I would like to clarify my earlier posting about interfaith books. I named several titles in response to a specific request on Hasafran for suggestions of interfaith children's books. Although I mentioned that some of these books had been submitted to the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, I did NOT say that they had received any kind of official recognition or commendation from the Committee. Indeed, the books I named did not even make Notable status, much less win any kind of medal from AJL. They were simply titles that I became aware of because of the large number of books I see through my work with the Committee.
At the beginning of the year, publishers are invited to submit books of Jewish content to the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee. Publishers interpret "Jewish content" in various ways, and send us whatever they think or hope fits that definition. However, the Committee sometimes disagrees with the publisher and deems a book to have insufficient or inappropriate Jewish content, making it ineligible for award status. This is what happened with the interfaith titles I mentioned that were submitted in 2004. These interfaith titles were also reviewed in AJL Newsletter. As we should all be aware, the critical reviews in AJL Newsletter do not constitute endorsements of the titles reviewed. The newsletter strives to provide enough information about each book so that individual libraries can decide whether the materials fit the world-view (conservative, liberal, or in-between) of the community they serve, so that they can make appropriate purchasing decisions. It is my belief that it is important for the newsletter reviewers AND for the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee to evaluate books of Jewish content that may be marginal or controversial, along with the more traditional Jewish books. It is important for us to be aware of what is being published, and to share our educated opinions about these books with the Judaic library community. Reading and reviewing a book is not the same thing as endorsing its content. Giving a book award status DOES constitute an endorsement, but that is why we are so careful in selecting winners that do a good and broad-based job of representing the Jewish experience. Sincerely, Heidi Estrin, Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, Chair speaking for the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee as a whole Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL =========================================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
