awards Archives | American Libraries Magazine

2021 Carnegie Medal Winners for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction

2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal Winners Announced

February 4, 2021

The selections were announced February 4 at the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) Book and Media Awards virtual event, sponsored by NoveList. McBride’s novel takes place in a vibrant, multicultural 1969 Brooklyn neighborhood, and introduces readers to Cuffy “Sportcoat” Lambkin, the titular deacon and least likely of heroes. When Sportcoat shoots Deems Clemens, the … Continue reading 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal Winners Announced →

Newbery Award winner When You Trap a Tiger and Caldecott Medal winner We Are Water Protectors

2021 Youth Media Award Winners

January 25, 2021

A list of all the 2021 award winners follows: John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature: When You Trap a Tiger, written by Tae Keller, is the 2021 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House. Five Newbery Honor Books also … Continue reading 2021 Youth Media Award Winners →

2020 National Book Award Winners

November 19, 2020

Listed below are the winners and finalists in each category, with excerpts from the winners’ Booklist reviews (where available). Fiction Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu (winner) “Although the cover claims that Yu’s (Sorry Please Thank You, 2012) latest is a novel, his fiction, as always, defies easy labels. This hybrid conflates history, sociology, and ethnography … Continue reading 2020 National Book Award Winners →

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction 2021 Shortlist

ALA Unveils 2021 Carnegie Medals Shortlist

November 17, 2020

The 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction shortlist titles include: Fiction A Burning, by Megha Majumdar (Alfred A. Knopf). After witnessing a gruesome train station attack during her walk home to the slums, Jivan responds to a Facebook post. Days later, she has been beaten, jailed, and accused of terrorism. Majumdar’s debut … Continue reading ALA Unveils 2021 Carnegie Medals Shortlist →

Longlist for 2021 Carnegie Medals Announced

October 26, 2020

“This was unquestionably a challenging year for all the obvious reasons,” said 2021 Selection Committee Chair Bill Kelly in an October 26 statement. “And yet, in the end, reading proved to be just the balm one needs to sustain us, to give hope and strength and resilience in the face of an oppressively uncertain future. … Continue reading Longlist for 2021 Carnegie Medals Announced →

2020 ALA Award Winners

September 1, 2020

Heather Ogilvie Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity Ogilvie was outreach librarian for Bay County (Fla.) Public Library when Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm, hit on October 10, 2018. Ogilvie herself had seven trees fall on her home, and her car was crushed, but she grabbed all the books, puzzles, and … Continue reading 2020 ALA Award Winners →

International Innovators

By Phil Morehart | July 1, 2020

The Presidential Citations began as an initiative of former ALA President Loriene Roy (2007–2008). Presented by the International Relations Round Table, the awards recognize exemplary services and projects that draw attention to the potential for library services to create positive change, demonstrate sustainability, and provide a model for others. The winners are: Fran Galovic´ Public … Continue reading International Innovators →

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Telling Stories with Pictures

June 19, 2020

First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart speaks with James E. Ransome, author and illustrator of The Bell Rang, a 2020 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Honor Illustrator Book. Next Morehart talks with April Harrison, whose illustrations in What Is Given from the Heart by the late Patricia McKissack earned her … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Telling Stories with Pictures →

2020 Midwinter Wrap-Up

By Anne Ford | February 6, 2020

“How much pain are we willing to tolerate when we know we don’t have to?” asked opening speaker Wes Moore, CEO of anti-poverty organization Robin Hood, US Army combat veteran, and one of many speakers who addressed race and inequality. His forthcoming book (with Erica L. Green) Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of an American City … Continue reading 2020 Midwinter Wrap-Up →

2020 Youth Media Award Winners

January 27, 2020

A list of all the 2020 award winners follows: John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature: New Kid, written by Jerry Craft, is the 2020 Newbery Medal winner. The book is illustrated by the author and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers. Four Newbery Honor Books also … Continue reading 2020 Youth Media Award Winners →

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction

2020 Andrew Carnegie Medal Winners Announced

January 26, 2020

The selections were announced January 26 at the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) Book and Media Awards sponsored by NoveList, during the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Luiselli’s novel tracks husband-and-wife audio documentarians as they travel cross-country with their two children deep into the painful history of the Apache … Continue reading 2020 Andrew Carnegie Medal Winners Announced →

2019 Year in Review

January 2, 2020

Macmillan Ebook Policy Draws Fire Macmillan Publishers announced a policy preventing libraries from purchasing more than one copy of a new ebook title for the first eight weeks after a book’s release. In protest, American Library Association (ALA) launched the #eBooksForAll petition, which by November 27 had garnered more than 216,000 signatures. Said ALA President … Continue reading 2019 Year in Review →

Latest Library Links

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The Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) issued a statement March 3 recognizing and strongly condemning the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes that have permeated our country over the past year. The statement reads in part, “Our Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities have been deeply impacted by attacks that have caused physical and psychological harm.” Read the full statement with links to resources.

APALA, March 3
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In the fall and winter of 2020, New America embarked on a snapshot study to gather data on how—or if—people were discovering, accessing, and using their public libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on materials that libraries made available online. Their findings, which include data from a national survey of 2,620 people, highlight the need for more inclusivity, more focus on providing internet access, and more awareness-raising initiatives with local organizations and schools. Read the full report.

New America, March 1
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Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced March 2 that it would no longer publish six of the author and illustrator’s early works that “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.” While some pundits and politicians claimed the move was akin to book burning, OIF Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone said that Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ move is “well within their rights” and doesn’t mean that the six titles will necessarily be banned. “They haven’t asked for anyone else to remove the books from their collections, whether it’s libraries, schools, or personal collections,” she says. She confirms that, as the ALA’s lists of banned and challenged books attest, “diverse topics like LGBTQ themes and characters or books that deal with racial justice” have been more frequent targets of complaints.

Yahoo News, March 2
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As of March 1, Twitter has started applying labels to tweets that may contain misleading information about COVID-19 vaccines, in addition to its continued efforts to remove the most harmful COVID-19 misleading information from its service. The company is also introducing a strike system that determines when further enforcement action is necessary.

Twitter blog, March 1
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Brendan Dowling writes: “For over a year, Heights Libraries (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) has held monthly programs surrounding The 1619 Project, The New York Times’s long-form journalism project that investigates how slavery molded the United States’s economy, politics, and social structure. Outreach Librarian John Piché spoke with us about best practices for holding your own program, community engagement, and partnering with local organizations.

Public Libraries Online, Feb. 24
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Registration for the ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, June 23–29, is now open. The event will include educational programming, the News You Can Use series, memorable featured speakers, special author events, The Library Marketplace, Presidents’ Programs, Discussion Groups, leading authors, live-chat presentations, and networking opportunities. The list of Featured Speakers will be announced soon.

ALA Conference Services, March 2
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Diane Bacha writes: “Cultural workshops. Community gardens. Bilingual storytimes. Coding camps. Movie clubs. These are just some of the services that 30 million Americans seek at rural libraries. In communities that often have limited access to resources, librarians in thousands of small towns are finding ways to fulfill needs and often doing so with scant resources and limited staffing.”

iPondr, March 1

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