On April 27, the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) held a party at Central Library to launch a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards. Claudette McLinn, the Chair for the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee, joined Jené Brown, Associate Director of the library’s Engagement and Outreach Department, to kick off festivities for children that included a storytime, coloring craft, party hats, and cake. Because Mrs. King would have turned 92 on April 27, the children also sang “Happy Birthday.”
Anniversary celebrations in LAPL’s 73-library system will feature events and programs at branches across the city throughout the year; an online Coretta Scott King 50th Anniversary Reading Challenge; and the “Our Voice” exhibit of original illustrations from Coretta Scott King Award-winning books, November 8, 2019 – January 27, 2020, at Central Library.
Presented annually, the Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.
Visit lapl.org/csk50 for details about LAPL’s reading challenge and upcoming 50th-anniversary events.
Jené Brown is Associate Director of the Los Angeles Public Library’s Engagement and Outreach Department. She serves as Recording Secretary for the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee.
Photo credit: Gary Leonard
Great photos! Kudos to the photographer and hi’s to Claudette McLinn. So happy to see her at Central for this terrific event!