YS staffers. It's also important for directors to communicate by helping staffers understand the realities of budgetary and staffing constraints. Open communication is key.

Audience members mentioned the importance of small tokens of appreciation (a day completely off the public desk; a gift certificate), regular meetings so everyone is informed and using the new Pew Research Center's results to make the case with administration about the vital nature of youth work.

A huge thanks to our panelists and to a great audience!