Handbook

Sample Letters to Supervisors of Committee Members

Following are samples of letters that Committee Chairs may wish to send to supervisors of committee members as a way of thanking the committee members for their work on behalf of the committee.

Sample Letter 1

(Date)

Mr./Ms. (insert name of library director)
Director, (insert name of library) Public Library

Dear (insert name of library director) :

(Insert committee chair name) has been a valuable member of the Young Adults Library Services Association (insert committee name) committee for the past two years. Her organization and planning skills have been invaluable as we have begun to develop a planning process for YALSA.

Thank you for allowing staff participation in ALA and YALSA. It is an important contribution to the profession.

Sincerely,

(Date)

Sample Letter 2 - for member of Recommended Books for the Reluctant Young Adult Reader Committee

Mr. (insert name of library director)
Director, (insert name of library) Public Library

Dear (insert name of library director):

For the past (insert number) years, (insert committee member name) has served on the American Library Association's Recommended Books for the Reluctant Young Adult Reader. This professional commitment on the part of your staff member is indeed a tremendous donation of time to young adult readers in this country. the American Library Association and I, as the chair of the committee for the past year, greatly appreciate your cooperation in supporting your staff member's commitment to reading and young adults.

Between January 1990 and January 1991, committee members evaluated more than 700 books. Throughout the year they did readability tests and wrote and submitted to the chair evaluations of books examined and read. During the ALA Midwinter meeting in (insert location) we spent many hours discussing these books before choosing a final list of 36 books (13 non-fiction and 23 fiction titles). The annotated list will appear in the March 15 edition of Booklist and will be published in pamphlet format, "Quick Picks for Great Reading" for distribution to teenagers.

Members of this committee also presented a two-hour program featuring guest speakers, booktalks by committee members, and a panel presentation by committee members during the ALA Annual Meeting in June. Long hours of planning and preparation went into this program.

As you can see, membership on this committee requires many hours of work during evenings, weekends, and holidays; and committee members have attended two national meetings, often at their own expense. The enthusiastic response to our June program and the increasing use of our annual list indicate the importance of the committee's work.

Again, thank you for your support of(insert committee member name) 's commitment to professional excellence and to the reading enrichment of today's young adults. We hope that the many books (insert committee member's name) has been able to donate to your library have enriches its holdings.

Sincerely yours,