Awards & Scholarships

More about the Bechtel Fellowship!

Are you familiar with ALSC’s Bechtel Fellowship? (Maybe you saw yesterday’s blog post?) The grant provides up to $7,500 to a children’s librarian to spend up to four weeks reading and studying at the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature (University of Florida, Gainesville), which contains a special collection of 130,000 volumes of children’s literature published mostly before 1950. Now, if your response to that is, “Nirvana!,” then maybe it’s time for you to seriously consider applying for the Fellowship. Is the Bechtel for Me? I know; it’s a big commitment. You may not be ready to take the plunge just yet. But this post provides food for thought if you’re contemplating this opportunity and even if you’re not quite there yet! Christina H. Dorr, 2010 Bechtel Fellowship recipient, shared her experience recently for the ALSC Blog. In a sidebar to Charmette Kendrick’s (2007 recipient) Children and Libraries (CAL) article,…

Awards & Scholarships

Seeking Nominations for the Children’s Literature Award

The ALSC Children’s Literature Lecture is an annual event that started in 1970. Each year, a chosen lecturer prepares a paper and talk considered to be a significant contribution to the field of children’s literature. Most recently, Bryan Collier presented the 2023 lecture, and Rita Williams Garcia is slated to present in 2024. The complete list of past lecturers is on the ALSC website.

Awards & Scholarships

Art as a Mirror: Maureen Hayes Award Broadens Children’s Horizons

Children from dominant social groups… have suffered from the lack of availability about others… They need books that will help them understand the multicultural nature of the world they live in, and their place as a member of just one group, as well as their connections to all other humans. . . If they see only reflections of themselves, they will grow up with an exaggerated sense of their own importance and value in the world—a dangerous ethnocentrism. Rudine Sims Bishop, “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors.”

Awards & Scholarships

An ALSC Budget Story: Receiving the Bechtel Fellowship, as Told by ALSC Member Joe Prince

Happy winter, everyone! Children’s library workers kick off each winter season with the excitement of the YMA Press Conference at LibLearnX, the rush of getting the awards seals on the newly announced winning books, and the recently appointed book award committees starting a new cycle of work. Yet, whereas the YMA Press Conference and ALSC book awards activities tend to get so much of our attention, ALSC buzzes yearlong with its work in support of numerous funded programs and activities to further and strengthen the work of children’s librarians, children’s librarianship, and the practice of the profession. One such program is the Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship. This fellowship provides a grant of up to $7,500 for a qualified children’s librarian to spend up to 4 weeks reading and studying at the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, one of the Special and Area Studies Collections of the George A. Smathers…

Awards & Scholarships

Apply for the Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award!

Are you a children’s librarian who has never been to the ALA Annual Conference? Edited to add: Good news! the Distinguished Service Award deadline has been extended to Friday, December 23! This Award honors an individual member of ALSC who has made significant contributions to, and an impact on, library service to children and/or ALSC.  The recipient receives $2,000 and an engraved pin at the ALSC Membership Meeting during ALA Annual Conference. The nomination form can be found here. Nominations and supporting materials are due December 9, 2022. Please note that distinguished service is not necessarily for lifetime achievement. A single outstanding program, project or idea can also merit consideration! And now, back to the original post: Then the  ALSC Professional Recognition and Scholarship Committee has an exciting grant opportunity for you! Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award This award, made possible by an annual gift from Penguin Young Readers Group…

Awards & Scholarships

Consider applying or nominating a colleague for these ALSC Awards!

Greetings colleagues: the ALSC Professional Recognition and Scholarship Committee would like to make you aware of two exciting upcoming grant opportunities. Please consider applying or nominating! Distinguished Service Award This award honors an individual member of ALSC who has made significant contributions to, and an impact on, library service to children and/or ALSC.  The recipient receives $2,000 and an engraved pin at the ALSC Membership Meeting during ALA Annual Conference. The nomination form can be found here. Nominations and supporting materials are due December 9, 2022. *Please note that distinguished service is not necessarily for lifetime achievement. A single outstanding program, project or idea can also merit consideration! Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award This award, made possible by an annual gift from Penguin Young Readers Group and Random House Children’s Books, provides a $600 stipend to up to four children’s librarians to attend their first ALA Annual Conference….