Hi Pam,
I thought it looked legit too. It's not, apparently. My teen librarian recognized this young man's name (Aaron Yang) immediately and said that there has been much discussion in Teen Librarian facebook groups about this "kid" and his apparent scam. One commenter on the facebook page Teen Services Underground said that they'd been getting this same letter/email since their library created a myspace page years ago. Participants in several FB groups have claimed that when told NO, the guy presenting himself as Aaron Yang presses the issue, spouts legalese, asks for the Director or a supervisor. Most recently, there was a push to report this to YALSA, who responded that it was out of their purview. He hits libraries nationwide with many, many librarians reporting in that they've gotten a letter or email from him. Many have gotten repeated attempts over a span of years.
For those who are wondering, here is the complete text of his email:
Hi,
---
Katie Ester Director Shelby Township Library 51680 Van Dyke Shelby Township, MI 48316 (586) 726-2344
On 06/02/2016 10:18, Pam Withrow wrote:
Hello Everyone,
I got an email from a young man in California wanting to participate (long distance) in our Summer Reading Program. He is a member of the I Double Dog Dare You Summer Reading Challenge Contest. Does anyone have experience with this? It sounds legit, but I would like to hear from past participants.
Thank you,
Pamela Withrow, Director
Forsyth Township Public Library
180 W. Flint St.
PO Box 1328
Gwinn, MI 49841
906-346-3433
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