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CHICAGO — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has awarded its first Presidential Citation to the Margaret A. Edwards Trust. The award was presented June 26 at YALSA’s Margaret A. Edwards Award Luncheon in Washington, D.C. The Margaret A. Edwards Trust is managed by Julian Lapides. Trustees are Anna Curry, Linda F. Lapides, and Lanetta W. (Lanny) Parks. Former trustees are Sara Siebert and Ray Fry, both deceased.

The YALSA Presidential Citation recognizes an individual or group for outstanding contribution to either YALSA or the profession of young adult librarianship. The YALSA Board of Directors awarded the presidential citation to the trust for championing young adult reading and literature and its longtime support of the work of YALSA. The Citation reads:

The trust has made an outstanding and enduring contribution to the world of teen library services and makes it possible for those working with teens to promote and provide high-quality literature-based programs to their communities. For more than two decades the Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust has recognized the importance of teens and teen librarianship through its support of many YALSA programs and initiatives.

Recently, the Margaret A. Edwards Trust sponsored the fifth round of YALSA’s Excellence in Library Services to Young Adults, honoring 25 libraries for outstanding teen programs, and the MAE Award for Best Literature Program for Teens, an annual YALSA award that provides $500 to a YALSA member and $500 to the member’s library. The trust also provided seed money for the 2011 Teen Tech Week Mini Grants, which will offer YALSA members cash and products to implement innovative reading activities that incorporate technology during Teen Tech Week.

Linda W. Braun, 2009-2010 YALSA president, presented the citation to the members of the trust following the Margaret A. Edwards Award Luncheon, which honored author Jim Murphy for significant achievement in writing for teens for four of his nonfiction books. The Margaret A. Edwards Award is sponsored by School Library Journal.

All three living members of the trust and the manager expressed their surprise and delight at the honor:

• “I’m pleased that all three of our trustees were able to come to the luncheon, and they were delighted by the citation,” said Julian Lapides. “That Alex is remembered is thrilling to the Trust and to the people who knew her.”
• “The legacy of Margaret Edwards and all she stood for is being honored,” said Linda F. Lapides. “I’m delighted that so many people are carrying on her mission, and the citation means a great deal.”
• “Ours is an important mission for our young people and everything they represent,” said Lanny Parks. “The citation is quite an honor and it gives us a sense that what we’re doing matters.”
• “Each of us has subsequently talked about how moved and touched we are by the recognition,” said Anna Curry. “To see that effort has been noticed and that the profession wants to say thank you was a delightful surprise for us. I’m sure Margaret is looking down and giving us some praise for a job pursued with vigor and some success.”

The Margaret A. Edwards Trust supports literature initiatives aimed at encouraging young adults to read for fun. Edwards, known as Alex by her friends, pioneered young adult services, working as a librarian at Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Md., for more than 30 years.

For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos and audio books for teens. For more information about these awards or for additional lists of recommended reading, go to . For more information about YALSA, please contact us via e-mail, yalsa@ala.org, or by phone at 1 (800) 545-2433 ext. 4390.