91´«Ã½

CHICAGO – Kathleen T. Horning is the 2015 recipient of the Association for Library Service to Children’s (ALSC) Distinguished Service Award. This prestigious award honors an individual who has made significant contributions to library service to children and to ALSC.

Horning is the director of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center and in her work there has been a long-time advocate for multiculturalism and diversity in literature for children and teens.

She has served ALSC on an organizational level as president, member of the Board of Directors, chair of the Caldecott 75th Anniversary Task Force and co-chair of the pre-conference celebrating 75 years of Caldecott books. As president, she forged strong ties with REFORMA (The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking), resulting in an annual Pura Belpré Award and strengthening the national Día celebrations. She has also served on many media evaluation and award committees, including chairing the 1995 Newbery Committee and the 1997 Batchelder Committee. She is currently serving on the 2015 Laura Ingalls Wilder Committee.

Horning has extended her expertise in children’s literature through service on many book committees of 91´«Ã½ and other organizations, including the Ezra Jack Keats Award Committee, the Charlotte Zolotow Award Committee, the 91´«Ã½ Coretta Scott King Award Jury, the 91´«Ã½ Stonewall Book Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award Committee for USBBY.

She is both an author and a teacher. Her title, “From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children’s Books” (HarperCollins, rev. 2010) is a classic guide for all youth librarians. She has also authored “Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults, 1980 – 1990, Volume 1,” co-authored with Ginny Moore Kruse, and "Volume 2," co-authored with Kruse and Megan Schliesman. Both titles were published by the Madison, Wisconsin, Department of Public Instruction. For ALSC, she has taught The Caldecott Medal: Evaluating Distinguished Picture Art in 2011 using Moodle. In addition, she has also taught The Newbery Award, Past, Present and Future, also using Moodle, in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

In 2010, Horning delivered the May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture entitled “Can Children’s Books Save the World? Advocates for Diversity in Children’s Books and Libraries.”

“K.T.,” said Chair Julie Cummins. “is a visionary leader, literary critic, brilliant scholar, gentle teacher and inspirational mentor who lives by a high standard for children’s and teen literature. She has been a passionate and knowledgeable advocate for diversity and multiculturalism in youth literature in all her professional work. Through her professional service to ALSC and through her service on multiple award committees for ALSC, 91´«Ã½ and other organizations, she has fully demonstrated her drive for excellence. She is strongly committed to the membership of ALSC, frequently engaging new members in probing conversations. She is a consummate professional who imbues every discussion with incredible insight, grace, and wit.

ALSC is pleased to honor Kathleen T. Horning with the 2015 Distinguished Service Award.

ALSC, a division of the 91´«Ã½, 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 .

The 2015 ALSC Distinguished Service Award Committee includes: Chair, Julie A. Cummins, Canandaigua, N.Y.; Amy Kellman, Pittsburgh, PA; Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse (Wisc.) Public Library; Penny S. Markey, Manhattan Beach, Calif.; Susan J. Pine, Forest Hills, N.Y.