Young Adult Library Services Association
Encyclopedia
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), established in 1957, is a division of the American Library Association
. The mission of YALSA 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. YALSA administers several awards and sponsors a biennial Young Adult Literature Symposium, Teen Read Week, the third week of each October, and Teen Tech Week, the second week of each March.
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
. The mission of YALSA 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. YALSA administers several awards and sponsors a biennial Young Adult Literature Symposium, Teen Read Week, the third week of each October, and Teen Tech Week, the second week of each March.
Awards
- The Alex AwardsAlex AwardsThe Alex Awards are also a separate award given for excellence in entertainment packaging.The Alex Awards is an annual event designed to commend and honor the ten books published for adults during the previous year, which have been also judged to have "special appeal" for young readers, primarily...
were named for twentieth-century American librarian Margaret "Alex" EdwardsMargaret A. EdwardsMargaret Alexander Edwards was an educator and librarian who was at the forefront of the movement for young adult services in the 20th century.-Early life:Margaret Edwards was born in the small farming community of Childress, Texas...
. They are awarded annually to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults. In the past 12 years (1998-2009) 120 books have been honored with the award. - The Edwards AwardMargaret Edwards AwardThe Margaret A. Edwards Award is awarded annually to an author for a specific body of his or her work, which has made a significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. It recognizes an author's work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about...
was named for twentieth-century American librarian Margaret A. Edwards. It is awarded annually to an author and a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. In the past 22 years (1988-2009), 21 authors have been honored with the award. - The Morris AwardWilliam C. Morris YA AwardThe William C. Morris YA Debut Award is an annual award given to a work of young adult literature by a debut author. It is administered by the Young Adult Library Services Association a division of the American Library Association . It was named for twentieth century American publisher William C....
was named for twentieth century American publisher William C. Morris It is awarded annually to a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature. In the past year (2009), one book has been honored with the award. In addition, four books were announced as finalists. - The Odyssey AwardOdyssey AwardThe Odyssey Award is an annual award given to the producer of the best audiobook for children or young adults, available in English in the United States. It is jointly administered by two divisions of the American Library Association and is sponsored by Booklist magazine...
was named in honor of the HomerHomerIn the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
's eighth century BC epic poemOdysseyThe Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
to remind us of the ancient roots of storytelling, while living in our modern world. The Odyssey Award is jointly given and administered by YALSA and the Association for Library Service to ChildrenAssociation for Library Service to ChildrenThe Association for Library Service to Children is a division of the American Library Association. Its members are concerned with the profession of children's Librarianship...
(ALSC), another division of the ALA. It is sponsored by BooklistBooklistBooklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
magazine, a publication of the ALA. In the past 2 years (2008-2009), 2 titles have been honored with the award. In addition, as runners-up, 10 titles have been cited as Odyssey Honor books. - The Printz AwardMichael L. Printz AwardThe Michael L. Printz Award is an annual award in the United States for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a school librarian from Topeka, Kansas, who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association...
was named for twentieth-century American librarian Michael L. Printz. It is sponsored by BooklistBooklistBooklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
magazine, a publication of the ALA. It is awarded annually to the book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. In the past 10 years (2000-2009), 10 books have been honored with the award. In addition, as runners up, 37 books have received the Printz honor. - YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults — the first winner will be named in 2010.