Claire's Corner - August 2022 YSS Board Updates

Today's August YSS board meeting update is from Claire Parrish, YSS 2022 Chair and Public Services Director at Rice Lake Public Library.

I’m back! This summer looked way different for me as I was out of the library on maternity leave. It was a little strange to not be a part of all our amazing programming, but a huge shout-out of thanks to my amazing team who all stepped up and made it a fantastic summer at the library. I hope that you all are taking a deep breath as your programs are wrapping up or have wrapped up. Summer is both a wonderful and incredibly draining time, and it’s completely okay to take a little time off from programming to bounce back. Cheers to all library staff serving youth for another summer done.

YSS also takes the summer off, but I’m happy to say that the Board has jumped right back into things. This is the time of year that we are looking for a few folks to join us on the Board or volunteer for a role on the Children’s Book Award Committee. Curious about what those positions entail? Keep reading to find out!

The Burr/Worzalla Children’s Book Award Committee has several openings for the next year, with duties starting in January 2023. The full list of committee duties can be found HERE, but involves a few virtual meetings and reading lots of books written by authors with ties to Wisconsin. If you’re interested in joining the committee, please fill out the application and return it to me at claireparrish@ricelakegov.org.

Another leadership opportunity available is to serve on the YSS Board. We are looking for a Chair-Elect (3 year commitment) and two folks for Director-at-Large (2 year commitment) for our fall 2022 ballot, with the term starting in January 2023. This volunteer board opportunity offers so many benefits. You will:

●     Network with peer youth library staffers from around the state.

●     Help create continuing education opportunities for library staff serving youth.

●     Enjoy the camaraderie of a wonderful group of like-minded professionals.

●     Build leadership, planning, and networking skills.

●     Rub elbows with fantastic authors, illustrators, and smart people.

Typically the board meets via Zoom monthly during the school year, making it a very easy commitment to keep. Between times, tasks are divided among the board members and everyone pitches in a bit to help make the fun happen! Please contact Jenny Wegener to volunteer for the one of these YSS board positions: jenny.r.wegener@gmail.com

I personally started as a Director-at-Large, which was a great way to get a feel for the group and the workload. I then came back to run for the Chair-Elect position because I felt so strongly about the work that YSS does and the awesome opportunities provided by being a part of this section. Please take a moment to consider joining us!