University of Minnesota Children's Literature Research Collection to host 2014 Arbuthnot Lecture

CHICAGO — The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) announced that the 2014 May Hill Arbuthnot Committee has chosen the University of Minnesota's Children's Literature Research Collections as the site for the 2014 May Hill Honor Lecture featuring Andrea Davis Pinkney.

The Children's Literature Research Collection (CLRC), part of the University of Minnesota Libraries, includes the Kerlan Collection, one of the world's great children's literature research collections. The Collection includes books, original illustrations and manuscripts significant in the history of children's literature, including those of Andrea Davis Pinkney.

“What a golden opportunity to shine the light on children’s literature with an event that will highlight one of the finest research collections in the field as well as one of the great voices of our times,” said Arbuthnot Chair Susan Moore.

Pinkney was chosen to be the 2014 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture presenter at the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting held Jan. 25 – 28 in Seattle. Andrea Davis Pinkney is a New York Times best-selling writer of more than 20 books for children and young adults, including picture books, novels and nonfiction.  During the course of her career, Pinkney has launched many high-profile publishing and entertainment entities, including Hyperion Books for Children/Disney Publishing’s Jump at the Sun imprint, the first African American children’s book imprint at a major publishing company.

The May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture celebrates May Hill Arbuthnot, who served as a strong voice for children’s literature. Each year a lecturer is chosen who will prepare a paper considered to be a significant contribution to the field of children's literature. This paper is delivered as a lecture each spring and is subsequently published in Children & Libraries, the journal of ALSC. ALSC established the lecture series in 1969 with sponsorship from Scott, Foresman and Company. The lectureship is now funded by the ALSC May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Endowment and administered by ALSC.

ALSC, a division of the ALA, is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,000 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries. To learn more about ALSC visit www.ala.org/alsc.

Members of the 2014 Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Committee are: Chair Susan Moore, San Diego County Library; Elizabeth Enochs, Fort Worth Independent School District, Fort Worth, Texas; Sue Z. Rokos, Mohawk Valley Library System, Schenectady, N.Y.; Linda Sawyer, Skokie (Ill.) Public Library; and Martha M. Walke, Children`s Literature New England, South Strafford, Vt.