Youth Services Section Interest Group (YSS)

YSS is focused on promoting and improving library service to young people and is open to anyone interested in supporting this work.   

For more information or to join, please contact chair Danielle Fortin at mla.youthlibrarians@gmail.com.

Activities & Projects

• Performer's Showcase: We collected reviews from librarians around the state and put them together in a handy document for you. 
• Beg, Borrow, Steal: Our fall event where librarians are invited to bring programs to share and questions to ponder. Read notes from past meetings.
• Summer Reading Planning sessions: Our spring event where librarians can talk about all things summer reading! We welcome libraries that use CSLP and those that don't. Read notes from past planning sessions. 
• Maine Youth Librarians: A Facebook group to share ideas relating to youth services in libraries.
• Maine Storytime Underground: Maine's division of the popular Facebook group which focuses on best story-time practices.

Awards

YSS also oversees two awards for excellence in children's literature: the annual Lupine Award for best picture or youth books with a Maine connection, and the Katahdin Award to recognize an outstanding body of work by a Maine author/illustrator of children's or youth literature.

YSS Executive Board:

• Danielle Fortin, Chair, South Berwick Public Library (Term ending April 2021)
• Donna Wallace, Vice Chair, Auburn Public Library (Term ending April 2021)
• Deb Cleveland, Secretary, Auburn Public Library (Term ending April 2021)
• Sara Groves, Member-at-Large, Lewiston Pubic Library (Term ending August 2021)
• Mary Beckett, Member-at-Large, Edythe Dyer Community Library (Term ending August 2020)
• Deanna Gouzie McNamara, Reading Round-Up Liaison, McArthur Public Library (Term ending August 2020)
• Kara Reiman, Youth Literacy Consultant, Maine State Library (Ex-Officio)
• Kathleen Wirth, Head of Lupine Committee, (Ex-Officio)

Other State Awards

Maine Student Book Award (MSBA) - The Maine Student Book Award is designed to expand literary horizons of students in grades 4-8 by encouraging them to read, evaluate, and enjoy a selection of new books and to choose a statewide favorite by written ballot each spring. The MSBA is a joint project of the Maine Library Association, Maine Association of School Libraries, and Maine Literacy Council.

North Star Book Award - The North Star Award is designed to encourage young adults to read for fun. Our goal is to help teens feel empowered by selecting a statewide favorite to share with the world. The North Star Award is a joint project of the Maine Library Association, Maine Association of School Libraries, and Maine Literacy Council. You can find the North Star booklist on the 2020 Reading Round Up LiveBinder.

Bylaws

Read our group bylaws, approved April 13, 2018.