Jennifer McQuown has been named the 2020 winner of ALA’s Scholastic Library Publishing Award

CHICAGO — Jennifer McQuown has been named the 2020 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.

McQuown is being honored for her outstanding contributions to the field of literacy. She is a passionate advocate of reading and believes in getting books into the hands of every child and teenager. As the youth services manager of the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, Florida, McQuown has worked tirelessly to develop programs and partnerships for children and teens through her library and the community.

She has worked extensively to bring nationally recognized and award-winning authors to visit and talk to teens in the Juvenile Detention Center in West Palm Beach. She also helped to start a monthly book club with the Pace Center for Girls, a program designed to keep girls from entering the juvenile justice system.

McQuown has helped develop creative and interactive Summer Learning Programs to introduce children to the world of books. The programs have also included healthy meals and snacks and volunteers to read to children. Program participants receive books as gifts, which help create home libraries. She also created Homework Centers to support students in grades K-12 and provides snacks as well as school supplies to help food insecure families. The centers are staffed with certified teachers, professional librarians, volunteer tutors and AmeriCorps volunteers.

McQuown has spearheaded the Books and Music Festival to bring nationally recognized authors and illustrators to West Palm Beach. She oversaw the expansion of Let’s Read, a community volunteer-based reading program that trains volunteers to bring storytimes into Title 1 classrooms. She serves on the Palm Beach County Grade Level Reading Committee to increase the number of students reading on or above grade level.

The annual award consists of $1,000 and a citation of achievement. With the cancellation of the ALA Annual Conference, the award will be presented at the Award Ceremony and Reception Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, during the Midwinter Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Members of the 2020 Scholastic Library Publishing Award committee are: Chair Susan Kusel, Arlington, Virginia; Amanda Carr, Lindenhurst, Illinois; Dr. Christina Dorr, Columbus, Ohio; Brittany Richardson, Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Linda Weatherspoon, Wentzville, Missouri.

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