Procedures for the VSBA approved by TLA and TASL Nov. 2002

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C. The Volunteer State Book Awards

1. Description

Literature awards are given by the Tennessee Library Association and the Tennessee Association for School Librarians for the authors of books chosen as favorites by the youth of the state of Tennessee. Youth will be voting in three divisions: Grades K-3, 4-6, and young adult (Grades 7-12).
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The award is established for the purpose of increasing awareness, promoting interest and enjoyment in recent good books appropriate for youth, and to encourage youth of all reading levels and ages to participate and enjoy the same books through reading the books themselves, or having the books read aloud to them by a teacher or librarian.
 

2. Participation

The success of the award program depends on the participation of school and public librarians, schoolteachers, school principals and superintendents, and the youth of Tennessee. Participation is offered to a school library on any or all of the available levels—grades K-3, 4-6, young adult. Home-schooled students may participate through their local public library and submit votes individually or as a group.

3. Procedures

In September, schools will receive information concerning the award along with the ballot for the current year and the master list of books for the following year.

During the summer, when schools are closed, the books on the master lists will be available to youth through the public library collections. During the regular school year, the books will be available to the youth through both the school and the public library collections. Each participating library must make available to youth at least 12 of the titles on the appropriate master lists for each of the grade levels in which they participate.

In order to vote, students must have read a minimum of three titles from the lists. These three titles may include books read by teachers to their classes. Students may read from any of the lists and may vote in any of the age group categories.

Votes from participating schools must be sent or postmarked to the Volunteer State Book Awards Committee on or before the date specified by the VSBA Chairs in the September publication of information. Votes submitted after the specified date will not be considered in the voting.

The tabulation of the votes for each school must be sent to the Steering Committee Chairs on the official Voting Report form. The tabulation will be done on the basis of the popular vote received by each book. The tally must show how many individual votes each book received.
 

4. Master Lists of Books

The master lists of books will be compiled by members of the Selection Committees for grades K-3, 4-6, and young adult.
 

5. Committees

A. Volunteer State Book Awards Steering Committee

1. Selection of  Steering Committee Members

The Steering committee consists of the co-chairs of the VSBA award and the chairs of the grade-level selection committees.

The co-chairs of the committee shall be appointed by the President of the Tennessee Library Association and by the President of the Tennessee Association of School Librarians for a term of three years. Each organization shall appoint one chair. The co-chairs may serve an unlimited number of terms. A co-chair may also serve on a selection committee. TLA dues for the co-chair appointed by TASL will be paid by TASL during the co-chair’s term of office. The co-chairs shall be members of both TLA and TASL for their terms of office.

The remaining members of the Steering Committee will consist of the chairs of the selection committees who are appointed by the Co-chairs.

2. Responsibilities of the Steering Committee

a. The steering committee shall serve as a coordinating, planning, and decision-making body that will recommend policy decision for the standing committee, subject to review and approval by the TLA Executive Committee and Board of Directors and by the TASL Executive Board.
b. The committee shall be responsible for distributing the initial information concerning the award each year to school librarians and others who request the information.
c. The committee will be responsible for making available the official ballots on which the votes will be tabulated.
d. The award winners will be announced during the TLA and TASL conferences. TASL will be responsible for all expenses of the winning author appearances at the TASL annual conference.
e. The committee will acknowledge all votes received from each school; thank children, teachers, librarians, principals, and superintendents for participating; and announce the award winners.
f. The committee will notify the book publishers and authors of the award winners. The winning authors will be invited to speak at the TASL annual conference where they will receive the plaques.
g. The committee shall submit a budget request to the Executive Committee of TLA and to the Executive Board of TASL for expenses needed in carrying out the responsibilities of the standing committees.

B. Grade Level Selection Committees

1. Selection of Grade Selection Committees

a. There shall be a minimum of ten members and a maximum of fifteen members on each of the Selection Committees from East, Middle, and West Tennessee representing those who are involved in children’s literature.
b. The chairs of each selection committee—grades K-3, 4-6, young adult—will be the designated member of the Steering Committee for that division. This will allow continuity within the program.
c. The chairs will appoint the members of their selection committees.
d. Attendance is encouraged at the TLA conference or the designated time when the master lists of books for the coming year are selected.
e. If unable to attend, votes may be mailed to the Selection Committee Chairs before the time designated for the age group’s meeting.

2. Responsibilities

a. The chairs of the Selection Committees will select and notify, by September 1, all committee members to send nominations with justification of books to be considered for the master lists by September 15.
b. On September 15, the Selection Committee chairs will route to all members of the committee nominations received and remind all members of the November 15 date.
c. Selection Committee members who do not submit titles for consideration by the second nominations date (November 15), may be dropped from the committee and may be replaced by a member chosen by the Selection Committee Chair.
d. On November 15, a list of all additional nominations received will be sent to committee members with a reminder to send in additional nominations with justifications by February 15.
e. Upon receipt of February 15 nominations, ballots will be sent to all committee members listing all nominated titles and the titles will be rated according to the instrument provided by the Steering Committee.
f. The master lists for grades K-3 and 4-6 will consist of 20 titles. The young adult master list will contain 25 titles because of the enlarged grade span.
g. The committees will meet at a designated time or during the TLA spring conference to make the final selection for the master lists of titles per division. All books nominated on the last ballot will be available at the meeting for examination. The chairs will emerge from this meeting with the master lists of titles from which the youth in Tennessee will make their reading choices.
h. Copies of all correspondence should be sent to the co-chairs of the Steering Committee.
i. Criteria for books to be included on the master lists are these:

a. Books will be appropriate for youth in grades K-3, 4-6, or young adult.
b. To be eligible for inclusion on the Volunteer State Book Awards Master Lists, a book must have a copyright date of no more than five (5) years prior to the year of voting.
c. Only books by authors who reside in the United State are eligible for inclusion on the master lists.
d. Books may appear on a final list for a grade level only once.
e. Only 1 title of any one author will be included on any one-grade level’s master list.
f. A title may appear on more than one grade level list in the same year or subsequent years.
g. All books on the final lists will have been read by a minimum of 2 members of the selection committee.
h. Textbooks, anthologies, translations, and books form foreign publishers are not eligible for inclusion on the master lists.
i. Consider the sincerity of the author, respect for the reader as well as acceptance by youth. Committee members are urged to ask themselves: “Is this book good enough to win the award? Does the author have something to say, and is it said well and with spirit? Would I be proud to have this book represent the award?”