South Carolina Book Awards Committee

2019-2020 Book Award Handbook

2019-20 Book Award Committee Application (Applications for the 2020-2021 year are now closed.)

Function: The Book Award Committees are tasked with annually formulating the SCASL Book Award Program nominee book lists.

In order to accomplish this they must each read 100 - 250 titles each year and then discuss and evaluate those titles at regular meetings. The result is each year’s carefully selected reading list in each of four categories: Picture Book, Children's, Junior, and Young Adult.  Librarians, teachers, and students across the state of South Carolina owe these committee members a big vote of thanks!

Composition: The Book Award Committee has an Executive Board Representative/Chairperson and Vice-Chair to oversee all award levels as well as Chair and Vice Chair positions for each sub-committee (Picture, Children’s, Junior, and Young Adult).  Each of the Book Award Committees can be made up of a cross-section of media specialists, teachers, students, parents, administrators, public librarians, and college or university representatives.

Chairperson: The Book Award Committee Chairperson (Executive Board Representative) is selected by the SCASL President in consultation with the outgoing Chair.  Contact: [email protected]

2019-2020 Picture Book Award committee members: Abigail Anthony, Virginia Catoe, Margaret Ferrin, Elizabeth Harris (Vice Chair), Patricia Hass, Anita Hutto, Bethany Imms, Sara Kalbaugh, Stacey Knutson, Cara Morris, Debbie Oswald, Helen Prince (Chair), Elizabeth Ryan, Samantha Smigel, Jennifer Tazerouti, Melanie Wyndham, Kelly Urtz.

2019-2020 Children's Book Award committee members: Lessie Bernhouse, Mary Bock, Leslie Cooper, Kendall Crossley, Ashley Griffith, Linda Lundeen, Legare McKeehan, Nancy McKeehan, Tenley Middleton, Brandy Rollins, Fran Sanderson, Carrie Shoolbred, Melanie Starks (Chair), Kendall Starks, Jillian Stroud, Cindy Symonds (Vice Chair), Pat Wilcox.

2019-2020 Junior Book Award committee members: Rebecca Adams, Dana Anderson, Patti Barker (Chair), Kristi Benson, Rhoda Coleman, Jenny Cox, Kay Falls, Tiffany Forrest, Carolyn Gause, Carly Huerta, Seth Jerideau, Alana Lewis (Vice Chair), Pam Lorentz, Michelle Martin, Pam Moore, Anya Podolsky, Rebecca Roper, Michelle Spires, Angela Thoele.

2019-2020 Young Adult Book Award committee members: Toni Anderson (Vice Chair), Faith Barber, Marti Brown, Kathy Carroll, Lauren Cook, Caitlin Creagan, Samantha Finkenberg, Michelle Greene (Chair), Allison Hall, Susan Henley, Kim Hudson, Mike LeRoy, Laura Lundeen, Leslie McDuffie, Colette Schmidt, Roxanne Spray, Donna Taylor, Rhonda Tiwari, Melissa Tucker, Laura Ward, Anna Webb.

Meetings: The Book Award Committees meet five times a year: May, August, October, December, and March (at the Annual Conference).  In addition to the general meeting at the Annual Conference, Committee members are expected to participate in their Committee's presentation session at Conference.

The Columbia area meetings start at 10:00 am and usually last for about 2 hours.
The December meeting sometime may last longer because it is the final meeting.

**In addition to the PBA, CBA, JBA, & YABA presentation sessions held at the SCASL Annual Conference, a general SCBA session is held for new/returning members and anyone interested in learning more about the book awards program.  

• maintain current membership in SCASL
• attend four Columbia-area meetings each year.
• attend the SCASL conference, be present at the appropriate booktalk sessions, and work in the Book Award section of the conference store.
• submit twelve book titles for the next year’s consideration list 
• read the books on the list of books under consideration (between 100 – 250 titles depending upon the committee you serve) to narrow the list down to the top 20 best titles.
• assist in the creation of an online activity guide and media for your committee's nominees.
• present a booktalk for at least one book at the annual SCASL conference.

 Last updated: 09 March 2020