As high school enrollment continues to rise, the need for effective librarianship serving young adults is greater than ever before. "Young Adults Deserve the Best: Competencies for Librarians Serving Youth," developed by Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), is a document outlining areas of focus for providing quality library service in collaboration with teenagers. In this book, Sarah Flowers identifies and expands on these competency areas. This useful work includes Anecdotes and success stories from the field Guidelines which can be used to create evaluation instruments, determine staffing needs, and develop job descriptions Additional professional resources following each chapter that will help librarians turn theory into practiceThe first book to thoroughly expand on this important document, Young Adults Deserve the Best is a key foundational tool not only for librarians but also for young adult specialists, youth advocacy professionals, and school administrators.

Sarah Flowers recently retired as Deputy County Librarian for the Santa Clara County Library in California. She has written articles and reviews for Voice of Youth Advocates and School Library Journal, and is currently Editor-in-Chief of Young Adult Library Services, YALSA's quarterly journal. She was elected 2011-12 president of YALSA. She was a member of the first class of Library Journal's "Movers and Shakers," and was named one of the top 40 distinguished alumni of the San Jose State School of Library and Information Science. She has worked as a young adult librarian, a supervisor of adult and young adult services, and a community librarian as a branch manager.

Introduction Chapter 1 Competency Area I: Leadership and Professionalism Chapter 2 Competency Area II: Knowledge of Client Group Chapter 3 Competency Area III: Communication Chapter 4 Competency Area IV: Administration Chapter 5 Competency Area V: Knowledge of Materials Chapter 6 Competency Area VI: Access to Information Chapter 7 Competency Area VII: Services Chapter 8 Starting from Scratch Appendixes A Library Bill of Rights B Free Access to Libraries for Minors C Access for Children and Young Adults to Nonprint Materials D Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media Program E Minors and Internet Interactivity F Labeling and Rating Systems G Questions and Answers on Labels and Rating Systems H Code of Ethics of the American Library Association I Guidelines for Library Services to Teens, Ages 12-18 Index