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CHICAGO – Shanel Slater, a student at the University of Iowa, has won the student stipend from the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). The stipend will provide Slater with up to $1,000 to offset travel expenses to attend the symposium, which will be held Nov. 1-3 in Memphis, TN.

“Being a leader in the Teen Services field means taking the concrete steps to actualize a teen or tween’s vision for a program, a space, a collection, and activism. Whether it’s polling teens to design after-school programs or dedicating a large portion of the collection budget to teen requests, teen voices should be heard at all levels of the library,” wrote Slater in her application.

Dr. Margaret Zimmerman, a professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Iowa, recommended Slater for the stipend. “...she is one of the brightest, most enthusiastic, competent, and engaged graduate students I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. She stands out in her cohort as being exceptionally dedicated to the field of librarianship – and particularly that of teen services,” wrote Zimmerman in her supporting statement.

The 2019 will be held Nov. 1-3 in Memphis, TN with the theme: “Show Up and Advocate: Supporting Teens in the Face of Adversity.” Early bird registration ends Sept. 15. To learn more about the symposium, including information on programs and how to register, please visit . Join the conversation online with the hashtag #yalsa19.

Members of the 2019 YA Services Symposium Marketing Task Force who vetted the applications are: Megan Adovasio-Jones, Chair, Nashville Public Library; Emily C. Farmer, Nashville Public Library - Limitless Libraries; Izabel Gronski, Oak Lawn (IL) Public Library; and Scot Smith, Robertsville Middle School Library, Oak Ridge, TN.

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.