December 17, 2017 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature to Be Inaugurated

Press Contact: Benny Seda-Galarza (202) 707-8732 |
Public Contact: Lee Ann Potter (202) 707-8735
Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ADA@loc.gov

The Library of Congress, in collaboration with the Children’s Book Council (CBC) and Every Child a Reader, will inaugurate the new National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at 10:30 a.m. in the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. Ambassador Emeritus Gene Luen Yang will participate in the ceremony and deliver comments on his ambassadorship. Tickets are not required for this event, which is free and open to the public.

The National Ambassador program was created by the Library, Every Child a Reader and the CBC in 2008 to raise national awareness of the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to literacy, education and the betterment of the lives of young people. Appointed for a two-year term, the National Ambassador will choose a personal platform related to books and reading, which he or she will advocate for during nationwide travels speaking to kids, teens and their caregivers.

The new ambassador will succeed Jon Scieszka (2008-2009), Katherine Paterson (2010-2011), Walter Dean Myers (2012-2013), Kate DiCamillo (2014-2015) and Gene Luen Yang (2016-2017) in the position.

The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature is selected based on recommendations from a Library-Every Child a Reader-CBC-appointed committee of educators, librarians, booksellers and children’s literature experts for their contributions to young people’s literature, ability to relate to kids and teens and dedication to fostering children’s literacy as a whole.

About the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States - and extensive materials from around the world - both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office.  Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

About Every Child a Reader

Every Child a Reader is a 501(c)(3) literacy charity whose popular national programs include Children’s Book Week, the longest-running literacy initiative in the country; the Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards, the only national book awards chosen by children and teens; and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program, in partnership with the Library of Congress. Launched in 1919, Children’s Book Week will celebrate its 100th anniversary in May 2019. Please visit EveryChildaReader.net for more information.

About the Children’s Book Council

The Children’s Book Council is the nonprofit trade association of children’s book publishers in North America, dedicated to supporting the industry and promoting children’s books and reading. The CBC offers children’s publishers the opportunity to work together on issues of importance to the industry at large, including educational programming, literacy advocacy and collaborations with other national organizations. Please visit CBCBooks.org for more information.

 

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PR 17-181
2017-12-18
ISSN 0731-3527