The Pura Belpré Award Celebration 2009

The Pura Belpré Award Celebration 2009

I had been asked to attend the Pura Belpre Award Ceremony which is an award that I had studied in library school and have always held in high esteem.

The ALA Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) web site says it is an award named after the first Latina librarian at the NYPL. Established in 1996, it is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

It is co-sponsored (ALSC) and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, an ALA affiliate.

There is a committee from both associations that read hundreds of Latino themed children's books and come up with three honor books for illustration and three honor books for authorship. They also work all year on putting together the award ceremony.

Out of the 3 and 3 honor books - one from each category gets the gold medal award - and it is an actual gold medal in a wooden box. It looks just like the seal on the books.

Thanks to Armando I was suprised when I walked in and realized that I had already met Yuyi Morales and Lucia Gonzalez who had both come here for Dia de los Ninos Programs. I had also met one other winner Francisco Jimenez - who is one of my heroes.

The decor of the award ceremony was spectacular - even though it was in a Hilton Hotel - one walked up to a table and into the room laden with a lot of Latino color and flavor. There were lots of colorful flags and tablecloths. Unfortunately my camera battery chose to die at that particular moment, but i will try to find some pictures from a friend.

The speeches were all heart felt and many of the authors were in tears. After Yuyi Morales won her award - she thanked everyone with this tribute video which is now posted on youtube. It was fabulous - it shows the character of her Pura Belpre winning book, Sr. Calavera, receiving the Pura Belpre invitation in the mail. The video short is very funny and ends up in her real living room - in Glen Park, San Francisco. I have had the pleasure to be in her house for a book signing (inside information if you want to know what her house looks like)

Please check it out - it is lovely. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY1CjAhiDgA

Summary of award winners:

Belpré Author Award
"The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom" by Margarita Engle, published by Henry Holt

Belpré Author Honor Books

"Just in Case" by Yuyi Morales, a Neal Porter Book published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership

"Reaching Out" by Francisco Jiménez, Houghton Mifflin Co.

"The Storyteller's Candle/La velita de los cuentos" by Lucia Gonzalez, illustrated by Lulu Delacre, Children's Book Press

Belpré Illustrator Award

"Just in Case" by Yuyi Morales, a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership Press

Belpré Illustrator Honor Books

"Papa and Me" illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez, written by Arthur Dorros, Rayo, and imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

"The Storyteller's Candle/La velita de los cuentos" illustrated by Lulu Delacre, written by Lucia Gonzalez, Children's Book Press

"What Can You Do with a Rebozo" illustrated by Amy Cordova, written by Carmen Tafolla, Tricycle Press, an imprint of Ten Speed Press

ALA Chicago 2009 - Day 1 Wed July 8th

One of my professional commitments is to the Spectrum Scholar Interest Group.

"The Spectrum Scholar Interest Group coordinates many of the activities that keep Spectrum Scholars involved in the American Library Association and the profession.

The Spectrum Scholar Interest Group (SSIG) reports to the Spectrum Advisory Committee (SAC), a subcommittee of the Committee on Diversity (COD).

The group is comprised of at least one representative from each class of Spectrum Scholars elected for a two-year term". -- All the above is stated on the SSIG wiki. How ALA loves acronyms.

What the above all means - is that when you get an ALA Spectrum Scholarship (an ALA ethnic librarian scholarship) to pay for library school, down the road, they will ask you to come help and contribute.

Today was the opening day of the Spectrum Institute - it is a 3 day leadership institute where they receive mentoring and guidance from big names in ALA to get
encouraged to participate in associations and know the need for minority librarians in the field.

I love meeting the knew scholars, they are enthusiastic and are usually in library school and can not believe their luck at being sent to the conference. We had a meet and greet ice breaker with them where they were handed a Bingo card with about 50 squares. One had to go around the room and ask other if they had done any of the items on the card - then they would initial it...the goal was to make conversation and find 50 people who had done unusual things like: met a president; parachuted; liked sushi... i became known as the girl who could fill in the square of touching her tongue to the tip of her nose - a hard square to get signed off.

It was amazing to me that there were 100 scholarship recipients this year. Back in my institute year there were 40 people (2003). Things are looking up for diversity.

At the opening Ceremony there was an impressive lineup:

*Donna Dziedzic: President, Illinois Library Association.
*Jim Rettig: 2008-2009 ALA/APA President and University Librarian.
*Camila Alire: 2009-2010 ALA/APA President
*Keith Michael Fiels: Executive Director, American Library Association
*Miguel A. Figueroa: Director Office for Diversity and Spectrum, ALA

Donna gave some advice to the new soon-to-be librarians about realizing that any place you go - even in you are a nun in a convent, there is going to be politics. To watch carefully for it and be careful.

Camila, Jim and Keith told the scholars not to be shy about introducing themselves to others even on the Gale shuttle buses - that opportunities happen in the oddest ways from meeting just one person.

Camila gave great advice is saying - take opportunities to be involved - however, everything you do will build a positive or negative reputation for you. So when you sign up for a position, make sure that you do what you say you will do. She also said to enjoy yourself, there can be a lot of joy in this profession. Work hard and Play hard.

I left so inspired and felt they all helped me more that I helped them...it was good to see my Spectrum Alum colleagues and catch up with them as we do once a year.

Tomorrow I am up and off to an eight hour pre-conference workshop - bliss to me... They will discuss the cataloging of the new Audio visual materials and changes in cataloging...I'm sure you'll want every eight hour detail.

It's great to be here, i feel very fortunate in that - and will try to impart any other things that I may find helpful.

Ida