I'm such a joiner. Be my bellweather?

[deborah]

I wish there were a way to join ACRL and YALSA without joining ALA. I agree with all the brouhaha (eg. Jessamyn, Dorothea) that the ALA as a whole has been trying for years now to benefit libraries at the expense of librarians. I don't want to join the ALA -- it's my belief that you can't fundamentally help libraries as institutions unless you help librarians as well. Yet I need to network with people in my field, and while I can technically get by without joining ACRL (there's plenty of other organizations and opportunities to meet people while I'm working here), I don't know how else I can be involved with YA lit. I don't after all, work in the field, and almost all the real work in children's and YA librarianship are happens in ALSC and YALSA.

Well, at least now that I have a job I can afford to rejoin ChLA. That's something.

Comments

[in-parentheses.livejournal.com]

I just had to re-join ALA so I could re-join YALSA so I could apply to be on the committee for the Best Graphic Novels for YAs list. I had the same issues with it - it's expensive and doesn't necessarily support things I agree with. These people elected Gorman, for crying out loud! Yeah, yeah, work from the inside, don't move to Canada, blah blah. But it's still annoying.

On the other hand, I might get to be on a committee! Where they'll send me lots of free graphic novels to read!