ALA Awards and Notables

In addition to the major awards presented each year at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting, the ALA also releases lists of other notable books, videos and materials for children, teens and adults. These lists are:

Literary Awards

• Stonewall Awards
  The first and most enduring award for lesbigay books is the Stonewall Book Awards, sponsored by the American Library Association's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table. Since Isabel Miller's Patience and Sarah received the first award in 1971, a total of forty-eight books have been honored for exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered experience.
  
  
• BCALA Literary Award
  The awards recognize excellence in adult fiction and nonfiction by African American authors published the year prior, including the work of a first novelist, and a citation for Outstanding Contribution to Publishing. The recipients will receive the awards in June during the Annual Conference of the American Library Association.
  
  
• Sophie Brody Award
  The Collection Development and Evaluation Section (CODES) of the Reference & User Services Association (RUSA)and Arthur Brody and the Brodart Foundation present a medal to the U.S. author of the most distinguished contribution to Jewish literature (fiction and/or non-fiction) for adults published in the United States in the preceding year.
  

Notables

• Audio books for Young Adults
  The titles have been selected from the past two years of spoken word releases.  They have been selected for their appeal to a teen audience, the quality of their recording, and their enhancement of an audience’s appreciation of any written work on which they may be based.  While the list as a whole addresses the interests and needs of young adults ranging in age from 12 to 18, individual titles may appeal to only parts of that age range.
  
  
• Notable Videos for Adults
  Each year a committee comprised of ALA Video Round Table members selects the best fifteen educational, performance or how-to titles released during the previous and current calendar years. The committee makes its selections during the ALA Midwinter Meeting and the list is published in the March 15 issue of Booklist.
  
  
• Best Books for Young Adults
  The list is prepared annually by the Young Adults Library Services Association (YALSA). Books selected are recommended for ages 12-18, and meet the criteria of both good quality literature and reading appeal for teens.
  
  
• Best Videos and DVDs for Young Adults
  Produced annually by the The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the DVD/Video list recognizes productions for technical merit, content, and interest-level to young adults ages 12-18.  Selections are chosen for the list using a roundtable discussion followed by a simple majority vote.
  
  
• Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
  Produced annually by the Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Committee, a committee sponsored by Young Adult Library Services Association, encourages young adults to read for pleasure by presenting to them lists of popular or topical titles which are widely available in paperback and which represent a broad variety of accessible themes and genres.
  
  
• Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
  The Quick Picks committee seeks books that teens, ages 12-18, will pick up on their own and read for pleasure. The list is geared to the teenager who, for whatever reason, does not like to read. The list is not intended for teenagers with reading disabilities, though some of the selected titles may be appropriate for those teens. Teen input is a vital aspect in the final decision of the committee. Committee members spend countless hours reading, selecting books to nominate, and working one-on-one with reluctant readers to gauge their interest in the books.
  
  
• Notable Children's Books, Recordings, Videos, and Computer software
  Each year the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books, recordings, videos, and computer software.
  
  
• Great Web Sites for Kids
  The list is sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Children’s librarians evaluate books, magazines, tapes, and software for children to find the best of all. Web sites are no exception. On this page, we have collected some excellent sites for young people. "Children" are defined as persons of ages up to and including fourteen and Web sites for this entire age range are considered. We will share with you what we look for in a great Web site.Audiobooks