CHICAGO — The Youth Services Consultants Interest Group, a new member group hosted by the Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies, is now online and accepting new members.

Youth services consultants and any state library staff member who works with youth services on a statewide level are encouraged to join this newly-established member-driven group. As a part of this group, members share ideas for statewide programming initiatives such as summer reading. It’s also an opportunity to explore programming and speaker partnerships for neighboring states. In addition to this important networking function, the group has set a goal of having each state youth services consultant develop content for a workshop tailored to meet its state’s specific needs such as setting up a statewide youth services advisory council; exploring the role of youth services librarians in advocacy; or methods for telling your library’s story in local and global communities.

To join the Youth Services Consultants Interest Group, login to ALA Connect, then access the group’s ALA Connect page, then click “JOIN” on the right side. Membership in ASCLA is not required in order to participate in this group, however group leadership positions may only be held by ASCLA membership.

In addition to the Youth Services Consultants Interest Group, ASCLA offers a multitude of groups that relate to the following areas of work: consortium management; collaborative digitization; interlibrary cooperation; physical delivery; independent librarians and consultants; services to people with visual/physical disabilities that prevent them from reading standard print; library services to the incarcerated and detained; universal access; library development for state library agencies; and state library agency LSTA coordinators.

More information about ASCLA’s interest groups can be found on the ASCLA website. New interest groups representing one of ASCLA’s core membership areas are always welcome. To create a group, an ASCLA member must start an e-petition and receive signatures from 10 ASCLA members. E-petitions can be started on the ASCLA website (ALA login required).

ASCLA, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is a diverse organization of librarians and support staff who work in academic and public libraries, state agencies, specialized libraries and multi-type cooperatives, as well as those who are self-employed. Our division’s work centers on member-driven interest groups that represent the diversity and important work of our engaged and active members. Not an ASCLA member, but interested in forming new interest groups, receiving discounted registration rates on ASCLA preconferences and online courses, and other important membership benefits? Join, renew or add ASCLA to your ALA membership at www.ala.org/membership.

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