Young Adult Library Services Association facts for kids

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), started in 1957. It is part of the American Library Association. YALSA is a national association of librarians, library workers and people who support libraries. They want to make libraries larger and better help teens. YALSA gives several awards and supports an Young Adult Literature Symposium each year. They also do Teen Read Week, the third week of each October, and Teen Tech Week, the second week of each March. YALSA has over 5,200 members.

Awards

• The Alex Awards were named for twentieth-century American librarian Margaret "Alex" Edwards. They are given each year to ten books written for adults that are also very good for to young adults. The Alex Awards were first given in 1998.
• The Edwards Award was named for twentieth-century American librarian Margaret A. Edwards. It is given each year to an author and a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. The Edwards Award was first given in 1988.
• The Morris Award was named for twentieth-century American publisher William C. Morris. It is given each year to a first book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature. The Morris Award was first given in 2009.
• The Odyssey Award was named in honor of the Homer's eighth century BC epic poem to remind us of the ancient roots of storytelling, while living in our modern world. The Odyssey Award, awarded to the best audio book production for young adults, is jointly given and administered by YALSA and the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), another division of the ALA. It is sponsored by Booklist magazine, a publication of the ALA. The Odyssey Award was first given in 2008.
• The Printz Award was named for twentieth-century American librarian Michael L. Printz. It is sponsored by Booklist magazine, a publication of the ALA. It is given each year to the book that shows the best literary excellence in young adult literature. The Printz Award was first given in 2000
• The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults – This award honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12–18) during the previous publishing year. The award was first given in 2010.