1. TEEN READ WEEK & BEYOND:
Teen Reading Programming Throughout the Year

2. January: Teen Book & Media Awards
Every January YALSA announces the winners of its book and media awards
Alex, Edwards, Morris, Nonfiction, Odyssey, & Printz
Prepare for the awards announcement
Hold a mock Printz or Nonfiction Award election
Display previous or potential winners
Create an awards announcement countdown on the library web site
Explain how the awards are announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting and that people can watch a live webcast of the announcement on the ALA web site or sign up to receive the winners as a text message to your phone
State what each award is for: Alex is for the 10 best adult books with teen appeal; Edwards is for significant & lasting contribution to YA lit & goes to one author & a specific body of his/her work; Morris is a debut award for YA lit; Nonfiction will be for the best nonfiction book published for YAs; Odyssey is for best audiobook production for youth; Printz is for the best YA book of the year

3. February & March: Celebrate!
Celebrate the award winners
Displays
Book clubs
Contests
Author events
Update your collection and services
Purchase the winners & titles on the selected lists
Incorporate the titles into readers’ advisory
Spread the word
Download & reproduce bookmark templates
Letter to the editor
Links on your web site
Booktalks
The Official YALSA Awards Guidebook published by Neal Schuman has resources to help you plan events and programs
Visit YALSA’s web site to download the free bookmarks and for other resources to help you celebrate the winners
Right after the awards are announced Follett Library Resources creates a page featuring the winners to make ordering easy

4. April: National Library Week
Teen Read Week registration opens at
Promote YA literature in your community
Author events
Read-a-thons
Letters to the editor
Online book reviews
Participate in Operation Teen Book Drop
It is not at all like it was when today’s parents were teens
Librarians need to inform parents and educators that most of YA Lit is not the Baby Sitters Club or Gossip Girl.
Nearly 3,000 books are published for young adults each year
Young adult literature is the fastest growing segment of publishing

5. May thru September: Teens’ Top Ten
It’s a teens’ choice award for the best YA books
Nominations are posted online in April
Encourage your teens to read the TTT nominations so they can vote for their favorites in Aug. The winners are announced during Teen Read Week
Use the list for collection development
Brainstorm ways to tie the TTT into summer reading
Share the list with school librarians and teachers
Use in booktalks, book clubs and displays
Feature the titles on the library web site
The list of nominations, which is usually between 20 and 30 titles, is posted on the YALSA web site during National Library Week in April.

6. October: Teen Read Week
Encourages all teens to tell their own stories
All schools, libraries & bookstores can participate
Celebrated annually the same week as Columbus Day in Oct.
Registration is free & registrants receive special promotions
Celebrate in a way that works best for you
The 2017 Teen Read Week is Oct and will be celebrated with the theme “Unleash Your Story”
Registration opens and the web site featuring free resources both launch in April during National Library Week.
ALA Graphic sells posters, bookmarks and other items to help you promote the event.
While Teen Read Week is celebrated in October, the same week as Columbus Day, YALSA recognizes that this may not be the best time for everyone. If that week doesn’t work for your community, choose another one. Many libraries also choose to extend the celebration and make October “Teen Read Month”.

7. Unleash Your Story!
Create displays that feature the storytelling theme
Host a books-to-film, film festival featuring books that feature teens telling and changing their stories
Have your teens vote on their favorite folktale, biography or autobiography.
Ask your Teen Advisory Group to help you create events where they and their peers are encouraged to tell and share their own stories.
Visit YALSA’s wiki to find out more ideas and/or to share your own.
Check out a free Teen Read Week Programming webinar at
Ask the audience what other ideas for celebrating the theme come to their mind.

8. Websites for More Information
(awards & lists)
(Teens’ Top Ten)
(Teen Read Week)
Each of these web pages will give you detailed information about the programs that were mentioned earlier.

9. Programming Resources from YALSA
Cool Teen Programs Under $100 (July 09)
Excellence in Library Services to Young Adults, 5th ed. (2008)
M.A.E. Award for Best Lit Program for Teens,
Program Idea Wiki at
YALSA’s new Teen Programming HQ database,
YA-YAAC, a listserv for library workers to share programming ideas,
Young Adult Library Services (quarterly)
The first two items are books that can be purchased via the ALA online store.
The deadline to apply for the MAE award is December 1st of each year. The winning librarian gets $500 for him or herself and $500 for their library.
YA-YAAC is an listserv that is open to anyone who wants to subscribe.
Young Adult Library Services is YALSA’s quarterly journal which regularly features best practices in serving teens, including programming ideas and resources. It’s $50 to subscribe, or free with YALSA membership.

10. Continuing Education Resources
Stay current with the latest in teen reading through YALSA’s webinars!
YALSA offers monthly webinars on the third Thursday at 2pm EST
Learn about our upcoming webinars here:
Can’t attend the live session? Check out our webinars on demand!

11. Please contact YALSA if we can be of help
50 E. Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
x4390
(web site)
(blog)
(wiki)
YALSA has four full time staff. They are happy to answer any questions you may have, so please don’t hesitate to call or them. They’ll do their best to return your call or within 24 hours.

12. Who is YALSA?
YALSA stands for the Young Adult Library Services Association
Parent organization is the American Library Association (ALA)
Has over 5,200 members who are school librarians, public librarians, educators, grad students and library supporters
Mission: to support library staff in alleviating the challenges teens face, and in putting all teens ‒ especially those with the greatest needs ‒ on the path to successful and fulfilling lives.

13. Questions or Comments?