SF Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros receives the 2009 Mora Award!

We are thrilled to announce that the San Francisco Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros event was one of two receipients of the 2009 Mora Award. The Mora Award was established by children's book author Pat Mora and her family in honor of her parents. It is given to libraries or institutions that celebrate the annual day for children, families and books. The San Franicisco Día committee, which consists of several community-based literacy organizations in the Bay Area, will receive $1,000 to go towards planning for future celebrations. Children's Book Press has been helping to organize our local Día celebration for over 7 years, and this past April, we celebrated our 10th anniversary. Our next celebration is planned for April 25th, 2010.

The official press release and our poster from last year is below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Lucia M. Gonzalez
Vice-President/President Elect, REFORMA
305-335-8215
lucia@luciagonzalezbooks.com
www.reforma.org

2009 Mora Award Received by the San Francisco and Topeka and Shawnee County Public Libraries

Miami, FL, November 12 - REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services is pleased to announce that the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, California, and the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, Topeka, Kansas have been selected to be the recipients of the 2009 Estela and Raúl Mora Award for their commendable efforts in promoting El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros.

The Estela and Raúl Mora Award was established by author and poet Pat Mora and her family in honor of their parents to promote El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), also known as “Día.  This family literacy initiative is now housed at the Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Día is a daily commitment to link children and books that culminates in celebrations around the country on April 30th.  The Mora award is presented annually, in partnership with REFORMA, to the most exemplary celebration(s).  The San Francisco Public Library and Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library will each receive $1,000 and a plaque commemorating their efforts.

The San Francisco Public Library hosted its 10th El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros event celebrating 10 years of bringing children, families and books together in San Francisco.  A series of special programs were held in neighborhood libraries throughout the month of April.  These programs included bilingual storytimes and crafts, Native American stories, and dance performances.  The library also hosted a Día exhibit in which original artwork, posters, and memorabilia from the past 10 years were displayed.  A 10-year anniversary reception was also held to recognize volunteers, community supporters, funders, activity sponsors, and the event organizers for all the work they had done over the past 10 years.  The grand finale for El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros was held at Dolores Park with approximately 1,000 participants and included multicultural performances by Asian storytellers, Spanish bilingual puppeteers, an Afro-Brazilian dance, drumming and stilting ensemble, and a kid-centered hip-hop group.  The event also included many activities such as interactive art, 3-D animation, book making, lotería, and a free book distribution where approximately 825 multilingual books were given to children and their families. 

Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library celebrated its 4th El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros celebration on April 30th with over 550 participants attending the event.  The library partnered with 18 community agencies, and targeted 35 pre-schools and 20 elementary schools.  The library in its effort to reach the Hispanic community targeted agencies that worked with the Hispanic community to help them promote the event through community meetings, bulletin boards and flyers.  These agencies also encouraged their clientele to participate in the event.  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 had the opportunity to receive a free book and to participate in book-making activities, arts and crafts, lotería, and other activities.

Details about the Mora Award application and guidelines for 2010 will be announced and posted by February 2010 at www.reforma.org. Additional award information, photos, and links can also be found on Pat Mora’s website. The ALSC page lists planning resources and celebrations across the country at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/initiatives/diadelosninos/index.cfm.

Questions can be directed to Lucia M. Gonzalez at Luciagonzalez@bellsouth.net or further information can be found on the REFORMA website at www.reforma.org

Submitted by Childrens Book Press on Thursday, November 12, 2009 3:21pm