Library of Congress holds Regional Meetings for Literacy Award Winners!

It was my great pleasure to attend the Library of Congress Book Award Winners regional meeting in Baton Rouge, LA last month. Through the generosity of the Kislak Family Foundation, the gathering brought former Literacy Award winners and honorees at the State Library of Louisiana for a one-day gathering. The purpose of the meeting was to foster a sense of community by offering participation in information-sharing among Literacy Awards winners and honorees. Other gatherings take place in regions around the U.S. and via virtual (Zoom) gatherings.

By participating in this small group and intentional setting, we were able to dive deep into specific questions, share tips and ideas about how to address programmatic challenges, collaborate with one another on new initiatives and strengthen relationships among the Literacy Awards network and the Library’s Affiliated Centers for the Book. Folks that attended the regional gathering represented Austin (WSP and BookSpring,) Louisiana (Center for the Book,) Nebraska (DIBS for Kids,) and International Literacy and Development (Dallas) among others.

It was a joy to hear about the innovative programs happening across the Southwest! While each organization acknowledged the challenges of a changing literacy landscape, they all held out hope for a positive and literate future.

The Library of Congress representatives were encouraging and informative. They taught us about many resources available at the physical space in Washington D.C. as well as online at: https://www.loc.gov/programs/. Please check it out! The abundance of primary source material is amazing! The Engage page is also a fantastic place to see more of the library’s offerings for all ages: https://www.loc.gov/engage.

Women’s Storybook Project will continue to engage with the opportunities provided by the LOC as well as apply for more awards for our new and ongoing programs. It is an honor to be a past awardee!

Jill Gonzalez