2022 ALA Award Winners

2022 ALA Award Winners

September 1, 2022

Winners were honored at a ceremony and reception held June 26 at ALA’s 2022 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. This selection represents only some of those recognized in 2022; for a complete list, visit ala.org/awardsgrants.   Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award Lessa Kanani‘opua Pelayo-Lozada Pelayo-Lozada, who now serves as ALA president, has … Continue reading 2022 ALA Award Winners


Image features the many books that have won the Newbery Medal over the last 100 years in a colorful, grid-like pattern.

A Celebration of the Newbery Medal

June 1, 2022

In “100 Years of the Newbery Medal,” we look at the legacy, challenges, and future of this distinguished award for children’s books. Taylor Hartz talks with former and current Newbery Award Selection Committee members about the honor and responsibility of picking a winner. In “Newbery Firsts,” we explore important milestones—and archival photographs—from the award’s first … Continue reading A Celebration of the Newbery Medal



From left, Lois Lowry, Cynthia Kadohata, Tae Keller, and Jerry Craft.

Winner’s Circle

June 1, 2022

American Libraries interviewed Jerry Craft, Cynthia Kadohata, Tae Keller, and Lois Lowry about their past Newbery Medals in honor of the award’s 100th anniversary. Jerry Craft Recipient of the 2020 Newbery Medal for New Kid How did you react when you learned you had won the Newbery Medal? At 6:42 a.m., the phone rang. I … Continue reading Winner’s Circle


Newbery Firsts

June 1, 2022

1922 The first Newbery Medal is awarded to The Story of Mankind, written and illustrated by Dutch American historian and journalist Hendrik Willem van Loon. 1928 Dhan Gopal Mukerji becomes the first person of color and the first Asian American author to win the Newbery. Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon is set in his … Continue reading Newbery Firsts


2022 Youth Media Award Winners

January 24, 2022

A list of all the 2022 award winners follows: John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature: The Last Cuentista, written by Donna Barba Higuera, is the 2022 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Levine Querido. Four Newbery Honor Books also were named: Red, White, and Whole, written by Rajani … Continue reading 2022 Youth Media Award Winners



Composite of headshots of the 2022 I Love My Librarian honorees

Meet the 2022 I Love My Librarian Award Winners

January 10, 2022

“Even in these unprecedented times, our nation’s librarians continue to empower their patrons, promote inclusion in their spaces and collections, and provide essential services for their communities,” said ALA President Patricia “Patty” M. Wong in a statement. “Congratulations to this year’s I Love My Librarian Award winners, who impact the lives of those they serve … Continue reading Meet the 2022 I Love My Librarian Award Winners


2021 ALA Award Winners

2021 ALA Award Winners

September 1, 2021

Joint Council of Librarians of Color Equality Award The Joint Council of Librarians of Color (JCLC) was the unanimous choice of the award jury. Formed in 2015 as a nonprofit affiliate of ALA, JCLC comprises five national associations representing people of color in the library and information profession: the American Indian Library Association, the Asian/Pacific … Continue reading 2021 ALA Award Winners


Students compete in the Virtual Library InfoLit Race Challenge at Nazarbayev University Library in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

2021 International Innovators

July 8, 2021

The 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 libraries that are creating positive change, demonstrating sustainability, and providing a model for others. The winners are Nazarbayev University Library in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan; Red … Continue reading 2021 International Innovators


Literature, Opportunity, and Revolution

June 27, 2021

Woodson joined CSK Book Award illustrator winner Frank Morrison (for R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul) and several honorees at the 52nd annual CSK Book Awards virtual celebration, part of the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2021 Annual Conference and Exhibition Virtual on June 27. At last year’s event during ALA Virtual, many of the … Continue reading Literature, Opportunity, and Revolution


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