Mora Award Goes to San Francisco, Topeka & Shawnee Libraries
By SLJ Staff -- School Library Journal, 11/26/2009
The San Francisco Public Library and the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library in Kansas are the 2009 recipients of the Estela and Raúl Mora Award for their efforts to promote El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros (Children's Day/Book Day), also known as Día.
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Día dancers at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library in Kansas. |
Nearly 1,000 , participants, including multicultural performances by Asian storytellers, Spanish bilingual puppeteers, an Afro-Brazilian dance, drumming and stilting ensemble, and a kid-centered hip-hop group showed up for the grand Día celebration at Dolores Park. The event also included many activities such as interactive art, 3D animation, book making, and a free book giveaway that involved approximately 825 multilingual books distributed to children and their families.
The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library celebrated its fourth Día festivities on April 30, with more than 550 participants attending the event. The library partnered with 18 community agencies, and targeted 35 preschools, and 20 elementary schools. The celebration included a bilingual puppet show, bilingual reader's theater, traditional dancers from Bolivia, a high school mariachi band, and bilingual storytelling and book displays. Participants also received a free book and participated in book-making activities, and arts and crafts.
The Mora Award was established by author and poet Pat Mora and her family to promote Día, a family literacy initiative that is now housed at the Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC). The Mora award is presented annually in partnership with REFORMA and the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services. The San Francisco Public Library and Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library will each receive $1,000 and a plaque commemorating their efforts.
Details about the Mora Award application and guidelines for 2010 will be announced and posted by February 2010. Additional award information, photos, and links can also be found on Pat Mora's Web site.
