The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is the world’s largest organization dedicated to library service for children. ALSC has more than 4,000 members, including librarians, educators, children’s literature experts, and publishers, and works closely with like-minded organizations around the country. The association’s most visible public presence is its administration of ten awards in children’s literature, most notably the Newbery and Caldecott medals. At some point, I would like to get onto one of the award committees, most likely the Sibert. I follow all the awards to use them to help me keep my collection balanced and up-to-date.
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is a national association of librarians dedicated to serving the needs of teens. YALSA has more than 3,600 members, including librarians and other advocates who work to support teens through age-appropriate resources and programs. The association administers a number of book awards, most notably the Printz and Morris awards. I use this site to keep up on award-winners for my teen audience.
The Virginia Library Association (VLA) is a nonprofit organization that supports and promotes public libraries throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. The VLA comprises six regions and maintains the VLA Jobline, on which library systems can post available positions. The VLA partners with its national counterpart, the American Library Association, as well as the Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL). As a school librarian, I belong to VAASL. I think that going forward it would be beneficial to belong to both.
The Roanoke & New River Valley Library Association (RVLA) welcomes librarians, other library staff, and library school students to collaborate and work to support the profession in its part of Virginia. Members represent not only the two local public consortia – the Roanoke Valley Libraries (RVL) and the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library (MFRL) – but also area colleges and K-12 schools. RVLA meets on a regular basis to discuss concerns and best practices. Although I have not kept up with RVLA due to the pandemic, I am hoping to reconnect in the near future.
Originally formed in southwest Virginia, the Mid Atlantic Library Alliance (MALiA) brings together librarians from more than 225 public, school, academic, and special institutions from the lower Mid-Atlantic region all the way south to Florida and Alabama. The Alliance offers its members a variety of services, including professional development, shared resources, scholarships, and assistance with vendor contracts and political action. This is an organization that I think I would want to be a part of as a way of expanding my circle of contacts beyond Virginia.
The Virginia State Literacy Association (VSLA), formerly the Virginia State Reading Association, is dedicated to the promotion of literacy in the Commonwealth of Virginia through research and best practices. Its membership includes teachers, librarians, and literacy specialists from chapters around the state. Its most popular program is Virginia Readers’ Choice, which involves students from Pre-K through 12th grade in four award categories. VSLA is affiliated with the International Literacy Association (ILA). Although there is a chapter in the Roanoke Valley, I am mostly interested in being involved on the state level. I have submitted a volunteer form to work on a committee I have suggested VSLA adopt that focuses on nonfiction books.
NYPL Blogs represent the vast array of The New York Public Library’s vast holdings, including more than 50 million items spread across 92 branches – branches that host thousands of events and exhibits. The blogs are produced by enthusiastic staff and contributed to by the public. The many blog channels range from “24 Frames per Second,” dealing with film holdings and programs, to “World Languages,” which covers collections in Spanish, French, Chinese, and Russian. I am adding this page to my bookmarks bar to help me keep up with all of the great resources cycling through this webpage.
Library Journal (LJ), like its sister publication School Library Journal (SLJ), is a print and online trade publication produced for librarians and academics. Founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey, it now falls under the umbrella of parent company Media Source Inc. and its subsidiary, MSI Information Services. For more than 140 years, Library Journal has been advocating for the profession as it identifies trends and best practices in library services and reports on the activities of library leaders. As a Junior Library Guild (JLG) customer, I can either get a free subscription to LJ or SLJ. So far, I have only subscribed to the latter, but plan to switch, though I eventually may want to subscribe to both.
Call Number, formerly Dewey Decibel, is a podcast series produced by American Libraries, the magazine of the American Library Association. It is hosted by Phil Morehart, Senior Editor for American Libraries. Episodes feature library leaders and scholars as they delve into key topics in the field. The podcast can be accessed on smart devices or on the Internet on Soundcloud.com or the American Libraries podcast page. I love podcasts and have added this to my regular list and plan to be a regular listener. They produce episodes on topics that I care deeply about.
In 2017, Teaching for Change, a non-profit committed to multiculturalism and equity in education, established Social Justice Books in response to the under-representation of people of color in American publishing. Social Justice Books produces book lists for teachers and students, as well as articles and book reviews. Those interested in anti-bias should be sure to check out the Freedom Reads book talk series. This is a website I plan to refer to regularly to help me build a more diverse collection.
Citations
Association for Library Service to Children. (2021). American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/alsc/
Call Number with American Libraries Podcast. (2021). American Library Association. https://soundcloud.com/dewey-decibel-703453552
Library Journal. (2021). Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/
Mid Atlantic Library Alliance. (n.d.) Mid Atlantic Library Alliance. http://malialibrary.org/
NYPL Blogs. (2021). New York Public Library. https://www.nypl.org/blog
Roanoke & New River Valley Library Association. (n.d.). Roanoke & New River Valley Library Association. https://rvlaonline.wordpress.com/
Social Justice Books. (2021). Teaching for Change. https://socialjusticebooks.org/
Virginia Library Association. (2021). Virginia Library Association. https://www.vla.org/
Virginia State Literacy Association. (2020). Virginia State Literacy Association. https://www.vsra.org/
Young Adult Library Services Association. (2021). American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/yalsa/