Excellence in Library Service to Young Adults Recognition Project, 2007-2008
Sponsored by theYoung Adult Library Services Association and the Margaret Edwards Trust
Purpose The Excellence Award Task Force of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) will select up to twenty-five exemplary teen programs/services in all types of libraries to include in a fifth edition of Excellence in Library Service to Young Adults. The top five programs will receive cash awards of $1000 each. Twenty “best of the rest” applications will receive cash awards of $250. This program to recognize excellence in library service to teenagers was begun by ALA Past President Hardy Franklin in 1993. (Click here for a Word document of the application instructions and the cover sheet). The deadline to submit programs is June 1, 2007.
Categories
The categories of programs/services for young adults ages 12 – 18 that will be considered follow. Please chose the category that most describes the initiative:
1. Enhancing Teen Spaces, Physical or Virtual: this includes teen space makeovers, web-based services or programs for teens and/or projects that make libraries in schools and public sectors more teen friendly and/or accessible
2. Teen Tech Week: educational or recreational programs or services relating to YALSA’s inaugural Teen Tech Week March 4-10, 2007.
3. Creative Teen Clubs: regularly-meeting teen groups based on a teen interest or that enhance library or literary experiences for teens
4. Promotion of Award Winning Young Adult Literature: services or programs that feature any of YALSA’s awards: Alex Awards, Margaret Edwards Award and/or Michael Printz Award
5. Reading Raves: unique reading promotion initiatives, in the areas of readers’ advisory, book discussion groups, incorporation of youth participation in library reading programs, services to reluctant readers or special needs readers, etc.
6. Community Connections: programs or services that involve a close partnership with schools, public libraries, or agencies in the community
7. Living in a Diverse World: services or programs to teens that promote respect for differences and/or reach out to teens of diverse backgrounds, such as ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, learning and communication styles, gender, disability and/or economic status.
8. Services Under $100: high impact services or programs that are low in cost
9. Special Events: a program or service that runs no more than twice a year which has high interest or high impact on area teens
Criteria
Each application will be judged on the basis of :
• The degree to which the program/service meets the needs of its community, particularly the young adult audience specified. (10 points)
• The originality of the program/service (creative, innovative, unique). (20 points)
• The degree to which the program/service reflects the concepts identified in New Directions for Library Service to Young Adults (ALA, 2002). (20 points)
• The degree to which the program/service impacts and improves service to young adults. (25 points)
• The quality of the program/service (well planned, well marketed, well organized, well implemented, and well evaluated). (25 points)
Definitions
For the purposes of this application the following definitions apply:
• Services--a term for all of the activities offered by libraries for users.
• Program--a library-sponsored event, inside or outside the library, which appeals to a group rather than an individual. A program can be informational, recreational, educational, or all three.
• Young adults--young people between the ages of 12 and 18; students in middle school, junior high, or high school.
• Public library--an agency established by a municipality, county, or region to provide library resources and services to all residents in that jurisdiction.
• School library media center--an agency that provides services and programs in either public or private schools. The programs and services can be offered in a single school or throughout the district. They must be specifically planned for students in middle, junior, or senior high schools.
• Institutional library--a library maintained by a public or private institution to serve its staff and persons in its care.
• Community Agency--either government or private agency that promotes the welfare of the audience.
Guidelines
1. All entries must include the cover sheet provided by YALSA.
2. The program/service described must have taken place in 2006 or 2007, or be ongoing.
3. The application must include a letter of support from the director of the public library, the superintendent of schools, or the building-level administrator.
4. Entries must be models of clarity and completeness.
5. Applications must be submitted electronically to ngilbert@ala.org for consideration by YALSA’s Excellence Award Taskforce.
6. Supplementary materials (e.g., artwork, photographs, forms, charts, brochures, slogans, logos, evaluations, quotes from participants) must be submitted electronically. No more than five pieces are allowed. To submit supplementary materials, please do the following:
1. Label each document with your name and document number. For example, Excellence_Gilbert_1of5.
2. Upload documents (you may upload 3 at a time) to the ALA site by using the following URL: http://cs.ala.org/upload OR
3. Send each attachment in a separate e mail to ngilbert@ala.org
4. You will receive confirmation that your application and attachments have been received.
5. If you have problems or concerns with this process, please do not hesitate to contact Nichole at 1(800) 545-2433 or ngilbert@ala.org.
7. All applications must be received no later than midnight (Eastern) June 2, 2007.
8. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Announcement of Awards
1. The libraries selected with exemplary programs/services will be announced by the close of the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, DC, June 21 - 27, 2007.
2. All twenty-five of the selected exemplary programs/services will be included in YALSA’s Excellence in Library Services to Young Adults, 5th edition, edited by Amy Alessio, to be published summer 2008.
3. The top five entries will receive a cash award of $1000. The next twenty will receive $250 each. Each award will be presented to the applicant's institution for use with teen services or programs.
4. Libraries receiving the cash awards will be recognized via press release, on the YALSA web site and at a program at the 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California, June 2008.
Program Description
Include the following information with the application cover sheet (see below). Incomplete applications will not be considered.
1. Summarize the program/service (maximum 150 words, double-spaced).
2. Describe the public library, school, or institution that offers the program/service (maximum 150 words, double-spaced).
3. Provide specific information about the program/service. Limit your response to items (a) through (j) below and to no more than five double-spaced pages, in total.
(a) Identify the specific audience.
(b) Describe the demographics of the local adolescent population.
(c) Explain why the program/service is important, and how the program makes a difference in the lives of young adults and the community.
(d) Provide the numbers of young adults reached via the program/service.
(e) Provide the number of staff members and volunteers involved.
(f) Explain how the project was funded and provide specific budget figures. Explain how these figures were derived (e.g., number of staff hours and cost per staff hour, outside speakers/consultants, materials, etc.). If the project was funded completely or partially by another organization, include that organization's name and address and describe the level of funding.
(g) Describe the marketing that was done to promote the service or event.
(h) Explain the level of youth participation in planning, implementing and evaluating the program or service.
(i) Outline how the program has been evaluated, supplying comparative figures if possible with statistics prior to the program or in the previous year.
(j) Describe how the program or service fits into the overall young adult services at the institution.
For questions please e mail Nichole Gilbert, YALSA Program Officer, or call 1.800.545.2433 x4387
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