Photos from the National Book Foundation's Innovations in Reading Award

Dia and I were so happy to represent the rgz community this week in NYC! The Ford Foundation hosted a beautiful luncheon. So here are a few photos.

The celebration luncheon was held in the beautiful Ford Foundation building.

Our wonderful hosts were:
Calvin Sims, Program Officer of the Ford Foundation
Harold Augenbraum, Executive Director of the National Book Foundation
Leslie Shipman, Director of Programs of the National Book Foundation

The other winners in attendance were: (from Dia, left to right)

Robert Wilder
Santa Fe, NM
http://www.robertwilder.com/teaching.html

Liane Akana, Fathers Bridging the Miles (a program of Read to Me International)
Eloy, Arizona
www.readtomeintl.org

Cindy Kolaczynski, Maricopa County Library District (Perry Branch)
Maricopa County, Arizona
www.mcldaz.org

The National Book Foundation wrap up says:

The Foundation's first year of offering the Innovations in Reading Prize saw 150 applications from 30 states."

Applications fell into the following categories:

Education & Community Outreach
Tools & Technology
Schools & School Libraries
Public & University Libraries
Literary Magazines & Publishers
Book Clubs, Reading Series & Performance
Individuals

A selection process was created based on the following criteria: level of innovation, impact and need, with innovation always carrying the most weight. Impact and need came into play only in cases where two programs were judged to be equally innovative. "Innovation" was not limited to meaning only technologically innovative. In some cases, innovation meant identifying a need in the community and developing a program to address that need in a simple and effective way. In all cases, selections were made to reward programs that create and sustain a life long love of reading."

Here's to our next year together, rgz!