At the ALSC Membership meeting at #alaac26, Brian Wilson of the 2027 Children’s Literature Lecture committee announced that the 2027 Lecture, featuring Kwame Alexander, will be hosted by North Carolina Central University’s School of Library and Information Sciences in Durham, North Carolina.
Category: Awards & Scholarships
work of ALSC Priority Group III and other items dealing with awards and scholarships that might be of interest to ALSC members
Have you submitted your application to host Kwame Alexander – the Children’s Literature Lecture Award winner?
Has your library, school, university, or special collection always wanted to host the Children’s Literature Lecture Award winner? The application deadline for the 2027 host site has been extended to Friday, May 15, 2026! The Children’s Literature Lecture is an annual event at which an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children’s literature presents a paper that makes a significant contribution to the field. The winning speaker for the 2027 lecture is Kwame Alexander. A library, university, special collection, or other appropriate organization can be considered as the host institution. Host sites for the Children’s Literature Lecture receive a $2,000 honorarium to help with costs incurred by hosting the lecture. The lecture is administered by ALSC. Information about host site responsibilities is included in the application materials. You can review the responsibilities of the Host Institution (Appendix D) and Checklist for the Host Institution (Appendix E) at the Children’s Literature…
We Are Now Accepting Suggestions for the 2027 Children’s Literature Legacy Award
Greetings! My name is Jackie Marshall Arnold, and I am the proud chair of the 2027 Children’s Literature Legacy Award. Our committee is now accepting suggestions for the Legacy Award from our terrific ALSC members. The deadline for submitting suggestions is April 30, 2026. The Legacy Award recognizes an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have over a period of years, made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children through books that demonstrate integrity and respect for all children’s lives and experiences. Recent recipients include Candace Fleming, Carol Boston Weatherford, James E. Ransome, Kevin Henkes, and Pam Muñoz Ryan. Here is a link to the complete list of past winners. If you have someone you would like to suggest, please consider doing so. Here is a link to the ALSC page listing the Terms and Criteria. Our committee will love having a robust list of names to consider….
Consider Hosting the 2027 Children’s Literature Lecture with Kwame Alexander!
The 2027 Children’s Literature Lecture Award committee is excited to announce that the application process to host the 2027 event – which will feature award-winning author, Kwame Alexander – is now open!
Four Exciting Treasures from the Baldwin Library
As my time at the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature wound down in August, I found myself finalizing my time with my research boxes of choice (the Margaret Sidney papers) and beginning to ask the staff to bring me other little treasures within the archive, some of which I requested just so I could hold them in my own hands. The Baldwin Library is a treasure trove of historic children’s literature materials, and if you are the next Bechtel fellow, here are just a few of the exciting little things you can get your hands on too:
2026 Caldecott – Requesting ALSC Member Suggestions
Is there a picture book from this year you can’t stop thinking about? The 2026 Caldecott Committee invites ALSC members to submit suggestions for the most distinguished American picture books published in 2025.
Apply for the Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award!
Are you a children’s librarian who has never experienced the glitz, the glamor, the authors, the books, the professional development and networking opportunities of the American Library Association Annual (ALA) conference? Would you like to explore the Library Marketplace in between making new friends and being inspired by amazing speakers and library colleagues? Could you use some help covering the cost of the conference which takes place June 25-29, 2026 in Chicago? Is this your dream? Now is your chance to make your dream come true! Apply for the Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award! How to Apply Applications for the 2026 Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award are now open. This award, made possible by an annual gift from Penguin Young Readers Group and Random House Children’s Books, provides a $1200 stipend to up to two children’s librarians to attend their first ALA Annual Conference. Criteria Each…
Calling all Applicants for the Bechtel Fellowship!
As back-to-school dialog sneaks into all corners of life, do you find yourself reminiscing about the fun of it all? Fresh pens, pencils, folders, and backpack. New teachers and classmates. And, of course, library time. The Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship offers the opportunity to feel all that joy again with an added bonus – awardees study the topic of their choosing and their final work will not be graded. The Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship provides a grant up to $7,500 to a qualified children’s librarian to spend up to four weeks reading and studying at the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature of the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville. The Baldwin Library contains a special collection of 130,000 volumes of children’s literature published mostly before 1950. The fellowship is endowed in memory of Louise Seaman Bechtel and Ruth M. Baldwin. If you’re finding yourself curious to learn…