CSLA :: Awards

Every day, through actions big and small, ordinary people serving congregational libraries extend themselves to extraordinary limits — providing encouragement and purpose in our field of congregational librarianship. CSLA wants to know about these people and honor them at our national conferences.

A listing of the awards given at the CSLA national conference each summer follows, and an informational brochure is available for download by clicking :

CSLA Rodda Book Award - CSLA's Rodda Book Award, named for lifetime CSLA member, Dot Rodda, recognizes a book which exhibits excellence in writing has contributed significantly to congregational libraries through promotion of spiritual growth. The award is given to books for adults, young adults, and children on a three-year-rotational basis. The 2008 Rodda Award will be given for a children's book published between 2005 and 2008. for information on submitting a nomination.

to view past Rodda Award Winners.
to view other Rodda Award Nominees for this year.

Emerging from a strong field of nominations, our winning entry combines a well-written story and beautiful illustrations as it nurtures young children with good spiritual values. Come to the conference in Greenville, South Carolina to meet the author.

Meet Ingrid Hess

“My name is Ingrid Hess and I am a children’s book illustrator, designer and writer. I have my MFA in graphic design with an emphasis in the book arts and have worked in publishing for the past 12 years. My dual passions of design and illustration work well together and help me continue telling stories through pictures. When creating images I am a painter and a cut-paper artist. My work has been influenced heavily by my roots. The theme of simplicity comes from my Amish/Mennonite roots and the bright colors and patterns are inspired by art from Costa Rica (my home for four years of my childhood). Now, as an adult, I continue to nourish these visual influences in my work. It is important to me that my work empowers children to understand they can make a difference. In the book Sleep in Peace, I show children from around the world. Historically children’s books have not done a good job depicting diversity. This problem is slowly beginning to change. I want to be part of this change.”

Outstanding Congregational Library — CSLA honors a church or synagogue library which has responded in creative and innovative ways to the library’s mission of reaching and serving members of the congregation and/or wider community. The Outstanding Congregational Library award was first given in 1975.

Criteria taken into consideration for this award are: frequent use by all ages of church or synagogue membership; be accessible and attractive with some elements of uniqueness; have up-to-date and varied materials; have resources other than books; serve all branches of the sponsoring church or synagogue; evidence growth and development in size and use.

Nominated by Nanette Goings, Director of Christian Education, the Faith Community Lutheran Library of Longmont, Colorado, not only has an active, "amazing" collection of books, DVDs, and videos, it has become a "welcoming, state-of-the-art hub" of the church, bringing the congregation together and getting the members involved in their community.

Expansion and enhancement of Faith Community Lutheran's Library became possible when a new sanctuary and educational facilities were constructed, allowing growth in the collection from 816 items in 2003 to 2,754 items in 2006.

Volunteers participate in all phases of the library's operations, from selection, processing, cataloging (Concourse Book System) and shelving, through circulation. Materials in the library serve as resources for Christian education, Bible study, small group and special needs ministries, and outreach programs. They are also used by the pastors for reference and research.

During Summer 2006, library reading program participants earned "miles" of credit for delivering books to a Katrina-flooded Lutheran Sunday School in New Orleans. One of the letters supporting this nomination was written by a fourth-grade boy who described Faith Community's Librarian as "the everlastingly, little kid caring, and ever so kind Lois Ward."

Outstanding Congregational Librarian — CSLA recognizes a church or synagogue librarian who exhibits distinguished service to his/her congregation and/or community through devotion to the ministry of congregational librarianship. The first award was given in 1976.

Outstanding Contribution to Congregational Libraries — This award is given to a person or institution who has provided inspiration, guidance, leadership, or resources to enrich the field of church or synagogue libraries. The first award was given in 1969.

Helen Keating Ott Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children's Literature — Named for Helen Keating Ott, one of CSLA’s most active members and three times a national officer, this award honors a person or organization for significant contribution in promoting high moral and ethical values through children’s literature. Mrs. Ott had a lifelong interest in children’s literature and in libraries and library work. She prepared the CSLA bibliography, Helping Children Through Books, first published in 1974. Mrs. Ott died in 1979. The first award was presented in 1980.

In addition to librarians, educators, or clergy, appropriate nominees for this award are authors, illustrators, editors, or publishers of children’s books.

Pat Tabler Memorial Scholarship Award — Named for Pat Tabler, who served CSLA in several capacities on national, regional and local levels, the award recognizes a librarian who has shown initiative and creativity in starting or renewing a congregational library. Upon her death in 1987, Mrs. Tabler’s family requested that memorials be designated for a special CSLA project, and the board determined that funds would be set aside to pay conference expenses for a "beginning" librarian and a complete set of CSLA guides and bibliographies for the library of that librarian’s choosing. The first award was given in 1988.

Nominated by Ruth MacPherson, President of the Los Angeles County Area Chapter (LACA) of CSLA, Elaine Amromin of Sierra Madre, California, has been instrumental in the restoration of Temple Beth David Library, which had become a "catch-all for unwanted, obsolete, don't-know-what-to-do-with miscellaneous items." During the process of weeding, organizing, and cataloging this "neglected and dormant" collection - in addition to gathering, repairing and refinishing library equipment and furnishings - Elaine and her staff of dedicated volunteers overcame termites, flooding, and leakage.

Temple Beth David now has "a viable functioning library of 1,900 cataloged and shelved items" (all listed on the synagogue's web site) which is "an important resource center" for the teachers and students of the Religious and Hebrew Schools. The library also offers reference materials for enrichment of faith and recreational reading for pleasure.

Elaine is an active contributing member of the LACA Chapter, known as a resourceful person who has creatively adapted and applied the information available through CSLA to the challenge of restoring this library, which her Rabbi calls a "sacred task."

To make a nomination for an award (except for the Rodda Book Award - see below for details), request a nomination form and an awards brochure from Judy Janzen at the National Office at ( or call 800-LIB-CSLA). Additional materials you will need to submit in order to support your nomination are listed on the nomination form. Current members of the national CSLA executive board are not eligible. Past nominees who did not win an award may be re-submitted.

To download an awards brochure from our website, Please note that nominations will close on March 31, 2008.

CSLA is now accepting nominations for an outstanding children’s book title for the 2008 Dorothy Rodda Sargent award. Titles nominated for this award should exemplify literary excellence in children’s literature and should nurture strong spiritual values. They may be fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. Their publishers must have identified the nominated titles as books for children including reading level up through age 11. The books will be judged on the quality of the text as well as supported by effective illustrations. A nominated book must have a copyright date between 2005 and 2008.

All nominations must be received by December 31, 2007, so send in your choices now to let the committee begin reading.

Submit all nominations to:
Rodda Award Committee
c/o Judy Janzen, Administrator, CSLA
29290 SW Dolph Ct., Suite 3A
Portland, OR 97219-3962
or email: