Comments on: Changes to the YALSA Website

By: Liz B

Liz B — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 01:17:08 +0000

Ashley, congrats on WHAT CAN’T WAIT getting on the BFYA list!

By: Ashley Hope Pérez

Ashley Hope Pérez — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:34:27 +0000

As an author with a novel (WHAT CAN’T WAIT) ON the 2012 BFYA, I’m bummed about YALSA’s extra step/info-mining because I know this is going to dramatically decrease the visibility of the list.

How do I know? I noticed the restricted content on YALSA today when I was trying to create a link to the list from my website. The request for an email address struck me as odd, and I didn’t fill out the form. If I–an author ON THE LIST–wasn’t cool with this, how many casual visitors will be?

By: Liz B

Liz B — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 01:24:55 +0000

Sondy, as it’s set up now, it’s definately decreasing the visibility of the awards and lists.

By: Sondy

Sondy — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:03:05 +0000

I would question what they’re putting behind a members-only filters. Don’t we want more exposure for YALSA Awards, not less? Isn’t that something we want the general public to know about?

Now, information about choosing the awards, “inside” discussion of what titles are worthy, you can make a case for that, but if we ever want the Printz to have half the klout of the Newbery, it needs more exposure, not less.

How can we complain when Newbery winners don’t get on the Today show, then turn around and restrict access to Printz Award lists?

By: Liz B

Liz B — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:55:02 +0000

Lynne, “flies with honey” – YES. And I also agree that it’s good to provide something special for membership, but I don’t see this as either the “special” or the way to do so. As I’ve seen (and participated on) at comments and Twitter, some do not see this as a big deal etc. Enough discussion going on to say that it’s not a simple, cut and dried, issue. It seems from YALSA’s post that this is about gathering information from non members for various methods; I think it’s a rather inelegant method at this point, especially with how it’s implemented now.

Melissa, I agree, the steps are tedious. When it comes to membership, I think part of the reality is people cannot afford it. It’s the economy. People don’t have the money.

By: Membership Has Its Privileges « Venn Librarian

Membership Has Its Privileges « Venn Librarian — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 01:30:57 +0000

[...] A recent kerfluffle about YALSA’s new policy regarding access to the awards list has broken out – LizB, as always, has the best round-up and analysis. [...]

By: Melissa

Melissa — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 22:28:08 +0000

I am fine with YALSA making certain aspects of the list privileged information–like the annotations, but to make the lists and the award criteria completely unavailable is ridiculous. Granted, I can see that they want people to join the organization, but alienating people isn’t the way to go about that. Membership in ALA and YALSA is expensive, especially if your organization refuses to foot the bill for your professional memberships. If they want more members, try lowering the price some rather than restricting access and alienating potential users. I am a member of ALA, so I am not griping for being on the outside looking in–I am merely sympathizing with those who find those lists valuable, but don’t have the $ for membership. The extra steps are tedious, and they really aren’t winning any friends. I have to agree with Lynn, that we really need to do more to win people over rather than alienating them with forms and restrictions.

By: Lynn Rutan

Lynn Rutan — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 19:38:07 +0000

Thanks for bringing up the issue and presenting the many discussions going.

I believe very strongly in the importance of a professional organization and sympathize with the idea of providing something special for members. But I also believe that we are a service profession and providing access to important information on selection lists and awards to non-members is also important. Many many people value the information but don’t want all that YALSA membership provides. Maybe the question YALSA ought to be asking is not what to block but how they could gain more support.

Even as a member I am irritated by the extra steps and by the atmosphere created by asking people to fill out forms. It seems far more productive in the long-term to welcome those wanting this information and winning them over to importance of what we as a profession provide. That old adage of attracting more flies with honey springs to mind