Newbery Medal - Selection Process

Selection Process

As Barbara Elleman explained in The Newbery and Caldecott Awards, the original Newbery was based on votes by a selected jury of Children's Librarian Section officers. Books were first nominated by any librarian, then the jury voted for one favorite. Hendrik van Loon's non-fiction history book The Story of Mankind won with 163 votes out of 212. In 1924 the process was changed, and instead of using popular vote it was decided that a special award committee would be formed to select the winner. The award committee was made up of the Children's Librarian Section executive board, their book evaluation committee and three members at large. In 1929 it was changed again to the four officers, the chairs of the standing committees and the ex president. Nominations were still taken from members at large.

In 1937 the American Library Association added the Caldecott Award, for "the artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children published in the United States". That year an award committee selected the medal and honor books for both awards. In 1978 the rules were changed and two committees were formed of fifteen people each, one for each award. A new committee is formed every year,with "eight elected, six appointed, and one appointed Chair". Committee members are chosen to represent a wide variety of libraries, teachers and book reviewers. They read the books on their own time, then meet twice a year for closed discussions. Any book that qualifies is eligible, it does not have to have been nominated. Newbery winners are announced at the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association, help in January or February. The results of the committee vote is kept secret, and winners are notified by phone shortly before the award is announced.