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In attendance: Beverly Provost (BETH), Lisa Neuman (MEND), Jen Rice (EGRN), Beth Bomba (COLN), Ann-Marie Cicchinelli (COLN), Kim Kniele (TROY), Sharon Hodges (PETE), Carol Gaillard (HOOF), Darlene Miller (SNLK & CAST), Cherry Neil (GUIL), Barbara Sinacore (GUIL), Barbara Goetschius (RCS), Jendy Murphy (APLM), Ginny LaJuene (ALTA), Pat Sahr (NASS), Diane Riganti (UHLS), Mary Fellows (UHLS)

Pre-and post-meeting
Representatives of fourteen libraries reviewed children’s and YA books from publishers, discussed the books with one another, and had the opportunity to choose among them for their own collections.

Post-meeting
Jen Rice (EGRN) led a discussion of services to young adults issues. Mary provided a handout on getting teens to participate in a teen advisory group.

UHLS Updates
Juvenile review materials survey: the results have been sent out with an accompanying memo. Essentially, the majority favors the new system, so that will continue. Unclaimed books will be available in the Juvenile Review Center on a first-come, first-served basis. on the date of the next YSAC meeting (whether or not it’s held at UHLS), which is usually 5-10 days after the selected books are sent out to libraries. Further details are in the memo.

Albany art grant: UHLS received $4515 for the Mother Goose Jazz Band project. Libraries involved have been informed of the details.

Families Read! grant – booklists should go out next week for ordering. Performers money is coming soon, so it’s a good idea to begin to think about whom you may want to hire.

I Spy My Hometown grant - January 24 is the day of the workshop on local history researching/conducting walking tours, to be held at Voorheesville. Also, Bethlehem joined the grant project when Poestenkill needed to drop out.

Storytelling festival meeting – Mary reported on an energetic first meeting with the group of people interested in helping to start a storytelling festival in the Albany area. Several members offered suggestions of other local people who may wish to be involved, including former YS Consultant Patsy Patrick. The festival is slated for 2003, with many details yet to be determined. Next meeting is February 11.

Web site review – Mary is meeting with new UHLS web specialist Peter Kowalski, and the rest of the automation department to begin implementing ideas for web site and intranet. One addition to one of these will be a list of Ellison dies. GUIL, BETH and EGRN, who all have Ellison or Accu-cut machines, agreed to send the list of dies they own to be included on the site and borrowed by other libraries. The Ellison machine was explained to those unfamiliar as a hand-operated die-cutting machine. UHLS and other libraries own dies in various shapes and sizes that allow cutting of multiple copies of a shape with little effort. Libraries may bring their own paper and use the UHLS machine at UHLS.

SRP manuals – Mary received word that the manuals will be late this year. They will come to the systems no later than the week of February 4 and then be sent in delivery to member libraries.

SRP planning workshop – on for March 21 at Saratoga Springs Public Library. There will be a price break for additional people from the same library - $15 for the first person, $10 for each additional people from the same library, so libraries are encouraged to invite the volunteers and board members who help with your SRP. The workshop will run from 9:00 to 4:00. More details to come.

YA discussion group – beginning today during the 12-1 time slot (concurrent with the book look). This will be held once or twice a year.

Library Advocacy Council – Mary announced this new UHLS advisory council and encouraged youth services folks to get involved. The first meeting is January 30 at 7:00 p.m. to allow participation by trustees and friends.

Performer – Polly Hartman from BETH sent word that they have booked Chris Holder for April vacation (4/18) and that he will do a discount for block booking. Contact Polly for more information.

Daycare providers presentation – this has been confirmed for March 14. Mary will convene (probably electronically) those folks who said they would be interested in participating. The group will present children’s books and how to share them to the Home Daycare Association.

Choosing a YSAC Chair
Mary noted that as part of the new Advisory Council structure, each Advisory Council must choose a chair, which can be but need not be the consultant. She explained the responsibilities and questioned the group as to their wishes. It was decided that Mary be the chair of the Youth Services Advisory Council.

Discussion of Patrick Jones article
Mary led a discussion of the Patrick Jones article from the November 2001 SLJ, “Why We Are Kids Best Assets.” After much discussion about using Patrick’s concepts, Mary offered to do a draft article, invoking the concepts and relating them to library services, that youth services librarians may use to discuss the value of youth services in libraries.

Teen Volunteers in Libraries
Beverly Provost handed out a thorough packet and gave an excellent presentation on the BETH teen summer volunteer program.

News From You/ You Name It
Polly Hartman was Educator of the Week on Channel 10, a great and well-deserved honor for Polly and a boost to librarians.

Cherry provided Mary with a brochure on the Harlequin Players as possible summer performers. They cost $195.

Also discussed were life-size floor puzzles (in animal, etc. subjects) available for programs or activities. Many Internet retailers offer these puzzles.

Book posters (picked up by Mary at conferences) were available for taking.

General discussion of the Patriot Act and Internet issues took place.

Those not attending the meeting may call Mary for copies of handouts.

Next Meetings
February 15 (COLN), March 21 (SRP planning workshop at Saratoga Springs, April 12 (MEND), May 17 (UHLS)

Next meeting: February 15, COLN

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Small library concerns discussion group

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon YSIG meeting

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Large library concerns discussion group

Respectively submitted,

Mary Fellows, Youth Services Consultant