Apply Today for a $4,000 National School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming!

The ALA Public Programs Office is now accepting nominations for the 2013 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming. School libraries, public or private, that served children in any combination of grades K-8 and conducted humanities programs during the 2011-2012 school year are eligible. Applications and award guidelines are available at www.ala.org/jaffarianaward. To be considered, nominations must be received by the ALA Public Programs Office by December 15.

The award consists of a $4,000 honorarium and a plaque. Additionally, the winning program will be promoted as a model program for other school libraries on www.ProgrammingLibrarian.org, a library programming resource center. To be considered, applicant libraries must have conducted a humanities program or program series during the prior school year (2011-2012). The humanities program can be focused in many subject areas, including but not limited to social studies, poetry, drama, art, music, language arts, foreign language and culture. Programs should focus on broadening perspectives and helping students understand the wider world and their place in it. They should be initiated and coordinated by the school librarian and exemplify the role of the library program in advancing the overall educational goals of the school.

To help you find inspiration for your application, ALA Public Programs Office and ProgrammingLibrarian.org present an online learning opportunity especially for school librarians:

Who Are We?: An award-winning humanities program model for school libraries

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

4:00 p.m. CDT

Francis Feeley, school librarian of Inter-American Magnet School in Chicago, Ill., and winner of the 2012 Sara Jaffarian Award, will present his winning model for humanities programming in the school library. The program, titled “Who Are We?” challenged seventh- and eighth-grade students to explore the individual and collective behavior of human beings in the past and present in a series of quarterly research projects. Following the presentation, Feeley will discuss elements of his award application that lead to his selection, and give tips to prospective applicants to help get their applications started. Registration for this event is required, and can be found at: http://www.programminglibrarian.org/online-learning/who-are-we-an-award-winning-humanities-program-model-for-school-libraries.html.

With questions, please contact the ALA Public Programs Office, publicprograms@ala.org or 800-545-2433 x5045.