A new industry award aims to highlight extraordinary programs in public libraries across the country. Sponsored by big five publisher Penguin Random House (PRH), the Library Awards for Innovation will “acknowledge innovative public library programs and services that engage citizens in reading while strengthening the social and cultural fabric of their communities” according to a press release. The awards will consist of one $10,000 grant and four $1,000 grants for runners-up. Additionally, each winning library will receive $1,000 in PRH books. Skip Dye, vice president of academic marketing and library sales with PRH, told Library Journal, “The Library Awards for Innovation continue Penguin Random House’s long-standing recognition of the importance of libraries, not only for their work to build and grow a reading public but for the ways libraries connect directly with individuals and advance community development and growth.” The idea for the awards, Dye told LJ, was sparked by reading the September 2015 release of Pew Research Center’s “Libraries at the Crossroads” report, which noted that “the share of Americans visiting libraries has declined over the past three years.” Despite the decline, Dye noted, the study shows “a major attraction for patrons to potentially visit their local library is the programming and services they offer.” He added, “Belief in the transformative powers of books in our lives is one of [PRH’s] core values, and one key place for this connection is in libraries.... We want to honor and to advance the amazing work libraries do to encourage citizens to participate and support reading initiatives in their communities.” Dye encourages libraries of all sizes to consider applying for the awards, including school libraries serving the capacity of public libraries that meet the award criteria. “No matter the number of citizens you serve or the budget you have to spend, librarians are accomplishing remarkable objectives every day. Whether it is a program where hundreds attend, [or helps] one family to read together, it is in their intention, the connection, and the drive which we want to learn about and highlight.” When LJ asked Dye to imagine what potential submissions might look like, he again stressed community connections and the impact of broadening literacy—“Programs which support community evolution and reflect the challenges facing the citizens they serve.” Awarded projects will go above and beyond the standard idea of story time; Dye is looking for those programs that are “enterprising, entertaining, informative, educational, and engaging in variety and scope.” The application process for the awards is currently underway; criteria for project eligibility include the ability to work with community partners, a focus on early childhood and low income families, and/or engaging young adults through digital media. Submitted programs must also “show measurement of successful outcomes” and will ideally demonstrate the ability to be repurposed or replicated by other libraries. Applicants are also asked to provide two letters of support from a “person of leadership in your local community,” according to the full award guidelines, which can be found on the Penguin Random House Foundation website. The award’s evaluation committee is composed of current American Library Association (ALA) president Sari Feldman; Public Library Association president and director of the Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR, Vailey Oehlke; Melanie Fallon-Houska, PRH director of corporate contributions; Claire von Schilling, PRH senior VP and director of corporate communications; and Dye. “What is so fun and exciting about this [award] is the more we talk to people about the scope and idea of the award, the more people volunteer to be a part of it,” Dye told LJ. The deadline for submission for the Library Awards for Innovation is October 1. Grant winners will be notified by November 16 and officially announced at the ALA 2017 Midwinter Meeting, to be held in Atlanta.