Tips and Info from DPI's May 8 , 2025 Youth Services Newsletter

Jeni Schomber's DPI Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources is an email newsletter chockfull of great resources we've come to rely on. If you are a WI youth library staffer and you don't receive this weekly missive in your email inbox, please contact Jeni (jennifer.schomber@dpi.wi.gov) to be placed on the list! 

Here is the May 8, 2025 edition  

Hello All,

Foundations of Wisconsin Librarianship Workshop

• Registration is at capacity for the Foundations of Wisconsin Librarianship: Essential Skills for Library Media Specialists and Public Library Staff Serving Youth workshop. If you are still interested in attending, please contact me directly at jeni.schomber@dpi.wi.gov to be placed on a waiting list.
• This workshop is specifically structured to be most beneficial to public library staff who are new (three years or less) to serving youth in Wisconsin libraries and will provide an introduction to essential skills, resources, and strategies for working in public libraries.
• The three-day in-person workshop will be held at Hotel Mead, in Wisconsin Rapids from 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday July 29 through 2:00 p.m. on Thursday July 31, 2025. There is no cost to attend and most meals will be provided. Attendees, or their library, will be responsible for mileage, two nights lodging, and one evening meal.

BadgerLink Bulletin

• Learn how to find book reviews in trusted library publications in trusted BadgerLink Resources. View the full story.
• An updated Britannica School-Early Elementary webinar recording is now available on the BadgerLink Training Page. View the full story.  

Flight Path: a New Project for Libraries

• In honor of World Migratory Bird Day (May 15th) STAR Net and Tangled Banks Studios are proud to announce Flight Path, a new project for public libraries focused on bird conservation and science.
• Flight Path invites you to swoop into a robust suite of materials to create engaging and educational events that give your communities the opportunity to learn about local and regional birds, and to become local science explorers themselves.
• Learn more and apply today.

YALSA Symposium Status Update

• While YALSA leadership is exploring the future possibilities for delivering Symposium content, there will be no YALSA Symposium in fall 2025 or fall 2026. The YALSA board and staff will continue discussing details related to future YALSA opportunities with other partners.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month - News from Sesame Workshop

• Sesame Workshop works to help children build a foundation of emotional wellness by being kind to themselves, practicing gratitude, and staying healthy in mind and body.
• Whether you are helping a child manage the ups and downs of daily life, or cope with big feelings such as grief, you can use our resources to help little ones notice, understand, and name their emotions.
• Explore the resources

Have a great weekend

Getting on an ALSC/YALSA Award Committee

A question that often comes up in conversation or meetings with people who have served on ALSC youth media awards committees is how one goes about serving in this capacity. We all share our own journey - the experience that helped us in being considered; whether we were appointed or elected, and so on.

A recent ALSC blog post by Kelly Depin, a member of the School Age Services committee as well as the 2025 Newbery committee does a great job breaking down some ways, besides ALA membership in ALSC, YALSA, and other roundtables, for you to start working on your bona fides. Kelly writes: "How do you get to be on a committee like this? While it’s possible, it is going to require some work on your part. "

To read her tips, please stop here. [How to Get on a Youth Media Award Committee. Depin, Kelly. ALSC blog. Februray 23, 2025]

And if you are an ALSC member and are interested in committee work, now is the perfect time to volunteer your time and talents! From the most recent ALSC newsletter published February 18, 2025, here is a call to volunteer!

Interested in Committee Work? Be Sure To Fill Out ALSC's Volunteer Form Now!   If you're interested in serving on an ALSC committee for the 2025-2026 term, now is the time to fill out our volunteer form!   Committee work is a fantastic way to make a difference at ALSC, as well as allowing you to make new connections and develop your leadership skills. Many of our process committees meet and work virtually, so you can be involved no matter where you are.   Learn more about the appointment process here, and see a full list of committees here.   And once you're ready, you can access the volunteer form here!

LEARN MORE

Children's & Teen Awards/Best Books Lists Roundup

Annually, YALSA's blogging team recommends a list of great graphic novels and illustrated nonfiction for those ages 12-18. Their list of ten titles includes annotations, review, suggested cataloging, ISBN and age range.

Stop here to see the complete list.

A tip of the hat to the WVLS Youth Services Information Exchange Facebook page for these two recent list tips.

Rise: A Feminist Book Project Top Ten List
The Feminist Task Force of the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association.creates an annual book list of the best feminist books for young readers from birth through age 18. 

• 2024 Top Ten List
•  Past Top Ten Lists

EJK Illustrator Award

Ezra Jack Keats Award

EJK Award is given annually to an outstanding new writer and new illustrator by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation in partnership with the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM).

The Ezra Jack Keats Award was created to nurture illustrators and writers, early in their careers, who create extraordinary books that reflect our diverse population, the universal experience of childhood and the strength of family and community. 

EJK Author Award

2024 winners and honors

LIVESTREAM the EJK Award Ceremony, April 11, 1:00pm ET (details coming soon)

About the EJK Award • All Winners & Honors • Mock EJK Award Toolkits • FAQ • EJK Award Book Discussion Guides

YALSA's T Audiobook Picks for Teens

Recently on YALSA's Hub blog, they published a great list of audiobooks produced over the past two years that are great for teens. Each title includes an annotation and information about the readers, length, recommended ages and ISBN.

Stop here to access the list!

Teens' Top Ten Voting Open

from YALSA's The Hub:Your Connection to Teen Connections blog  8/15/20

Voting is open for YALSA’s 2020 Teens’ Top Ten now through October 15. Teens aged 12-18 can vote for up to three titles from the 25 nominees. A video featuring the nominated books can be found on the Teens’ Top Ten site.

Every April, the Teens’ Top Ten nominees are posted on the Thursday of National Library Week, and readers vote online August 15 – October 15. To learn more about the Teens’ Top Ten and voting, please visit the Teens’ Top Ten website.

Share the nominees video on your library or school’s website and encourage teens to vote.

2020 YALSA Virtual Symposium Registration Open

From the YALSA blog, August 14, 2020

Registration for YALSA’s 2020 YA Services Symposium, which takes place virtually November 6-8, is now open. Early bird registration ends September 15.

Programs cover the entire spectrum of topics related to providing services for and with young adults. This year’s theme is Biggest Little Spaces: How Libraries Serve the Expanding Worlds of Teens. New this year and included in registration is the Edwards Luncheon. Registration is open to anyone with an interest in young adult services and literature.

Registration includes:

• Access to recordings of all sessions for one-year post event
• Opening Session: Space to Deal: How Authors Turn Real Life into Stories with Empathy, a conversation with authors Traci Chee, Sharon Flake, Alan Gratz, April Henry
• Author Breakfast (Saturday): Taking Space: Making Diverse Voices Heard in a Crowded Landscape, a conversation with  Kim Johnson, Ryan La Sala, Anna-Marie McLemore, and Nic Stone.
• Edwards Luncheon: Hear from 2020 Edwards Award winning author Steve Sheinkin
• Author breakfast (Sunday): Pride of Space: LGBTQ+ Representation in YA, a conversation with George M. Johnson, Dahlia Adler, TJ Klune, and Aiden Thomas, moderated by Malinda Lo.
• Closing Session: Inner Spaces: Creating Compelling Characters Dealing with Tough Topics, a conversation with Romina Garber, Adib Khorram, Mark Oshiro, and Courtney Summers

Early Bird Registration Rates (Now – September 15)

• $129 YALSA Personal Member
• $199 ALA Personal Member (Join YALSA by phone: 800.545.2433)
• $39 Students (enrolled full-time in a library program)
• $249 Others (Join ALA/YALSA by phone: 800.545.2433)

Additional programs such as Friday pre-conferences can be added to registration for additional fees. View the list of programs and participating authors.

Register online or by phone at 312-280-4293. Learn more about the symposium at www.ala.org/yalsa/yasymposium. For questions or concerns, please contact Nichole O’Connor at noconnor@ala.org.

Program Proposals Open for YALSA’s 2020 YA Services Symposium

YALSA currently seeks program proposals for its 2020 YA Services Symposium, which will take place November 6 - 8 in Reno, NV. Program proposals should relate to the theme, “Biggest Little Spaces: How Libraries Serve the Expanding Worlds of Teens” and focus around key issues in YALSA's report. Program proposals will be accepted until February 15.  Apply for a YALSA member travel stipend by June 1. Registration opens in April. Interested individuals can sign up for updates about the symposium here.

YALSA's New Teen Celebration: TeenTober!

YALSA's kickin' off something new, y'all!

TeenTober is a new, nationwide celebration hosted by libraries every October and aims to celebrate teens, promote year-round teen services and the innovative ways teen services helps teens learn new skills, and fuel their passions in and outside the library. TeenTober replaces YALSA’s previous Teen Read Week™ and Teen Tech Week™ celebrations, allowing libraries the flexibility to choose what to celebrate (digital literacy, reading, technology, writing, etc) and the length of time for each celebration.

Library staff are encouraged to utilize this new celebration to advocate for and raise awareness of the importance of year-round teen services in libraries.

For its inaugural year, the celebration will have a soft launch with free, digital marketing tools, which will be available in the coming weeks.

EDIT:

Web graphics are now available! Woot!  Click HERE to check them out!

Apply for YALSA's Diversity Program Stipend!

Diverse individuals are invited to apply for a chance to present a literacies-focused program at YALSA’s 2019 YA Services Symposium in Memphis, TN.  This year's theme?  Show Up and Advocate: Supporting Teens in the Face of Adversity.

The program will take place on Sunday, Nov. 3rd. If selected, the recipient must become a YALSA/ALA member and will be provided $1,500 to offset that cost, as well as registration, travel, lodging, and meal expenses at the symposium.

With this opportunity, YALSA hopes to create a more just and equitable symposium by providing more professional opportunities for diverse individuals from underrepresented populations, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, language, culture, national origin, age, disability status, ideology, religion, power differentiated groups and professional skills.

Only one session proposal per person will be accepted. Literacies, as defined by YALSA, extends beyond traditional literacy and includes, but is not limited to visual, digital, textual and technology literacy or serving underserved teens.

Funds for the stipend are generously provided by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

Learn more and apply by August 1.

Fun Times with Fandoms!

Fandoms, fandoms everywhere...  How can you possibly provide programs that cover all the different subcultures your teen patrons are gushing about?

YALSA's Programming HQ is here with a solution: combine them into one giant event!

Check out these ideas to awaken your creative juices and get you started:

K Pop 101

Harry Potter Divination Class

Zombie Party

NANOWRIMO: Game of Thrones

Fandom Fridays

Clay Cosplay

Have you hosted a fandom party you'd like to share?  Post it to the HQ and share the wealth!

Thanks to YALSA for yet another fab resource!  (and thanks once again to Tessa for sending resouce goodies my way so I can pass them along to you lovely folks!)

YALSA's Book Finder Database

Just in case you missed the email from the ever-fabulous Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, YALSA's Teen Book Finder Database has been updated with the most recent award winners, honorees, and selected booklists.  Huzzah!

Not familiar with this particular database?  This fantastic resource allows the user to do a straight search or browse by a variety of topics, including genre, author, award year, and award/booklist.  The database also includes audiobooks and films!  Pages discussing a specific title will also include links leading to other similarly tagged offerings.

Click HERE to start exploring!

YALSA's 2019 Excellence in Nonfiction Shortlist

YALSA's 2019 Excellence in Nonfiction Shortlist has officially been revealed!

The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor written by Sonia Sotomayor
                                    
Boots on the Ground: America’s War in Vietnam written by Elizabeth Partridge
                               
The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler written and illustrated by John Hendrix
                                 
Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction written and illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
                                 
The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees written and illustrated by Don Brown
                                 
The YALSA 2019 Excellence in Nonfiction Award honors the best nonfiction books written for young adults between November 1, 2017 and October 31, 2018.

The winner of the award will be announced on January 2018 during the Youth Media Award announcements at ALA's Midwinter Meeting.

To read the official press release, click HERE.

To head over to Amazon to pick up these titles for yourself, click on the book covers!

YALSA's 2019 Summer Grant Applications Now Open!

Looking for some extra funds to help out with next year's Summer Reading Program?

YALSA recently announced that applications for the 2019 Summer Grants are officially open!  Thanks to generous funding by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, two different grants are available: the Summer Learning Resource Grant and the Teen Summer Intern Grant.  There are twenty-five grants available for each category, and the grants--worth $1000 each--will be awarded to libraries around the country. 

Interested applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• The applicant must be a member of YALSA, both at the time the application is submitted and through the implementation of the grant.
• The Summer Learning Program must be administered through a library.
• The SLP must be open to all teens in your community.
• The winning library must be within 20 miles of a Dollar General store.

For more information and/or to get started, visit YALSA's Summer Learning website.  Applications are due by January 1, 2019.

ALA Public Library & School Library Collaboration Toolkit

Look at our colleagues at ALA - so many helpful resources shared with us!

Just out is the joint ALSC/YALSA/AASL Toolkit focusing on best practices for initiating and engaging in public and school library collaborations. This uber helpful toolkit can be downloaded or linked to and contains:

• information on how to start and continue a school-public library collaboration
• research that supports that collaboration
• examples of successful collaborations
• useful templates

Stop here to read and/or downlaod your free copy!

Trumpet Fanfare - New Teen Competencies!

ALA's YALSA has just completed an excellent update of their teen services competencies
Read them here.

In addition, they have four powerful and helpful reports that help us navigate more effectively our teen services:

• The Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action
• The National Research Agenda on Libraries, Learning and Teens
• Core Professional Values for the Teen Services Profession
• Teen Programming Guidelines

Teen Readers' Advisory in the Age of the Smartphone

YALSA

YALSA's new Book Finder app and database is something I'm excited about introducing to teens and other readers of YA literature. Using either the desktop or the mobile app, which is slick and graphically pleasing, anyone can access the entirety of 4,000 titles from YALSA's awards and other lists of titles.

One major benefit is that this database is searchable and not limited to the chronological award lists that had to be accessed individually. Librarians, teens, and parents can download the free app to find new reads on either Android or iOS devices. The Book Finder is searchable by award/booklist, author, genre, or award year. Find out more about the database HERE or about the app HERE.

See "Oscars" of Youth Literature Monday Jan. 23!

If you get excited about the "Oscars" of children's and teen literature and media awards (Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King, Printz, Odyssey, Geisel, Carnegie, Sibert, Belpre, Carnegie and more more more), you can catch the live award announcements webcast on Monday January 23 at (yawn) 7am CT. You can live stream online at the I Love Libraries Facebook page or online with real time closed captioning at the ALA site. 

It's fun to join the audience at ALA Midwinter in Atlanta (where we hope also to be celebrating a Packer victory from the night before) as the crowd reacts to the hard work of the many ALSC, YALSA, and other committees from various ALA divisions who have read, viewed and listened so hard to pick the best of print and nonprint literature for youth. Plus, the twitter feed for #yma17 and #alamw17 usually explodes with tweets during the press conference so that's a blast too!

After the broadcast, you can access full lists and citations for all the winners at the same site; catch an archive of the surprisingly short press conference and access past lists of winners.

Trends Impacting Young Adult Services – Call for Papers

An opportunity for those of you providing Young Adult Services.

The YALSA Midwinter Paper Presentation, an annual event sponsored by YALSA
past presidents, provides a venue to gather and explore a topic that impacts
the field of young adult librarianship. The YALSA Midwinter Paper Committee
will select one paper to be delivered at ALA Midwinter Meeting in Atlanta, GA,
January 20-24, 2017.  The presenter will receive up to $1,500 to defray travel
and registration costs.  The paper will be published in YALSA’s peer-reviewed
Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults. Paper proposals are due
June 1, 2016. For more information, visit
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/awardsandgrants/mwpaper.

YA Fiction for Fans of Game of Thrones

WINTER IS COMING . . . I promise it is and it arrives on April 24, 2016.

Game of Thrones is very violent and very sexual; do teens watch really watch it?  Yes!  Some of them even watch it with their parents.  Why is Game of Thrones so popular?  It’s about maniacal kings and powerful women and dragons and war and magic.  What’s not to like?

Whichever theme your teens find intriguing, there’s a book for that.  Check out YALSA's awesome list of Game of Thrones Read Alikes for teens.

YALSA Symposium 2015 Highlights

For those of us who missed out on YALSA's annual symposium (held in Portland, OR this year), we can sneak a glimpse of the excitement and wonder through these highlights from attendee Donna Block:

Takeaways from Portland: YALSA15