2021 Election Results
1st Vice President/President Elect
Name: Kim Hazen
Present Position: Librarian I Youth Services Librarian, Guernsey Memorial Library, Norwich, NY (full-time)
Prior Professional Experience:
Librarian II Children’s Manager, Niagara Falls Public Library, Niagara Falls, NY (full-time)
Librarian I Youth Services Librarian, Ontario Public Library, Ontario, NY (full-time)
Education:
MS, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Graduate School of Information Design and Technology, Utica, NY
MLS, SUNY at Buffalo, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Buffalo, NY
BA, SUNY at Buffalo, Sociology, Buffalo, NY
AAS, Villa Maria College, Early Childhood Education, Buffalo, NY
Professional Activities and Affiliations:
Member NYLA/YSS 2000-present, YSS Board SecretaryNov. 2016-2019, presenter at NYLA Conference 2015, 2016
Member ALA/YALSA-2000-present
Position Statement:
In 2020 our lives changed and likewise so did youth services. Now instead of concentrating solely on in-person programming, the youth services profession has taken programming online. We have become even more creative and adaptive due to the circumstances. In addition,in many cases, we arefacing personal battles and hardships. YSS is one of the ways we can draw together as professionals facing some of the same challenges and changes toour profession.Myability to becomposedunder stress, even-temperedness, positivity, flexibility,and passion for positive change make me a good candidate to serve as your 1stVice President/President Elect. In the past, I enjoyed having the opportunity to serve on the board as YSS Secretary.
I will bring my 19+ years of professional experience working with youth; my enthusiasm and passion for the profession; and my technology expertise to the position of 1st Vice President/President Elect. I look forward to increasing awareness for services to youth in libraries in New York State and bringing innovative ideas to the YSS librarian community.
Second Vice President/Membership Chair
Name: Mary Jo C. Smith
Present Position: Children’s Services Librarian, Gates Public Library, 902 Elmgrove Road, Rochester, NY 14624 (May 1988-present)
Prior Professional Experience:
Farmington Branch Library, Farmington, CT (January 1985-May 1988)
New Britain Public Library, New Britain, CT (September 1982-January 1985)
Education:
MLS, University of Buffalo, February 1983 (coursework completed August 1982, but credit transfers caused my diploma to say February 1983)
BA, Magna Cum Laude, English, SUNY Geneseo, May 1981
Professional Activities and Affiliations:
ALA Member 2015-present
NYLA Member 1988-present
YSS Vice President/President Elect 2014-2015
YSS President 2015-2016
YSS Past President 2016-1017
YSS Conference Chair 2012 or 2013
YSS Second Vice President way back (Beverley Fahey was YSS President at the time)
President of the Youth Services Section of the Connecticut Library Association 1985 or so
Position Statement:
Raise your hand if you never want to hear the phrase “unprecedented times” again. If this pandemic has shown us anything, though, it’s how important human connections are. While so many of us were working at home, lounge pants on, cats in our laps, we connected through webinars, zoom meetings, and the like. As the world begins to come together face to face once more, we can strengthen our connections by our membership and activities in those organizations that are meaningful to us. NYLA and YSS provides so much to members, through conferences, training and educational opportunities, and advocacy efforts. An association is only as strong as its membership, though. As Second Vice President/Membership Chair, I would strive to not only increase YSS Membership, but try to encourage members to actively participate in making an already amazing Association even better.