Virginia Beach Library Foundation Awarded 2021 Maureen Hayes Author/Illustrator Visit Award

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has awarded the 2021 Maureen Hayes Author/Illustrator Visit Award to the Virginia Beach Library Foundation on behalf of the Virginia Beach Public Library in Virginia Beach, VA.

The award, sponsored by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, is designed to provide up to $4,000 to an ALSC member’s library to fund a visit from an author/illustrator to speak with children who might otherwise not have the opportunity to hear from a nationally known author/illustrator.

The Virginia Beach Public Library will be hosting Oge Mora this summer as a part of their School Based Partnership Program. Through the summer, children will learn about a variety of artists including Mora. Participants will explore collage and other art mediums and create work in her style.

The Virginia Beach Public Library will partner with Virginia Beach City Public Schools, the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, and Prince Books. These community connections will allow them to publicize the event widely, reach children who are not library users and offer a book signing as a part of the event.

“The strong community connection and partnerships with public schools made this a stand out application for our committee. Their illustrator choice, Oge Mora, and how they will scaffold the art instruction and experimentation with her program is impressive.” said Erin Lovelace, 2021 Programs and Services Recognition Committee co-chair.

“Simon & Schuster is delighted to continue its support of the Maureen Hayes Award and we send our best wishes to the Virginia Beach Library Foundation and Oge Mora for a wonderful event! This year’s celebration is sure to be extra special after such a long and difficult year," said Michelle Fadlalla Leo, Vice President, Director of Education & Library Marketing at Simon & Schuster.

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 ALSC’s website at www.ala.org/alsc.