The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is a division of the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

, and it is the world's largest organization dedicated to library service to children. Its members are concerned with creating a better future for children through libraries. ALSC's membership is composed of more than 4,000 members, including children's and youth librarians, children's literature experts, publishers, education and library school faculty members, and other adults dedicated to library services for youth. ALSC has nearly 60 active committees and task forces carrying out the work of the Association, including developing programs for youth and continuing education; publishing resources and journals for youth librarians; and evaluating and awarding media for children. ALSC sets a standard for library service to children through the regular updating of Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Public Libraries. The most recent competencies, adopted in 2015, emphasize seven core areas of competency that include services, programs, outreach, collection development, and administrative practices that contribute to quality library service for youth.

Major Initiatives

The Association of Library Service to Children supports five major initiatives focused on continuing education for children's librarians; enhanced library services and programming for children aged 0–14 years; and collaboration with other agencies serving youth.

El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros (Children's Day/Book Day)

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día or Diversity in Action, is an ongoing celebration of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30. Día was created by author/illustrator

Pat Mora Pat Mora (born January 19, 1942 in El Paso, Texas) is an American poet and author of books for adults, teens and children. Her grandparents came to El Paso from northern Mexico. A graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, she received Honor ...

in collaboration with REFORMA.

Babies Need Words Every Day

As part of their commitment to bridging the 30 million word gap, ALSC created colorful posters and booklists designed to be hung in accessible public spaces, such as bathroom changing tables and on buses, to inform parents of ways to read, talk, sing, and play with their babies. Posters are available to print for free in both English and Spanish.

Every Child Ready to Read @ your library

Every Child Ready to Read @ your library, commonly abbreviated as ECRR, is a parent education program designed by ALSC and the

Public Library Association The Public Library Association (PLA) is a division of the American Library Association, is a professional association of public librarians and supporters dedicated to the "development and effectiveness of public library staff and public library se ...

. The initiative focuses on the development of early literacy skills in children ages 0–5. Many storytimes and other early childhood programs in libraries across the world incorporate research and practices from ECRR. The ECRR toolkit is designed to help librarians teach parents that early literacy begins at home and is taught by parents. The toolkit was revised in 2011.

Media mentorship

In 2015, the ALSC Board accepted a white paper titled "Media Mentorship in Libraries Serving Youth". This paper outlines the role of librarians and other library staff who serve youth and families with particular regard to materials and practices surrounding digital media.

Everyday Advocacy

In recognition that libraries must advocate for their patrons and themselves within their communities, Everyday Advocacy provides resources and training materials to empower library workers to take action in a grassroots effort to build awareness of and support for the library. ALSC continually advocates for the support and enhancement of library services to children and those who provide it by encouraging practitioners to speak out within their communities to promote the value of those services. The division also partners with other agencies that serve children to spread the word about the power of reading, early literacy, and youth services.

Awards, Grants, & Scholarships

Book and Media Awards

ALSC announces the awards listed below every January at a Monday morning press conference that takes place during the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting. * The

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished cont ...

was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller

John Newbery John Newbery (9 July 1713 – 22 December 1767), considered "The Father of Children's Literature", was an English publisher of books who first made children's literature a sustainable and profitable part of the literary market. He also supported ...

. It is awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. * The

Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Servic ...

was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator

Randolph Caldecott Randolph Caldecott (; 22 March 1846 – 12 February 1886) was a British artist and illustrator, born in Chester. The Caldecott Medal was named in his honour. He exercised his art chiefly in book illustrations. His abilities as an artist were pro ...

. It is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. * The Batchelder Award was named in honor of twetieth-century American librarian Mildred L. Batchelder. The Batchelder Award is unusual in that it is given to a publisher, yet explicitly references a given work, its translator and author. It seeks to recognize translations of children's books into the English language, with the intention of encouraging American publishers to translate high quality foreign language children's books and ''"promote communication between the people of the world"''. * The Belpré Medal was named in honor of twentieth-century Puerto Rican librarian Pura Belpré. It is given in honor to a Latino or Latina writer and illustrator whose works best portray, affirm, and celebrate the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. It has been given every other year since 1996. Beginning with the 2009 award, it will be given annually. * The Carnegie Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century American philanthropist

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...

. It honors the producer of the most outstanding video production for children. * The

Children's Literature Lecture Award The Children's Literature Lecture Award (known as the May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture from 1970-2020) is an annual event sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association. The organizatio ...

(formerly called the "May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture Award from 1970-2020), was originally named in honor of twentieth-century American educator

May Hill Arbuthnot May Hill Arbuthnot (August 27, 1884 – October 2, 1969) was an American educator, editor, writer, and critic who devoted her career to the awareness and importance of children's literature. Her efforts expanded and enriched the selection of bo ...

. It is awarded annually to honor an author, critic, librarian, historian, or teacher of children's literature, of any country, who shall prepare a paper considered to be a significant contribution to the field of children's literature. This paper is delivered as a lecture each year, and is subsequently published in Children and Libraries, the journal of ALSC. * The

Geisel Award The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is a literary award by the American Library Association (ALA) that annually recognizes the "author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished book for beginning readers published in English in the United States ...

was named in honor of twentieth-century American author

Theodor Seuss Geisel Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
''

Odyssey Award The Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production is an annual award conferred by the American Library Association upon the publisher of "the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United State ...

was named in honor of the

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

's eighth century BC epic

poem Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...

to remind us of the ancient roots of storytelling, while living in our modern world. The Odyssey Award is jointly given and administered by the ALSC and the

Young Adult Library Services Association The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), established in 1957, is a division of the American Library Association. YALSA is a national association of librarians, library workers and advocates whose mission is to expand the capacity of l ...

(YALSA), another division of the ALA. It is sponsored by

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

magazine, a publication of the ALA. * The

Sibert Medal The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal established by the Association for Library Service to Children The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is a division of the American Library Association, and it is the world's largest ...

was named in honor of twentieth-century American publisher Robert F. Sibert. It honors the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book. *

The Children's Literature Legacy Award (previously named the Wilder Medal) was originally named in honor of twentieth-century American author

Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American writer, mostly known for the '' Little House on the Prairie'' series of children's books, published between 1932 and 1943, which were based on her childhood ...

but the name was changed in 2018. It honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.

Children's Notable Lists

In addition to the above listed awards, ALSC produces three lists o
notable media titles
* Notable Children's Books (annual) *Notable Children's Recordings (annual) *Notable Children's Videos (annual)

Partnership Grants

* Dollar General Literacy Foundation * Disney ALSC also ran Great Websites for Kids, a compilation of exemplary websites geared to children from birth to age 14. Suggested sites were evaluated by the Great Websites for Kids Committee using established selection criteria. The Great Websites for Kids program ended in 2016.

References

External links

ALSC home pageALSC BlogALSC Book and Media AwardsEl día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Association For Library Service To Children Library associations in the United States Children's literature organizations American Library Association