We here at the Free Library, along with Drexel University, love to celebrate and honor our local partners who are dedicated to promoting high-quality children’s literature and championing children’s literacy. One way we celebrate them is with the Free Library of Philadelphia / Drexel University Children’s Literature Citation. The recipient must hail from Philadelphia or have contributed significantly to literature for children in the Philadelphia area. Past winners include authors, illustrators, librarians, publishers, and editors.

At this year’s Pennsylvania Library Association conference, local early education superstar Peg Szczurek became the latest winner of the award. Peg is the Associate Director at Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children (DVAEYC) and works tirelessly to promote early childhood literacy throughout Philadelphia. She is one of the Free Library’s most prized early literacy trainers and always brings so much enthusiasm for sharing a love of reading with young children. We love her infectious joy and her natural ability to connect with not only educators and librarians, but also families and their children. Congratulations, Peg!

The Free Library’s own Abbe Klebanoff was also awarded a Best Practices Honorable Mention for her program, "Flyers Come Alive". She established a partnership with a local high school so that students passionate about video and still photography were able to shoot and edit videos promoting library programs and services. Some of these include accenting a particular Free Library department, drawing attention to a librarian’s penchant for book talks, and capturing our collection with #BookFaceFriday photos. Awesome job, Abbe!

Visit Pennsylvania Library Association online for more information about the awards and to see a list of recent honorees.

And now you know: Philadelphia is full of children’s literature superstars!