About YALSA

YALSA Mission Statement

The mission of the Young Adult Library Services Association is to advocate, promote and strengthen service to young adults as part of the continuum of total library service, and to support those who provide service to this population. The following concerns and activities are interdependent in fulfilling the goal of YALSA:

The Young Adult Library Services Association:

• Advocates the young adult's right to free and equal access to materials and services, and assists librarians in handling problems of such access.
• Evaluates and promotes materials of interest to adolescents through special services, programs and publications, except for those materials designed specifically for curriculum use.
• Identifies research needs related to young adult service and communicates those needs to the library academic community in order to activate research projects.
• Stimulates and promotes the development of librarians and other staff working with young adults through formal and continuing education.
• Stimulates and promotes the expansion of young adult service among professional associations and agencies at all levels.
• Represents the interests of librarians and staff working with young adults to all relevant agencies, governmental or private, and industries that serve young adults as clients or consumers.
• Creates and maintains communication links with other units of ALA whose developments affect service to young adults.