ALSC is now taking applications and nominations for its 2013 professional awards! The Light the Way Grant provides a $3,000 grant and is sponsored by Candlewick Press in honor of author Kate DiCamillo and the themes represented in her books. The grant will be awarded to a library with exceptional outreach to underserved populations in efforts to help them continue their service. This year’s winner, Memphis Public Library & Information Center, used the grant for their “Read with Me, Sign with Me” story time program available for the deaf and hard of hearing. “This grant has allowed us to take a big step toward making the library a welcoming place for our whole community,” said Mary Seratt, children and adult service coordinator, “We love that the mentors meet with their families at the library, and that the parents are learning what books to share with their children.” Applications for the 2013 award are due November 15, 2012. Please note that this is a new deadline for the award!
The Penguin Young Readers Group Award provides a $600 stipend for up to four winners to attend their first ALA Annual Conference. Applicants must have fewer than 10 years of experience as a children’s librarian and work directly with children. Applications are due December 1, 2012.
The ALSC Distinguished Service Award honors an individual member who has made significant contributions to and an impact on, library services to children and ALSC. The recipient receives $1,000 and an engraved pin at the ALSC Membership Meeting during the ALA Annual Conference. Nominations are due December 1, 2012.
Bookapalooza! Each year the ALSC office receives almost 3,000 newly published books, videos, audiobooks and recordings from children’s trade publishers for award and notables consideration. At the end of the year, after the awards have been given out, ALSC selects three libraries to receive a collection of these materials (estimated to be worth $10,000 each) to be used in a way that creatively enhances their library service to children and families. “The Bookapalooza grant program has been so exciting for our students at Conley School. The infusion of materials we’ve received has boosted not only our collection, but our students’ enthusiasm for reading! Thank you!” said Michelle McGarry, library teacher, at Conley Elementary School (Whitman, Mass.), a 2012 Bookapalooza collection recipient. Another of this year’s winners, First Regional Library System (Hernando, Miss.), was able to distribute the materials between five of their libraries! Applications for the 2013 award are due December 1, 2012.
ALSC’s Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship provides a $4,000 stipend to allow a qualified children’s librarian to spend a total of four weeks or more reading at the University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature. The Baldwin Library contains a special collection of 85,000 volumes of children’s literature published mostly before 1950. Applications are due December 30, 2012.
For more information about each award and to submit an online application, visit http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/profawards.