CRPLSA

Council of Regional Public Library System Administrators

Tag: MNBA

Announcing MNBA Finalists

On Saturday, January 28, The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library announced the finalists in nine categories for the 29th Annual Minnesota Book Awards.  Reviewed and chosen by 27 judges from around the state – writers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and others from the literary community – the categories are:

Eligibility and process — Books created by writers, illustrators or book artists who are Minnesotans are eligible for Minnesota Book Awards. The Awards are given each year for books published in the previous year. For instance, the this selection of finalists were 2016 for consideration in 2017.

The Book Awards process begins with nominations, which are received from authors, publishers and others from throughout the state. From the nominated works, panels of preliminary round judges choose four finalists. Award winners are then selected by different, final round, judging panels.  Of note this year, 15 of the titles were published by Minnesota presses.

The 29th Annual Minnesota Book Awards ceremony will be held at the InterContinental Hotel in St. Paul on Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.  Seating is limited.  Make early reservations.

Winter Bees Wins an Emmy!

Congratulations on the Emmy win for Winter Bees: And Other Poems of the Cold about the making of a Minnesota Book Award-winning children’s book. This Beyond the Book television special was a production by TPT in partnership with The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library and CRPLSA.

Appreciation for MNBA Support

MNBAThe Friends of the St. Paul Public Library, as the Library of Congress-designated Minnesota Center for the Book, expressed their appreciation to CRPLSA for financial support of the 28th Annual Minnesota Book Awards.

2016 MNBA Appreciation Packet for Outreach Partners

The Minnesota Book Awards year begins with nominations opening in August, promotion of the finalists in February and March, and culminates with the Awards Ceremony in April. This is followed by statewide outreach celebrating the winners throughout the spring and summer. And, during each phase, CRPLSA support and involvement expands MNBA horizons to the entire state.

SELCO’s MNBA Publicity

MNBA logo purpleSELCO created personalized press kits for nine Minnesota Book Award finalists and winners to help promote recent author visits.  The press materials always include a general press release, a sample Facebook post, and a tweet for the library’s Twitter account. Several have expanded  biographical information when it was readily available.

Feel free to use this Library Legacy publicity if an author visits your community!

  • Brenda Child
  • Tricia Cornell
  • Allen Eskens
  • Michael Hall
  • Nicole Helget
  • Julie Klassen
  • Nancy Koester
  • Larry Millet
  • Laura Purdie Salas

SELCO’s 2016 Minnesota Book Award Author Tour press kits

MNBA Winners 2016

And the winners are…  MNBA

  • Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall   (Children’s Literature)
  • No House to Call My Home: Love, Family and Other Transgressions by Ryan Berg   (Nonfiction)
  • The Grave Soul by Ellen Hart   (Genre Fiction)
  • Water and What We Know: Following the Roots of a Northern Life by Karen Sabine   (Memoir & Creative Nonfiction)
  • Minnesota Modern: Architecture and Life at Midcentury by Larry Millett   (Minnesota)
  • There’s Something I Want You to Do by Charles Baxter   (Novel & Short Story)
  • Beautiful Wall by Ray Gonzalez   (Poetry)
  • See No Color by Shannon Gibney   (Young People’s Literature)

Each April, authors, publishers and book-lovers celebrate the best of local literature at the Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony. Managed by The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library, with financial assistance from CRPLSA, this year’s celebration returned to the beautiful and historic Union Depot in Lowertown, Saint Paul. Books, autographs, refreshments, live music, and the announcement of the award winners all made an unforgettable evening!

Beyond the Book — Winter Bees

Winter Bees introduces the viewer to Joyce Sidman, the author of a 2015 Minnesota Book Award winner, and a young reader. Together they explore the winter environment and the creation of poems and art that make Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold a joyful read. Through the beautifully illustrated poems and this new video story, we learn how animals stay alive in our cold north country.

Winter Bees is a Beyond the Book special production by TPT in partnership with The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library and CRPLSA.

SELCOtv Features MNBA 2016 Booktalks

SelcoTV Cover PageJust in time for the 2016 Minnesota Book Awards, SELCO staff will “booktalk” each of this year’s 32 finalists for SELCOtv.  A special YouTube playlist aggregates the videos as they are posted.  During the days leading up to the awards ceremony on April 16, 1-2 booktalks from the eight award categories will be posted each day.

Here is a selection of those shared thus far in the individual MNBA genre categories:

28th Annual MNBA Finalists Announced

The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is pleased to announce the finalists in all eight categories for the 28th Annual Minnesota Book Awards. Chosen on Saturday, January 30, by 24 judges from around the state – writers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and others from the literary community.

MNBAAward winners will be announced at the 28th Annual Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony on Saturday, April 16, at St. Paul’s historic Union Depot, 214 Fourth Street East. The Preface reception begins at 7 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 and available by visiting www.thefriends.org or calling 651-222-3242. The official hashtag for social media is #MNBA16. All are encouraged to use it when posting comments, status updates or tweeting about any of the authors or their books.

The Art and Life of George Morrison DVDs on their way

George Morrison imageThe final task in CRPLSA’s partnership with The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library and tpt will be the distribution of 84 DVDs to be shared among Minnesota’s public library collections.

The Art and Life of George Morrison: A Beyond the Book cultural documentary was based on the Minnesota Book Award-winning book, Modern Spirit and features the unique story of a great American artist.  From his early life near Grand Portage, training in Minneapolis and Paris in the 1940s and 1950s to his success as an abstract artist, Morrions’ life revolved around his artistic vision, intellectual drive, and creative energy.  As a Native American artist with strong connections to his Ojibwe roots, Morrison brought together his passion for modern art with a deep respect for the natural world – the spirit of the water, land, sky, horizon.  Making he documentary so dramatic is the inclusion of interviews with the artist and footage from his studio filmed in 1991, as well as original music by his son, Briand Morrison.

Check out Art and Life of George Morrison at a library near you.

Beyond the Book Special receives Emmy Nomination

George Morrison imageCRPLSA’s partnership with The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library and tpt generated a September Emmy nomination.  In the category of Documentary – Cultural the first ever Beyond the Book production, The Art and Life of George Morrison: A Beyond the Book Special was one of four 2015 production that was considered.

The other nominees within the Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences were:

  • On Eagle’s Wings: Minnesota’s Sacred Music – KSMQ-TV
  • Richard Bresnahan: The Taste of the Clay – Prairie Public Television
  • Tears to Water – WKBT-TV

The one-hour TV special, Tears to Water, produced by WKBT in LaCrosse highlighting water well construction in Uganda was the 2015 Midwest Documentary – Cultural recipient.

2015 MNBA Winners Announced

MNBA logo purpleThe winners of the 27th Annual Minnesota Book Awards (MNBA) were announced at the Gala Awards Ceremony on April 18, 2015 in St. Paul.  This year’s selections include:

  • Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman & Rick Allen (Children’s Literature)
  • Harriet Beecher Stowe: A Spiritual Life by Nancy Koester (General Nonfiction)
  • The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen (Genre Fiction)
  • Tailings: A Memoir by Kaethe Schwehn (Memoir & Creative Nonfiction)
  • Dangerous Goods by Sean Hill (Poetry)
  • West of the Moon by Margi Preus (Young People’s Literature)
  • Her Honor: Rosalie Wahl and the Minnesota Women’s Movement by Lori Sturdevant (Minnesota)
  • A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (Novel & Short Story)

For more information about the 2015 MNBA winners, please click HERE.

SELCOtv features MNBA booktalks

MNBA logo purpleThe 27th Annual Minnesota Book Awards  Gala is just days away.  In anticipation of this unique literary event, SELCOtv features booktalks by the SELCO staff reviewing the four finalists in each of the eight categories.

Modern Spirit premieres

George Morrison imageA new documentary based on the 2014 Minnesota Book Award-winning book, Modern Spirit: The Art of George Morrison, premieres Sunday, February 22 on  Twin Cities Public Television (tpt).  The concept of creating a high quality documentary to explore a recent Minnesota Book Award recipient was conceived of and funded by CRPLSA.  Modern Spirit will hopefully be the first of a long legacy of future programs.  Produced in partnership with tpt, the documentary gives a fascinating profile of the art, life and impact of famed Minnesota artist George Morrison and features interviews with authors Kristin Makholm and W. Jackson Rushing III.

The Minnesota Museum of American Art, The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library and Twin Cities Public Television (tpt) will host a premiere screening on Thursday, February 19 at the Jerome Hill Theater.  The premiere screening begins at 6:00 p.m. and will be followed by a question and answer segment with Shari Lamke, tpt producer, and artist Hazel Belvo, as well as a reception in the Minnesota Museum of American Art’s project space.

32 MNBA Finalists Announced

MNBA logo purplePreliminary round judges from all around the state met January 31 to select the finalists in each of the eight Book Awards categories.  Winners will be announced at the Minnesota Book Awards Gala on Saturday, April 18 at the Union Depot in St. Paul.  The eight categories and the selection of titles cover a wide range of reading interests and genres.

  • Children’s Literature
  • General Nonfiction
  • Genre Fiction
  • Memoir & Creative Nonfiction
  • Minnesota
  • Novel & Short Story
  • Poetry
  • Young People’s Literature

MNBA press materials

MNBA logoWith Minnesota Book Award finalists and winning authors traveling the SELCO region (and other parts of the state as well) SELCO created a press kits to assist local libraries in getting out the good news about these speakers. The press materials always include a general press release, a sample Facebook post, and a tweet for the library’s Twitter account.  Several have expanded information and may include biographical information or even an author’s book jacket photo.  These press kits closely resemble those created and shared by ALS promoting the Minnesota History Players.  Feel free to use to promote an author visiting your community!

Rae Katherine Eighmey – Soda Shop Salvation

Jack El-Hai – The Nazi and the Psychiatrist

Brian Freeman – The Cold Nowhere

Cary Griffith – Wolves

Rachel Hanel – We’ll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down

Erin Hart – The Book of Killowen

Melanie Hoffert – Prairie Silence

Thomas Maltman – Little Wolves

Carrie Mesrobian – Sex & Violence: A Novel

Kent Nerburn – The Girl Who Sang to the Buffalo

Elizabeth Verdick – Peep Leap

New Interactive Minnesota Writers Map

Wrters-map-smallThe Minnesota Book Awards is very pleased to announce a new, online version of the popular Minnesota Writers Map which was first launched in the spring of 2013. Now featuring interactive information on each of the 112 authors listed, the online project is intended to be an ever-expanding effort. In the coming months, additional authors will be added, with more audio and video resources continually being incorporated to make it a truly living and breathing representation of the state’s literary legacy.

MNBA at National Book Festival

MNBA logoThis past weekend, The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library had the honor of participating in the 14th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington D.C. where they represented Minnesota and the Minnesota Book Awards (MNBA) in the Pavilion of the States. As the state affiliate of the National Center for the Book, The Friends were very pleased to take part in this event.

In the near future, The Friends will share information about the annual Letters About Literature essay contest — sponsored nationally by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress — which will kick off in September. Last year 1,113 Minnesota students submitted essays for the contest, with 119 becoming finalists. Visit their website to read the winning letters.

MNBA celebrating Read + Ride Day at the Fair

Read and Ride no dateThe Minnesota Book Awards will join Minnesota’s public libraries on August 27 in presenting a day of free family fun in Carousel Park. There will be performers on stage all day, a scavenger hunt, dozens of authors (Kevin Kling, Chris Monroe, Erin Hart, Julie Kramer and more!), characters, crafts, trivia & games, plenty of photo ops and tons of fun.

Show your public library card at the gate for discounted admission.

MNBA Seeks Eligible Books

MNBA logoNominations for the Minnesota Book Awards Open

The shelves in the Minnesota Book Awards (MNBA) office are empty and the MNBA staff can’t wait to watch them fill up again with the fantastic Minnesota books being published in 2014.

Authors, publishers, and agents may nominate an eligible book by completing the online nomination form and submitting five nonreturnable copies of the book, plus a $45 nomination fee. The entry guidelines are available online.  Nominations accepted from Friday, August 1 through Friday, December 5, 2014.

Now Accepting MNBA Judge Applications

MNBA logoThe 27th Annual Minnesota Book Awards (MNBA) season officially kicks off on August 1.  Consider applying to review books written by Minnesota authors and published during 2014.  This is a first call for judge applicants with a September 12, 2014 deadline.

Qualified individuals—both experienced and those new to the judging process—are encouraged to apply. Learn more about this rewarding opportunity here.

Minnesota Book Awards for 2014

MNBA logo

The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is pleased to announce the winners of the 26th annual Minnesota Book Awards (MNBA). And the MNBA winners are —

  • Children’s Literature: David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka – Moo!– published by Walker Books for Young Readers/Bloomsbury Children’s Books
  • General Nonfiction: Jack El-Hai – The Nazi and the Psychiatrist: Hermann Göring, Dr. Douglas M. Kelley and a Fatal Meeting of Minds at the End of WWII – published by PublicAffairs Books/Perseus Books Group
  • Genre Fiction: William Kent Krueger – Tamarack County – published by Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
  • Memoir & Creative Nonfiction: Melanie Hoffert – Prairie Silence – published by Beacon Press
  • Minnesota: Kristin Makholm – Modern Spirit: The Art of George Morrison – published by University of Oklahoma Press
  • Novel & Short Story: Ethan Rutherford – The Peripatetic Coffin and Other Stories – published by Ecco/HarperCollins Publisher
  •  Poetry: Matt Rasmussen – Black Aperture – published by Louisiana State University Press
  • Young People’s Literature: Carrie Mesrobian – Sex & Violence – published by Carolrhoda Lab/Lerner Publishing Group

The Hognander Minnesota History Award recognizes the author of the most outstanding scholarly work related to Minnesota history published during the preceding two years.  As part of the 2014 MNBA festivities Gwen Westerman and Bruce White received this prestigious award for Mni Sota Makoce: The Land of the Dakota – published by Minnesota Historical Society Press.

Books written by a Minnesotan and first published in 2013 were eligible for the 26th annual Minnesota Book Awards. 242 books were nominated for awards this year, and 32 books were selected as finalists. The winners were chosen by panels of judges from the list of finalists. Nominations for next year’s Awards will open in August, 2014. More details about the winners, the finalists, and the  26th annual gala attended by a record breaking 960 people can be found on The Friends of the St Paul Public Library website.

2014 MNBA Finalists Announced

MNBA logoTwenty-four judges from all parts of Minnesota – writers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and others from the literary community – completed the first selection round towards determining the winners of the 26th annual Minnesota Book Award.

Click here for the finalists in each of the eight literary categories.

  • Children’s Literature
  • General Nonfiction
  • Genre Fiction
  • Memoir & Creative Nonfiction
  • Minnesota
  • Novel & Short Story
  • Poetry
  • Young People’s Literature

Award winners will be announced at the 26th Annual Minnesota Book Awards Gala on Saturday, April 5, at the historic Union Depot, 214 Fourth Street East, Lowertown, Saint Paul. The opening reception begins at 7 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 8 p.m.

CRPLSA supports MNBA activities throughout Minnesota. Plans for the coming year include promotional materials, author programs, and the creation of a high-quality author video in partnership with tpt.

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