Botkin, Rogers receive 2025 Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award

CHICAGO - The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has awarded the 2025 Penguin Random House Young Readers Group Award to Tess Botkin, Metropolitan (OK) Library System, and Alicia Rogers, Worcester (MA) Public Library.

The $1200 stipend, made possible by an annual gift from Penguin Random House Young Readers Group, enables up to two children’s librarians to attend their first American Library Association’s Annual Conference. Applicants must demonstrate an involvement in ALSC as well as other professional and educational associations. New programming or innovations initiated by the applicants is highly important. Less than 10 years of experience of working directly with children in elementary, middle schools or public libraries is required.

Tess Botkin is touching the lives of approximately 300 people throughout the community through her five story times at the library each week and another three to five story times at local daycares and mother’s day out programs each month. To meet the needs of the families attending, Botkin brought in an ASL interpreter to sign for deaf children in attendance. Adapting her story time to be more inclusive has also led to a partnership with the Oklahoma School for the Deaf. In 2024, she was selected to attend the Bill Morris Seminar: Book Evaluation Training in Denver, Colorado and was appointed to the 2026 Randolph Caldecott Committee.

The first for her library, Alicia Rogers is a Tween Services Librarian. She hosts programs and builds collections for children-tweens ages eight to twelve in the children’s center and also provides reference and reader’s advisory service in the library’s teen room to ease patrons’ transition between the spaces. Rogers engages the tweens with interest-based clubs like chess, cartooning and parties highlighting trends like boba tea and kawaii. STEM programs like wreck the tech and engineering challenges are also hits. Through her work she strives to build community among the tween patrons who are craving some independence. She is a member of ALSC and reviewer for both Library Journal and School Library Journal.

“The committee is excited to recognize two librarians who make a significant impact on the communities they serve through fun and engaging programs,” said Mary Schreiber and Gwen Vanderhage, co-chairs of the Professional Recognition and Scholarship Committee. “Attending the annual conference will offer them the chance to interact with librarians from around the country and share what they learn with colleagues and families back home.”

The 2025 ALSC Professional Recognition and Scholarships Committee includes: Mary Schreiber, Co-Chair, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH; Gwen Vanderhage, Co-Chair, Brodart Company, Williamsport, PA; Heather Love Beverly, Cook Memorial Public Library District; Vernon Hills, IL; Grace Enriquez, Lesley University, Boston, MA; Bethni King, Georgetown Public Library, Georgetown, TX; Maria Xochitl Peterson, Chicago, IL; Rebecca Price-Donahue, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH; Jenny Rosenoff, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair, NJ

About the Association for Library Service to Children

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 3,000 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 ALSC’s website at www.ala.org/alsc.

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