A Morris update

In four short weeks,I will be in San Francisco at the ALA Annual Conference.

I am excited beyond words because I’ve never been to a huge conference like this before, aside from an NCTM conference in St. Louis. but Math and Library conferences are two different kettles of fish. But, before I get there, I have a lot of work to do.

My colleagues and I on the Morris committee have been very busy. We’ve been meeting monthly in Google Hangouts to discuss the books we’ve read. We also have a private chat room on the ALA website where we can have discussions about the book before our monthly meetings where we decide to nominate or set a book aside. Our most recent meeting was Sunday and I  really got a sense theta everyone else is as excited as I am about actually meeting each other face to face next month.

But, as I said, I have a lot to do in the meantime. Here is a sample of the piles of books I’m working with.

I have labels on each: read, to read, pending discussion, need readers, rejected, undetermined. Elsewhere in the house I have a stack of books that we have nominated and a box of books that were sent to me that do not meet the criteria of the award. It is probably good I live alone.

Summing up 2014 with ALA

 

Each year the American Library Association honors books, videos, and other outstanding materials for children and teens. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, the ALA Youth Media Awards, including the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Book Awards, guide parents, educators, librarians, and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards encourage original and creative work in the field of children’s and young adult literature and media.

The announcement of the 2015 Youth Media Awards will take place at 8:00 a.m. Central time on Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, during the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibition in Chicago.

You can watch the LIVE WEBCAST like I will. It’s funny to think that I will be at next year’s presentation, having been a part of the decision-making process.

I’m still reading a few and will post my list of 2014 favorites soon.