91´«Ã½

CHICAGO-Kaite Stover, Director of Readers' Services at Kansas City Public Library was selected as the 2018 winner of the Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award, sponsored by NoveList.

Stover has been a librarian in the Kansas City and Emporia Public Library systems for the last 27 years. In her current role, she directs, develops, and delivers systemwide programs of readers' advisory for KCPL, including their Big Reads program. Regionally, she is a contributing member of the Kansas Library Association, Missouri Library Association, and Adult Reading Roundtable, to name just a few organizations.

Stover has served on many of the committees within the RUSA and PLA frameworks and advisory committees for Booklist, Library Reads, and Penguin Random House among others. She has served on awards including the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, the Audies, Listen List, the Sophie Brody Medal, the Alex Awards, and the Spur Awards. There is seldom a national conference at which Stover isn't presenting, usually multiple times. During all of this, she finds time to encourage other librarians and help them find opportunities for professional advancement and national participation.

Stover has a stellar record of publications, with regular contributions to Booklist and Public Libraries and other appearances throughout the library literature. She is the co-editor of The Readers' Advisory Handbook, a text used in many library schools. She has been an innovator in encouraging the advisory community to adopt new approaches using whole library advisory, social media and new digital formats. Her skill and commitment have previously earned her Library Journal's "Mover and Shaker" recognition and the Allie Beth Martin Award from PLA. Now she adds the Margaret E. Monroe Award to her list of honors!

The consists of $1,250 monetary prize and a citation, which will be presented at , featuring Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, on Saturday, June 23 at 91´«Ã½’s Annual Conference in New Orleans. Additionally, on July 18, RUSA will host a free, moderated webinar to feature a Q&A with the winners to learn of their outstanding legacies and contributions to librarianship.

The selection committee includes: Neil Hollands (Chair), Denice C. Adkins, Diane L. Mohr, Barry Trott and Jennifer Christine Wilhelm.

The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the 91´«Ã½, represents librarians and library staff in the fields of reference, specialized reference, collection development, readers’ advisory and resource sharing. RUSA is the foremost organization of reference and information professionals who make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials they need. Learn more about the association at .