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CHICAGO – The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA) is accepting nominations for the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Lifetime Achievement Award.



The award is named for award-winning children’s author Virginia Hamilton (1936-2002), recipient of the 1983, 1986 and 1996 Coretta Scott King Book Award, 1974 National Book Award and the 1975 John Newbery Medal. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of Hamilton’s exemplary contributions through her literature and advocacy for children and youth, especially in her focus on African-American life, history and consciousness.

In odd-numbered years, practitioners will be recognized, while authors, illustrators or author/illustrators will be honored in even-numbered years. Previous recipients of the Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Lifetime Achievement Award include , Professor Emerita at The Ohio State University, and , Coordinator of School and Student Services, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore.

Interested parties should note that nominees must have a minimum of 10 years of service using African-American literature to promote reading activities and programs for children and young adults.

Eligible practitioners may include:

• Public, academic or school (public or private) librarians;
• Educators (Pre K-12, public or private);
• College or University faculty;
• Youth literature advocates whose vocations, work, volunteer service or ongoing promotion of books with and/or on behalf of youth is significant and sustained.

The winning recipient will be honored at the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Breakfast during the 2019 ¾«¶«´«Ã½Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. Recipients will be acknowledged at the Awards Breakfast and will receive a medal and a $1,500 cash award.

To submit a nomination and learn more about the guidelines, please visit . Nominations will be accepted through Monday December 3, 2018. The winning recipient will be notified on Monday January 28, 2019 during the ¾«¶«´«Ã½Midwinter Meeting in Seattle.

The recipient will be selected by a five-member award jury from the Coretta Scott King- Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement Committee of the Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT). The award is administered by the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee of EMIERT and is supported by the ¾«¶«´«Ã½Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS).

The Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award is part of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards, which honor African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults that demonstrate sensitivity to "the African American experience via literature and illustration." The award is designed to commemorate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to honor the late Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination to work for peace and world brotherhood.

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