New World Book/ALA Goal Award promotes information literacy
Contact: Cheryl Malden
Program Officer
(312) 280-3247
cmalden@ala.org
For Immediate Release,
February 19, 2008
New World Book/ALA Goal Award Promotes Information Literacy
CHICAGO - World Book, Inc. and the American Library Association (ALA) today announced the creation of the World Book/ALA Information Literacy Goal Award, which will provide a combined $10,000 annually to a promising public library and a promising school library literacy program.
The purpose of the World Book/ALA Information Literacy Goal Award is to encourage innovative and effective information literacy programs in schools as well as public libraries, particularly programs focused on users who are likely to need the most help to obtain access to information, in print or digital form, and to evaluate the quality of the information available to them. Information literacy is the set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze and effectively use information.
“Information literacy forms the basis of what all people, whether young students or adults, need to ensure they are equipped for life-long learning,” said World Book President Paul Gazzolo. “This award will help people of all ages become effective users of information by fostering a better understanding of the research process.”
The World Book/ALA Information Literacy Goal Award replaces the World Book-ALA Goal Grant Award. Established in 1960, this award has supported nearly 60 research projects advancing library services over the years.
“We are very pleased to be strengthening our collaboration with World Book to promote information literacy and extend the impact this award can have across public libraries and school settings,” said ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels.
The first World Book/ALA Information Literacy Goal Award will be presented at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference. Nominations will be taken from June 1 through Dec. 1, 2008; the form will be available on the ALA Awards Web site, http://www.ala.org/ala/awardsbucket/worldbookaward/worldbookaward.htm.
Two recipient programs will be designated annually: one public library or public library system program and one school library program. Each will receive a $5,000 honorarium.
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 65,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.
About World Book, Inc.
sets the standard in publishing accurate, current, and reliable reference and learning materials for children and adults. Based in Chicago, World Book is committed to creating educational products that meet the highest standards of editorial excellence in print and online. This commitment has resulted in a wide range of products including the number-one selling The World Book Encyclopedia and the World Book Web, which is the most comprehensive and authoritative online solution to meet the diverse learning needs of students and includes the World Book Online Reference Center http://www.worldbookonline.com, World Book Kids, and World Book Advanced. World Book (http://www.worldbook.com) is a Scott Fetzer company, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.
