Dear YAACS Colleagues,
For those of you who did not attend the BCLA Conference (we presented the award this year at the Awards Lunch), Tess Prendergast from the Vancouver Public Library was the recipient of the 2018 YAACS award.
Tess is:
- A children’s librarian for over 20 years with the Vancouver Public Library
- An active researcher and scholar in the library community
- A recent PhD recipient from the UBC’s Department of Language and Literacy Education
- An active participant in professional associations and various award committees:
- Previously served on the ALSC Children & Libraries Editorial Advisory Committee and the 2016 Caldecott Committee
- A regular mentor and trainer for new VPL staff both librarians and library technicians
- Develops and delivers courses on children’s and youth library services at Langara College and UBC iSchool.
- Offers a blog on “Inclusive Early Literacy”
- Publishes groundbreaking papers on inclusive library services
Tess Prendergast has demonstrated:
- Strong, unwavering commitment to planning and delivering high-quality, high-impact services to children, teens, and their caregivers
- Particular focus on supporting vulnerable community groups and individuals leading to the development and success of ground-breaking community-led programs, such as:
- “Parents’ Time Out”
- “Bilingual ASL/English Storytime”
- “Language Fun Storytime”
- “Sensory Storytime”
- Dedication to building community partnerships have strengthened the library’s relationships with:
- Local speech language pathologists
- Developmental disabilities associations
- Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Agency.
Congratulations, Tess! We thank you for all your hard work, enthusiasm and indefatigable dedication.