Some people care

Librarians sometimes feel they are under-appreciated for the work they do, but there are some areas that many people care about and awarding medals is one of these. The Newbery Medal, presented by the American Library Association for the best American book published for children in the preceding year, usually receives some attention in the press. This year the Newbery Medal has an especially high profile because there has been much discussion about whether it is being given to books that children care about. The NPR program "On the Media" recently aired a segment in which Pat Scales, president of ALSC, talked about the medal and why it is important. The podcast of this show should be required listening for children's librarians who might want to encourage parents and teachers to listen too. It's important to get a perspective on what the Newbery and Caldecott Medals are meant to encourage--excellence in children's publishing. In a few days, Monday, January 26, another set of medal winners will be announced. Read the books and judge for yourself whether the medals are living up to their aspirations.