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Illinois Reads campaign honored by library association

Illinois Reads, the state's largest reading encouragement program, recently received a Commendation award from the American Association of School Librarians during the Association of Illinois School Library Educators conference.

Given annually by the association and its parent organization, the American Library Association, commendation awards honor outstanding programs and events deserving of recognition at the national level.

"Illinois Reads has been well received by all of the communities it has visited and by the authors and illustrators involved," according to a spokesperson for the library association.

"This commendation belongs to the many readers of all ages and the hundreds of Illinois Reading Council volunteers across the state who have contributed to the success of Illinois Reads these past six years," Illinois Reads founder and IRC Past President Tammy Potts said.

"We are deeply grateful to both the state and the national library educator associations for their recognition of what we believe is one of the finest statewide reading programs in the country."

Every year Illinois Reads recommends six books in each of six different age categories ranging from infant to adult, which are written by authors with ties to Illinois.

The campaign spans eight months, beginning with a springtime festival and ending with the Illinois State Library's Family Reading Night in November.

The 2019 Illinois Reads Book Festival will take place Saturday, March 16, at the Brookside Campus of Waukegan High School. The 36 selections for 2019 will be announced later this month.

The program is supported by the Illinois Reading Council; the Illinois Center for the Book; the secretary of state and state librarian; the state library; the Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom program; legislators; regional and local school administrators; the Boy and Girl Scouts; Rotary; university students; public and private schoolteachers; and Anderson's Bookshops.

Illinois Reads is sponsored by the Illinois Reading Council, a nonprofit organization with close to 4,000 members across the state. The council's mission is to provide support and leadership to those who promote and teach lifelong literacy.

More information is available at www.IllinoisReads.org.

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