Staff Day Planning

The Buckeye Children’s and Teen Book Award Council is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 Buckeye Children’s and Teen Book Awards:

Grades K–2: The Barnabus Project by Terry, Eric, and Devin Fan (Tundra Books, 2020)

Grades 3-5: Linked by Gordon Korman (Scholastic, 2021)

Grades 6-8: Ground Zero by Alan Gratz (Scholastic, 2021)

Teen: Loveless by Alice Oseman (Scholastic, 2022)

Each of these books won the highest number of votes out of the five nominees in its category, in an online voting process by young readers all across the state of Ohio. Nominations for the 2022 Buckeye Children’s and Teen Book Awards were accepted from March 15, 2021 to March 10, 2022. Eligible books are those published in the United States in the previous two years, and not part of a series that has previously won the award. Voting was held between September 1 and November 10, 2022.

The Buckeye Children’s and Teen Book Award program is designed to encourage children in Ohio to read literature critically, to promote teacher and librarian involvement in children's literature programs, and to commend authors of such literature. It was established in 1981 through a collaborative effort of the Ohio Literacy Association, the Ohio Educational Library Media Association, the Ohio Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts, the Ohio Library Council, the Kent State University School of Information, and the State Library of Ohio. It is one of the few statewide readers’ choice awards in which students nominate titles as well as vote for the winners.

A copy of each of the winning books with the BCTBA seal will be added to the BCTBA archives, housed at the Kent State University School of Information’s Reinberger Children’s Library Center in Kent, Ohio.

Visit the BCTBA website (www.bcbookaward.info) for further information on the voting process and to find past winners and nominees, the 2023 nomination form, and other resources. If you have any questions, please contact the BCTBA Council President at the email address below.

Mark your calendars for the 2023 Take 5 teen services event, Friday, May 5 at the Main Library, Warren-Trumbull County Public Library. Details and registration will be posted on the LYS list and to the Take 5 website approximately the first week of February 2023.

Hosted by libraries and museums around Ohio annually since 2012, Take 5 is a day of dialogue and discovery for public library teen and youth services specialists, school librarians, and other youth advocates. Take 5 events feature active learning opportunities, speaker sessions with allies outside the library field, hands-on activities, and networking. Learn more about Take 5.

The State Library of Ohio invites libraries to apply for a collection development grant to purchase books by Ohio authors and books recognized by Ohio-based book award programs. The Celebrating Ohio Book Awards & Authors (COBAA) LSTA grant program is a unique opportunity to enrich library collections with books having an Ohio connection. The maximum grant award is $2,000 per eligible institution.  COBAA grant proposals must be submitted via the State Library website by midnight, January 17, 2023. Using the online grant application process is required.

“The State Library of Ohio is delighted to offer the COBAA LSTA grant once again,” expressed Evan T. Struble, Associate State Librarian for Library Development. “Supporting Ohio’s libraries’ efforts to strengthen their collections and raise awareness about outstanding Ohio connected authors and illustrators—all while requiring no local match funds—is the epitome of a ‘win-win-win' situation for all.”

The 2023 COBAA Book List contains nearly 2,000 eligible books including those nominated and awarded the Ohioana Book Awards, Buckeye Children's and Teen Book Award, James Cook Book Award, Dayton Literary Peace Prize, The Anisfield-Wolf Award, Thurber Prize for American Humor, and Norman A. Sugarman Children's Biography Award. Also included are all Choose to Read Ohio and Floyd’s Pick selections to date. The awarded federal funds must be used to purchase titles from the COBAA Book List.

To facilitate the selection process, an online, COBAA grant specific Book Selection Tool is available to browse and create a list (PDF and/or Excel) of intended purchases. This list must be included/attached with the online application.

An instructional video that details the application process as well as the Book Selection Tool is available online.

Learn more about the COBAA grant and apply here.

Questions may be addressed to Jeff Regensburger, LSTA Coordinator, via LSTA@library.ohio.gov or 614-644-6863.


Staff Day Planning The Buckeye Children’s and Teen Book Award Council is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 Buckeye Children’s and Teen Book Awards: Grades K–2: *The Barnabus Project* by Terry, Eric, and Devin Fan (Tundra Books, 2020) Grades 3-5: *Linked* by Gordon Korman (Scholastic, 2021) Grades 6-8: *Ground Zero* by Alan Gratz (Scholastic, 2021) Teen: *Loveless* by Alice Oseman (Scholastic, 2022) Each of these books won the highest number of votes out of the five nominees in its category, in an online voting process by young readers all across the state of Ohio. Nominations for the 2022 Buckeye Children’s and Teen Book Awards were accepted from March 15, 2021 to March 10, 2022. Eligible books are those published in the United States in the previous two years, and not part of a series that has previously won the award. Voting was held between September 1 and November 10, 2022. The Buckeye Children’s and Teen Book Award program is designed to encourage children in Ohio to read literature critically, to promote teacher and librarian involvement in children's literature programs, and to commend authors of such literature. It was established in 1981 through a collaborative effort of the Ohio Literacy Association, the Ohio Educational Library Media Association, the Ohio Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts, the Ohio Library Council, the Kent State University School of Information, and the State Library of Ohio. It is one of the few statewide readers’ choice awards in which students nominate titles as well as vote for the winners. A copy of each of the winning books with the BCTBA seal will be added to the BCTBA archives, housed at the Kent State University School of Information’s Reinberger Children’s Library Center in Kent, Ohio. Visit the BCTBA website (www.bcbookaward.info) for further information on the voting process and to find past winners and nominees, the 2023 nomination form, and other resources. If you have any questions, please contact the BCTBA Council President at the email address below. Mark your calendars for the 2023 Take 5 teen services event, Friday, May 5 at the Main Library, Warren-Trumbull County Public Library. Details and registration will be posted on the LYS list and to the Take 5 website approximately the first week of February 2023. Hosted by libraries and museums around Ohio annually since 2012, Take 5 is a day of dialogue and discovery for public library teen and youth services specialists, school librarians, and other youth advocates. Take 5 events feature active learning opportunities, speaker sessions with allies outside the library field, hands-on activities, and networking. Learn more about Take 5. The State Library of Ohio invites libraries to apply for a collection development grant to purchase books by Ohio authors and books recognized by Ohio-based book award programs. The Celebrating Ohio Book Awards & Authors (COBAA) LSTA grant program is a unique opportunity to enrich library collections with books having an Ohio connection. The maximum grant award is $2,000 per eligible institution.  COBAA grant proposals must be submitted via the State Library website by midnight, January 17, 2023. Using the online grant application process is required. “The State Library of Ohio is delighted to offer the COBAA LSTA grant once again,” expressed Evan T. Struble, Associate State Librarian for Library Development. “Supporting Ohio’s libraries’ efforts to strengthen their collections and raise awareness about outstanding Ohio connected authors and illustrators—all while requiring no local match funds—is the epitome of a ‘win-win-win' situation for all.” The 2023 COBAA Book List contains nearly 2,000 eligible books including those nominated and awarded the Ohioana Book Awards, Buckeye Children's and Teen Book Award, James Cook Book Award, Dayton Literary Peace Prize, The Anisfield-Wolf Award, Thurber Prize for American Humor, and Norman A. Sugarman Children's Biography Award. Also included are all Choose to Read Ohio and Floyd’s Pick selections to date. The awarded federal funds must be used to purchase titles from the COBAA Book List. To facilitate the selection process, an online, COBAA grant specific Book Selection Tool is available to browse and create a list (PDF and/or Excel) of intended purchases. This list must be included/attached with the online application. An instructional video that details the application process as well as the Book Selection Tool is available online. Learn more about the COBAA grant and apply here. Questions may be addressed to Jeff Regensburger, LSTA Coordinator, via LSTA@library.ohio.gov or 614-644-6863.
Newsletter - NEO-RLS News-December 7, 2022