CHICAGO — School librarians are invited to apply for a $5,000 award recognizing outstanding K-8 humanities programming, the American Library Association (ALA) Office of Public Programs announced.
Applications for the 2022 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award will be accepted until May 5, 2022. Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on programming, virtual program submissions are strongly encouraged.
Nominations, award guidelines and a list of previous winners are available at www.ala.org/jaffarian.
School libraries, public or private, that serve students from kindergarten to grade 8 are eligible. Nominated programs must have taken place during the current school year (2021-22). Programs that are still running by the award deadline are eligible, and librarians are encouraged to nominate their own.
Eligible humanities programs can focus on many areas, including social studies, poetry, drama, art, music, language arts, foreign languages, and culture. Curricula should focus on broadening perspectives and helping students understand the world and their place in it. They should be initiated and coordinated by the school librarian and illustrate the role of the library program in promoting the general educational goals of the school.
Recent Jaffarian Prize winners have included:
- Teaching the Tulsa Race Massacre with Guided Inquiry Design, a program that taught students how assumptions create conflict in society using the Tulsa Race Massacre as an example. Students then completed research projects on conflicting assumptions in the world today or in their own experience. The students chose a topic to further their research.
- Junior Ambassadors, a program that brings a global perspective to students through a journal club focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Poverty and Philanthropy, a program where students researched famous philanthropists, including how much money they give, which nonprofit they support, and why.
- Tales of the Crypt: Danville’s Living History, a program that used a historic local cemetery as the basis for a multidisciplinary student project.
Named after the late Sara Jaffarian, school librarian and longtime ALA member, the ALA Jaffarian Award was established in 2006 to recognize and promote excellence in humanities programming in libraries in elementary and middle schools. It is presented annually by the ALA Office of Public Programs in cooperation with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).
The award is selected by a committee comprised of members of the ALA Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee (PCPAC), AASL, and the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC).
Funding for the Jaffarian Prize is provided by ALA’s Cultural Communities Fund (CCF). In 2003, a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities launched a campaign to secure the future of libraries as cultural destinations within the community. Since then, CCF has raised over $2 million, serving libraries as they serve their communities through the highest quality arts and humanities programs. To contribute to the CCF, visit www.ala.org/ccf.
About ALA’s Office of Public Programs
The American Library Association (ALA) Office of Public Programs enables libraries to create vibrant centers of learning, conversation, and connection in communities of all types. For more information visit www.ala.org/ppo
About the American Association of School Librarians
The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.orga division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.
About the American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is the leading national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, ALA has been the trusted voice of academic, public, school, government and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the role of the library in improving learning and access to information for all. For more information, visit http://www.ala.org.
