K-8 School Libraries Invited to Apply for $5,000 Award

The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office announced applications are now open for the 2020 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming. The $5,000 award recognizes outstanding school programming in libraries that serve kindergarten to 8th grade students. Applications for the award will be accepted until May 4, 2020.

Nominated humanities program can be focused on a wide range of subject areas including social studies, poetry, drama, art, music, language arts, foreign language, and culture. Nominated programs must have taken place during the current 2019-2020 school year. The programs should be led and coordinated by the school librarian and should be focused on broadening student perspectives.

The award, established in 2006, is named after the late Sara Jaffarian, a school librarian and longtime member of ALA. It is presented annually by the ALA Public Programs Office in cooperation with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).

For more information on award guidelines and a list of previous winners, visit www.ala.org/jaffarian.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.

  • NWEA Report Recommends K–12 Natural Disaster Recovery Strategies

    The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a K–12 assessment and research organization, recently announced the release of a new playbook for schools and communities recovering from extreme weather events, according to a news release.

  • concentric silhouettes of a human head

    How Physical Space Shapes the Mind: Designing for Better Learning Outcomes

    Research in environmental psychology and neuroscience increasingly suggests that the way a room is designed can influence memory, focus, or even a student's sense of belonging.

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.