Christina Dorr wins the Scholastic Library Publishing Award

For Immediate Release
Tue, 04/17/2018

Contact:

Cheryl Malden

Program Officer

Governance

American Library Association

312-280-3247

cmalden@ala.org

CHICAGO — Christina Dorr, Media Specialist, Hilliard Weaver Middle School (Hilliard, Ohio), has been named the 2018 winner of ALA’s Scholastic Library Publishing Award. The award, supported by the Scholastic Publishing Company, recognizes a librarian whose unusual contribution to the stimulation and guidance of reading by children and young people, exemplifies outstanding achievement in the profession.

Dr. Dorr is being honored for her passion for children’s literature and contributions to the reading and literary education of children in both public and school libraries for the last thirty years. She has a rich history of publishing including a recent co-written book with colleague Liz Deskins –LGBTQAI+ Books for Children and Teens: Providing a Window for All.

She is recognized for her work in implementing the framework for and contributing to a white paper in response to the 2012 Ohio law  “The Third Grade Reading Guarantee” ensuring that third graders were promoted to the fourth grade with adequate reading skills. Dorr created a series of videos for the Ohio Educational Library Media Association demonstrating strategies to use when reading aloud with children.

She has created a wide variety of programs, including author and illustrator visits, book clubs, book displays, and a Battle over Books program.  One endeavor she implemented with colleague Stephanie Miles, was for Weaver Middle School students to read to elementary school students through Google Hangout.  Additionally, she offered family nights for students and parents from the feeder elementary and middle school to share to encourage the love and habit of reading and increase in reading achievement.

She is honored for her service to the library profession by participation on state and national book selection and award committees such as: Stonewall, Coretta Scott King, Geisel, and Notable Children’s Books.  She currently serves on YALSA’s 2019 Nonfiction Committee, and was elected to the 2020 Caldecott Committee.  She is a sought-out presenter at numerous local, regional, state and national conferences.  Visit her website for more about her work with students, books, and reading: www.opendorrs2books.com and follow her on Twiter @CHD2009.

The annual award, consisting of $1,000 and a citation of achievement, will be presented at the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA in June. 

Members of the 2018 Scholastic Library Publishing Award committee are: Chair Andrea R. Lapsley, Colorado State University, CO; Lisa M. Castellano, Larkspur Middle School, VA; Susan G. Hess, NY; Rebecca Nous, NY; and Liz Philippi, Texas State Library & Archives, TX.

More information about the Scholastic Library Publishing Award including how to submit a nomination, is available on the ALA website (www.ala.org).