UA Professor Wins Humanitarian Award

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. Jamie Campbell Naidoo, associate and EBSCO Endowed Professor at the School of Library and Information Studies at The University of Alabama, was named the recipient of the Alabama Library Association Humanitarian Award for his work with the Book Bonanza for the Black Belt and Beyond Program.

The award will be conferred at the Alabama Library Association annual convention in Point Clear in April.

The Humanitarian Award is presented to a person or organization that has made a substantial contribution toward the development or improvement of a library or libraries within Alabama.

Naidoo established the Book Bonanza for the Black Belt and Beyond Program in 2009 for elementary, middle and high schools in the black belt region that have limited funding for new books for library media centers.

Since its inception, more than $58,000 in new, free children’s and young adult books have been awarded to 32 schools in the region.

Recently, the program expanded its reach to include low-income private schools in the Black Belt region of the state or a public school in an economically disadvantaged area of the state outside of the Black Belt. The purpose is to give one equally deserving school library that is not eligible to be a Book Bonanza for the Black Belt winner.

This year, a record of 33 schools applied for the program, and $15,400 in books were given to seven schools who received $2,000 each in books.

Naidoo’s concentration is library services to diverse populations and diversity in youth media. He teaches courses at UA on public libraries, storytelling and materials and services to youth, families and diverse populations.