Background
The Alex Awards were first given annually beginning in 1998. The titles were selected by the YALSA Adult Books for Young Adults Task Force from the previous year's publishing and were part of the Adult Books for Young Adults Project, which explored the role of adult books in the reading lives of teenagers and was funded by the Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust. Edwards was a young adult specialist for many years at the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore. Her work is described in her book Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts, and over the years she has served as an inspiration to librarians who serve young adults. With the approval of the Trust, the task force appointed to develop and implement the project named the awards the Alex Awards after Edwards, who was called “Alex” by her friends.

The task force decided to select ten titles annually, and also decided to select a top ten list rather than a single title or a long list because of the popularity of the concept and because it parallels the Top Ten titles selected by the Best Books for Young Adults and Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers committees. The task force members also believed that selecting more than one book provided a greater variety of titles, whereas a longer list would be less selective than desired. A top ten list also allows for a more balanced list—fiction and nonfiction, as well as various genres. The task force also wanted to make diversity a priority in the lists.

In 2002 the Alex Awards were approved as an official ALA award, and the Task Force was superseded by the Alex Awards Committee.

The major sponsor of the Alex Awards continues to be the Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust. Booklist is also a sponsor.

Charge
The charge of this committee is to select from the previous year’s publications ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. If ten suitable candidates cannot be selected in a given year, the number of awards can be less than ten.

Criteria

• Published in the calendar year prior to the announcement.
• Must come from a publisher’s adult list.
• Works of joint authorship and editorship will be eligible.
• Books published in another country in English or in the United States in translation are eligible.
• Selected from genres that have special appeal to young adults.
• Are potentially appealing to teenagers.
• Are well written and very readable.

Committee Composition
The Alex Awards Committee will consist of nine YALSA members including the Chair, plus a consultant from Booklist. The committee members will be selected by the YALSA Vice President/President-Elect in the Fall. Members will serve a two-year term, with the possibility of reappointment for another two-year term. On an annual basis the Vice President/President-Elect will designate one of the members to serve as Chair.

The Chair presides at all meetings of the committee and manages an electronic discussion list created by the ALA Internet Coordinator at the request of the YALSA Program Officer. The Chair is a voting member of the committee with all the rights and responsibilities of the other members. The Chair of the committee will also contact publishers to obtain copies of nominated titles for all committee members.

A consultant, appointed by the Booklist editor from among the magazine’s Books for Youth staff, may participate fully in all book discussions, in meetings as well as electronically, but may not vote.

If the Chair desires, the Vice President/President-Elect of YALSA may appoint an administrative assistant in consultation with the Committee Chair. The administrative assistant will assist the Chair in duties that may include the following: maintaining the nominations' database, tabulating votes, and other such duties assigned by the Chair. The administrative assistant is a non-voting member of the Committee, and must be a YALSA member.

Nomination Process
The Chair will accept nominations throughout the year, including those from the field. A nomination form is available on the YALSA website. This form will ask for bibliographic information and a brief explanation of why the title is deserving of an Alex Award. Committee members may nominate an unlimited number of titles. Neither publishers nor authors may nominate their own titles. The deadline for nominations will be the end of the calendar year.

The YALSA Office will arrange for an electronic discussion list for exclusive use by the committee, so that discussions and nominations can take place throughout the selection year. The Alex Awards Committee will also meet in closed meetings at the ALA Annual Conference and the Midwinter Meeting to discuss nominated titles. All nominated titles must be discussed. Only titles nominated may be discussed. At the discretion of the Chair, straw votes may be conducted periodically. The sole purpose of such voting is to guide discussion by revealing levels of support for individual titles.

Confidentiality

There will be no announcement of nominated titles. They will be kept confidential. All committee meetings/discussions are closed to the membership and the general public.

A simple majority vote will determine the winners.

The final list, with annotations written by the committee, will be due in the YALSA Office and to the Booklist consultant before the end of the Midwinter Meeting, or to meet a deadline set by Booklist. The list will then be included in the annual edition of ALA’s Guide to Best Reading and in an issue of Booklist (usually an April issue) as close as possible to the dates selected for that year’s National Library Week. Simultaneously, it will be made available on the YALSA Web site. Lists of Alex Award winners will also be widely distributed at subsequent YALSA programs and conferences.

Alex Awards can be presented at a program at the ALA Annual Conference if the committee so desires. The author of each book selected will receive a medal that has been designed by the Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust for the Alex Awards.

Relationship with Publishers
Committee members should not solicit publishers for free and personal copies of books. If members are offered or receive unsolicited copies of books from their publisher(s), they may be accepted. Committee members should not solicit publishers for favors, invitations, etc. If members receive these, however, they will use their own judgment in accepting. Publishers understand that such acceptance in no way influences members’ actions or selections.

Revision
These procedures will be subject to review - and possible revision by the YALSA Board of Directors following the first two years of implementation.

Diversity
Librarianship focuses on individuals, in all their diversity, and that focus is a fundamental value of the Young Adult Library Services Association and its members. Diversity is, thus, honored in the Association and in the collections and services that libraries provide to young adults.

Contact Information
Young Adult Library Services Association: phone: 312-280-4390; e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.