First off, Dr. Virginia Walter, a strong advocate of children's services and the only tenured faculty member who taught children's services classes, retired last year. She had single-handedly transformed this library school into a breeding ground for excellent new children's librarians - and made it her mission to "convert" as many library students as possible to a career in youth services. Her retirement was well-deserved, but it is a huge blow for current and future students interested in youth services and public libraries.
Then - oh the horror - the recession hit hard. All the UCs have had major cuts, and what this has meant for UCLA GSEIS is that not only is there no money to replace Dr. Walter with another strong youth services-oriented professor, but there is also no money for adjunct lecturers. While the department was able to hire adjuncts (including me) in 08/09 to teach YA Literature, Children's Literature, and Children's Services classes, there will be no youth services classes offered in 09/10.
No youth services classes at all for future children's and YA librarians to take in 09/10.
If I were considering library school, I wouldn't choose UCLA at this point. It's such a shame. Perhaps money will be scraped together or found under a rock - but it had better happen soon, or my alma mater will become known as the anti-public library school.
