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In Recently, the American Indian Library Association (AILA), an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), established an American Indian Youth Services Literature Award. The award honors excellence in writing and illustrations for children, by and about American Indians, in three categories: picture book, middle school book, and young adult book. Each winner receives $500 and a commemorative plaque, which will be presented during the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color children's luncheon program in Dallas, Texas, on October 13, 2006.
Guidelines for the award can be found at www.nativeculturelinks.com/ AILALitAward.doc.
The first winners are Sam Sandoval, illustrator, for Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story; Louise Erdrich for The Birchbark House(RC 48991); and Joseph Bruchac for Hidden Roots.
AILA and ALA have also collaborated to develop a scholarship program for American Indian/Alaskan Native students (AI/AN) who are enrolled or have been accepted in a master's degree program at an ALA - accredited library school. The scholarship is designed to encourage eligible Native Americans to enter the library profession. A scholarship of $500 will be awarded for each academic year. For further details see www.nativeculturelinks.com/aila_scholarships.htm.
A tip sheet for librarians who would like to help support tribal libraries is available online from ALA's Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, Subcommittee on Library Services to American Indians. The two-page pamphlet shows various ways to provide assistance. See What YOU Can Do to Support Tribal Libraries: A Tip Sheet at www.ala.org/ala/olos/oloscommittees/oloscommittees.htm.
A toolkit to help small libraries with outreach both to the public and to policy makers was developed by the ALA Committee on Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds. Geared to libraries with populations under ten thousand, the kit provides resource material for advocacy outreach. The Small Is Powerful: Online Toolkit for Winning Support for Your Rural Library is available online at www.ala.org/ala/olosbucket/supporttoolkit/toolkithome.htm.
Information about the Committee on Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds can be found at www.ala.org/ala/olos/oloscommittees/rnt/ruralnative.htm.
Updated September 26, 2006