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CHICAGO – Ness Shortley, a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has won the from the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). The stipend will provide Shortley with up to $1,000 to offset travel expenses to attend the , which will be held Nov. 2-4 in Salt Lake City, UT.

“We have the responsibility to curate diverse collections, create accessible spaces for all students, equip students to be information literate critical thinkers, collaborate with our colleagues and those outside the school’s walls to benefit students, and, crucially, to listen to what our students tell us they want,” wrote Shortley in her application.

Dr. Sandra Hughes-Hassell, a professor and Director of the School Library Media Program at the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, recommended Shortley for the stipend. “Ness consistently expresses a professional philosophy which focuses on building relationships and supporting the full range of adolescent needs,” wrote Hughes-Hassell in her supporting statement.

The 2018 will be held Nov. 2-4 in Salt Lake City, UT with the theme: “Zeroing In: Focusing on Teen Needs.” To learn more about the symposium, including information on programs and how to register, please visit . Join the conversation online with the hashtag #yalsa18.

Members of the 2018 YA Services Symposium Marketing Task Force who vetted the applications are: Sharon Deeds, Chair, Utah State Library; Rita Covelli, Mahopac (NY) Public Library; Kim Farnsworth, Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library; Izabel Gronski, Oak Lawn (IL) Public Library; Vera Elwood, Hays (KS) Public Library.

The mission of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is to support library staff in alleviating the challenges teens face, and in putting all teens ‒ especially those with the greatest needs ‒ on the path to successful and fulfilling lives. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to , or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390; or e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.