91´«Ã½

CHICAGO - The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½), and the Library Services to Special Population Children and their Caregivers Committee are announcing that is the recipient of the 2013 Light the Way: Library Outreach to the Underserved Grant. As the winner of the grant, the library will receive $3,000 for their Outreach to the Hearing Impaired project.

, which honors Newbery medalist and Geisel winner Kate DiCamillo, is now in its fifth year. Although originally conceived as a one-time award, it has continued to be presented with the kind generosity of .

The Burke County Public Library will partner with the Burke County School System and the North Carolina School for the Deaf to provide children who are deaf or hard of hearing with an opportunity to come to the library for specially designed storytime programs. There are currently no programs available for these children in the community, and the project will offer caregivers information on academic achievement, social development, read-aloud strategies and literature selection.

“The review process for the Light the Way Grant is especially difficult with many applications touching our hearts. The Burke County Public Library's Outreach to the Hearing Impaired project bubbled up to the top for its community impact, community partnerships and community engagement,” said Library Services to Special Population Children and Their Caregivers Committee Chair Paula Holmes.

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 4,200 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 Web site at .

Members of the 2013 ALSC Library Service to Special Population Children and Their Caregivers Committee include: Paula Holmes, chair, Upper St. Clair Library Board, Penn.; Betsy Dalton, San Antonio (Texas) Public Library; Africa Hands, Louisville, Ky.; Deborah Sandler, King County Library System, Wash.; Sara Hathaway, Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Library; Rebecca Hickman, Alvin Sherman Library, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Amy Johnson, University of Las Vegas-Nevada; Deborah Sandler, King County Library System, Woodmont Branch, Des Moines, Wash.