PLA will award nine public libraries with a lump sum of $8,000 each to be distributed to as many of their employees as they choose for the purpose of working toward obtaining an MLS– $6,500 is to be used directly for payment of tuition at an ALA-accredited library school; $1,500 is to be used to support attendance for one or more of the selected scholarship recipients to attend a PLA-sponsored continuing education event such as the 2009 PLA Spring Symposium.

One library from each of the nine PLDS size categories will be selected. The categories are:

• Group 1 Service population of 1 million and over
• Group 2 Service population of 500,000-999,999
• Group 3 Service population of 250,000-499,999
• Group 4 Service population of 100,000-249,999
• Group 5 Service population of 50,000-99,999
• Group 6 Service population of 25,000-49,999
• Group 7 Service population of 10,000-24,999
• Group 8 Service population of 5,000-9,999
• Group 9 Service population under 5,000

The deadline for applications is December 3, 2007 at 5:00 CST. All applications must be submitted through an online application form available at www.pla.org.

The Polaris Innovation in Technology John Iliff Award honors the life and accomplishments of John Iliff, early adopter and champion of technology in public libraries, and recognizes the contributions of a library worker, librarian or library that has used technology and innovative thinking as a tool to improve services to public library users.

The purpose of this award is to encourage innovative user-oriented thinking and practical solutions using old and new technologies. The award provides a $1,000 honorarium, a plaque, and a bouquet of roses for the workplace of the awardee. The cash award honors the recipient’s efforts, while the roses sent to the workplace honor the environment that helped nurture the recipient’s innovation.

Visit PLA’s PLA Online Awards Application to apply or nominate a colleague for the award.

The deadline for all applications is December 3, 2007.

• Advancement of Literacy Award, honoring a publisher, bookseller, hardware and/or software dealer, foundation or similar group that has made a significant contribution to the advancement of adult literacy;
• Allie Beth Martin Award, $3,000 honorarium, honoring a librarian who, in a public library setting, has demonstrated extraordinary range and depth of knowledge about books or other library materials and has distinguished ability to share that knowledge;
• Baker & Taylor Entertainment Audio Music/Video Product Award, $2,500 in Audio Music or Video products to promote the development of a circulating collection in a public library;
• Charlie Robinson Award, $1,000 honoring a public library director who, over a period of seven years, has been a risk taker, an innovator and/or a change agent in a public library;
• DEMCO New Leaders Travel Grant, up to $1,500, enhances the professional development of public librarians new to the field by making possible their attendance at major professional development activities;
• EBSCO Excellence in Small and/or Rural Library Service Award, $1,000 honorarium to a public library serving a population of 10,000 or less that demonstrates excellence of service to its community;
• Gordon M. Conable Award, $1,500 to a public library staff member, library trustee, or public library that has demonstrated a commitment to intellectual freedom and the Library Bill of Rights;
• Grow Your Own @ your library Institutional Scholarship, $8,000 in reimbursement of public libraries employees’ course tuition costs at the undergraduate or graduate level;
• Highsmith Library Innovation Award, $2,000 recognizing a library’s innovative and creative service program to the community.

Questions? Contact the PLA Office at .

The Quill Awards are the only book awards to pair a populist sensibility with Hollywood-style glitz. They are the first literary prizes to reflect the tastes of all the groups that matter most in publishing— readers, booksellers and librarians.

The Quills Voting Board, which consists of 6,000 booksellers and librarians selected by invitation only, weed out the best of the best into the 19 categories, with 5 lucky titles per category.

However, the winner of the coveted Book of the Year award is selected by votes from readers like you. Readers have one month to cast their vote at www.quillsvote.com for #1 starting Monday, September 10, and ending on Wednesday, October 10.

Are you surprised by the list of nominees? Shocked, horrified, delighted, thrilled, unaffected? Who would you vote for (even if your pick is *not* on the list)? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

This year PLA awarded nine public libraries with grants of $8,000 each (originally announced in February 2007) – to be distributed to staff members working to obtain a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science:

• Dallas (Texas) Public Library
• Palm Beach County (Fla.)Library System
• Chesterfield County (Va.) Public Library
• Hall County (Ga.) Library System
• Daviess County (Ky.) Public Library
• Northwest Regional Library (N.D.)
• Dunham (N.Y.) Public library
• Decorah (Iowa) Public library
• Upper Skagit (Wash.) Library District

Congratulations to all our winners!

ADVANCEMENT OF LITERACY AWARD sponsored by Library Journal
Jacksonville Public Library Foundation (Fla.)

ALLIE BETH MARTIN AWARD sponsored by Baker & Taylor
Barry Trott, Williamsburg Regional Library (Va.)

BAKER & TAYLOR ENTERTAINMENT AUDIO MUSIC / VIDEO PRODUCT AWARD
L.D. Fargo Library (Wis.)

CHARLIE ROBINSON AWARD sponsored by the Baker & Taylor Company
Sandra Feinberg, Middle Country Public Library (N.Y.)

DEMCO NEW LEADERS TRAVEL GRANT sponsored by DEMCO, Inc.
Lisa Chlebanowski, Avondale Public Library (Ariz.)
Janet Eldred, Hollidaysburg Area Public Library (Pa.)
Susan Fisher, Bethesda Public Library (Tenn.)
Terri Romberger, Pasco County Library System (Fla.)

EBSCO EXCELLENCE IN SMALL AND/OR RURAL PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICE AWARD
Kenai Community Library (Alaska)

GORDON M. CONABLE AWARD sponsored by LSSI
Ken Verdoia, former trustee, Salt Lake County Library (Utah) Board of Directors

HIGHSMITH LIBRARY INNOVATION AWARD
Athens-Clarke County Library (Ga.)

PUBLIC LIBRARIES FEATURE ARTICLE AWARD
First Prize: Meagan Albright, Alvin Library (Fla.)
Second Prize: Mary Cosper LeBoeuf, Terrebonne Parish Library System (La.)

I’ll post the “Grow Your Own @ Your Library” Institutional Scholarship as a separate post, once I have the paper list (Susan Hildreth read them too fast for my fingers!).

Also upcoming is the January 31, 2007 deadline for the We The People Bookshelf Grants. In spring 2007, ALA and NEH will be awarding a Bookshelf – 15 classic books for young readers on the “Pursuit of Happiness” theme – to 2,000 school (K-12) and public libraries. Selected libraries will also receive four of the titles in Spanish translation, a bonus CD, bookplates, bookmarks and posters to promote local programming.

While you’re planning for the new year with grants applications and other program plans, don’t forget to include professional development! The 2007 PLA Spring Symposium will be held in San Jose from March 1-3, and will cover topics including:

• Demonstrating Results: Using Outcome Measurement in Your Library
• Right People, Right Time, Right Work: HR Trends and Tools
• Customer Service in Public Libraries, 21st Century Style
• Refresh, Recreate, Redesign, Remodel, Retail
• Advocacy @ Your Library
• Mining Gold in the 21st Century: Strengthening Your Library with Literacy Service

Be sure to register for the Symposium by January 26, 2007!

The National Book Foundation announced the 2006 National Book Awards last night at a ceremony in New York City Last night. You can read more about each author and their work by clicking on their names below.

• Young People’s Literature:
  The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume One: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson
• Poetry:
  Splay Anthem by Nathaniel Mackey
• Nonfiction:
  The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan
• Fiction:
  The Echo Maker by Richard Powers

Two other awards were received last night: Adrienne Rich received the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and Robert Silvers and Barbara Epstein received The Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community.

Also in attendance at the award ceremony were the recipients of the National Book Foundation’s new program “5 under 35,” which highlights new young authors. Keep an eye on these up and coming writers!

Transcripts of speeches and more content from the gala evening will be posted to the National Book Foundation’s site in the coming days.

Did you know that the director of the National Book Foundation has a blog? Read more about what’s going on at the National Book Foundation by visiting the Director’s Blog.

The deadline for applications is December 1, 2006. All applications must be submitted online prior to the deadline in order to be considered.

PLA Achievement Awards:

• Advancement of Literacy Award to a publisher, bookseller, hardware and/or software dealer, foundation, or similar group for a significant contribution to the advancement of literacy. Sponsored by Library Journal

• Allie Beth Martin Award of $3,000 to a public librarian who has extraordinary range and depth of knowledge about books/library materials and the distinguished ability to share that knowledge. Sponsored by Baker & Taylor

• Charlie Robinson Award of $1,000 to a public library director who, over a period of seven years, was a risk-taker, innovator, and/or change agent in a public library. Sponsored by Baker & Taylor

• EBSCO Excellence in Small and/or Rural Public Library Service Award of $1,000 to a public library serving a population of 10,000 or less that demonstrates excellence of service to its community as exemplified by an overall service program or a special program of significant accomplishment. Sponsored by EBSCO Information Services

• Highsmith Library Innovation Award of $2,000 to a public library for achievement in planning and implementing a creative community service program. Sponsored by Highsmith, Inc.

New this year from PLA:

• Gordon M. Conable Award of $1,500 to a public library staff member, library trustee, or public library that has demonstrated a commitment to intellectual freedom and the Library Bill of Rights. Sponsored by LSSI

PLA Grant Opportunities:

• Baker & Taylor Entertainment Audio Music/Video Product Award Grant of $2,500 in audio/music-video products for a proposal that outlines the purpose, benefits, and plan for initiating or expanding a circulating audio music/video collection. Sponsored by Baker & Taylor

• Demco New Leaders Travel Grant of up to $1,500 each, not to exceed $5,000, to PLA members who are new to the profession and who have not attended a major PLA continuing-education event in the last 5 years. Sponsored by Demco, Inc.

• “Grow Your Own” Institutional Scholarship of $8,000 to a public library for reimbursement of employees’ course tuition costs at the undergraduate or graduate level. This PLA Pilot program is now in its second year.

Visit www.pla.org for applications and more information.

Remember – Deadline for applications is December 1, 2006!