Three organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading in the United States and worldwide were awarded the 2018 Library of Congress Literacy Awards at the National Book Festival gala, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced tonight.

Hayden and philanthropist David M. Rubenstein awarded the top prizes to: Reading Is Fundamental of Washington, D.C.; East Side Community School of New York City; and Instituto Pedagógico para Problemas del Lenguaje of Mexico City.

The Literacy Awards, originated by Rubenstein in 2013, honor organizations doing exemplary, innovative and replicable work, and they spotlight the need for the global community to unite in working for universal literacy.

“Literacy empowers people around the world, giving them the chance for learning, fulfillment and participation in civic life,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “Thanks to the generosity of David Rubenstein, the Library of Congress is proud to honor these innovative and exemplary organizations working to raise reading levels. We look forward to their ongoing progress in building a culture of reading.”

Prizes and Recipients

David M. Rubenstein Prize ($150,000)

Reading Is Fundamental, Washington, D.C.

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) works to create a literate America by inspiring a passion for reading among all children, by providing quality content and engaging communities in the solution to give every child the fundamentals for success. Founded in 1966, RIF is a national nonprofit focused on children’s literacy and, in partnership with a grassroots network of volunteers in schools and communities nationwide, has distributed more than 415 million books and affected the lives of more than 40 million children. Signature programs and resources include: Books for Ownership, enabling children to select age-appropriate books to own; Read for Success, an intervention program addressing literacy backslide during the summer months; Literacy Central, a free digital site for supplemental learning resources aligned with favorite children’s books; Literacy Network, a portal for local literacy partners; and the Reading Log App, used to track and share time spent reading.

American Prize ($50,000)

East Side Community School, New York City

East Side Community School is a 6-12th-grade Title I public school in New York City. During a time when the national focus on high-stakes standardized tests has caused many schools to focus on test prep and quick fixes that may affect students’ interest in reading, East Side has responded differently by creating and sustaining an independent reading program where students read on average over 40 books each year, improve literacy skills, address their social-emotional and political needs through literature, and fall in love with reading. Strong reading instruction, daily extended time to read inside and outside of school, exposure to appealing books and choice, book clubs, author visits, constant conversations around books and a full commitment from all stakeholders has made East Side a national model for the capacity of schools to create a powerful culture of reading.

International Prize ($50,000

Instituto Pedagógico para Problemas del Lenguaje, Mexico City

Instituto Pedagógico para Problemas del Lenguaje (IPPLIAP) is a nonprofit organization founded 50 years ago that is dedicated to supporting deaf children and children with language and learning disabilities, primarily from impoverished families, through educational programs and after-school support. IPPLIAP carries out its mission through specialized programs that guarantee full access to education for these children with literacy at their core, by holding continual reading and writing workshops with children and striving for them to learn the joys of reading, writing and how to become lifelong learners. IPPLIAP believes that literacy is the vehicle to guide any child, to build rational and critical thinking, and to reach a better understanding of themselves and of the complex world in which they live.

The Library of Congress Literacy Awards program also is honoring 15 organizations for their implementation of best practices in literacy promotion. These organizations are:

• America SCORES, New York City
• Fundación A Mano Manaba, Jama, Ecuador
• Learning Ally, Princeton, New Jersey
• Mango Tree Literacy Lab, Lira, Uganda
• Minnesota Literacy Council, St. Paul, Minnesota
• Philadelphia Office of Adult Education, Philadelphia
• Project Read, Provo, Utah
• ProLiteracy Worldwide, Syracuse, New York
• Reach Education, Inc., Washington, D.C.
• Resources for the Blind, Quezon City, Philippines
• Sesame Workshop India Trust, New Delhi, India
• Transformemos Fundación Para El Desarrollo Social, Cundinamarca, Colombia
• Umuhuza, Kigali, Rwanda
• Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2), Washington, D.C.
• World Possible, Irvine, California

Rubenstein is the co-founder and co-executive chairman of The Carlyle Group. He is a major benefactor of the Library of Congress and the chairman of the Library’s lead donor group, the James Madison Council.

The Library of Congress Literacy Awards are administered by the Library’s Center for the Book, which was created in 1977 by Congress to “stimulate public interest in books and reading.” A public-private partnership, the center sponsors educational programs that reach readers of all ages, nationally and internationally. The center provides leadership for affiliated state centers for the book and nonprofit reading-promotion partners and plays a key role in the Library’s annual National Book Festival. More information on the awards is available at: read.gov/literacyawards.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States - and extensive materials from around the world -both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

Book lovers of all ages came together by the tens of thousands to celebrate reading and meet their favorite authors Saturday at the 18th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival, held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Thousands more watched the festival’s Main Stage streamed live on the Library’s Facebook page.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden interviewed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who launched a children’s book on the festival’s 2,500-seat Main Stage. Hayden also interviewed Jacqueline Woodson, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, who is debuting two new books this fall.

Hayden announced the 19th National Book Festival will be held Aug. 31, 2019.

“The National Book Festival is a thrilling, immersive experience that gives so many readers a unique opportunity to reflect on great books all day long,” Hayden said. “We are so proud to feature a diverse lineup of more than 100 authors who give visitors a new reading list for the year ahead.”

In total, 13 authors launched new books at the festival - the most new books in the festival’s history - including Sotomayor’s “Turning Pages: My Life Story,” Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Leadership: In Turbulent Times;” Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Sylvia Acevedo’s “Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist;” Kate DiCamillo and Harry Bliss’ “Good Rosie!” Meg Medina’s “Merci Suárez Changes Gears;” Jennifer Nielsen’s “Resistance;” David Shannon’s “Grow Up David!” Suzanne Slade’s “Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon;” David Ezra Stein’s “Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise;” Woodson’s “The Day You Begin” and “Harbor Me;” Ellen Hopkins’ “People Kill People;” Hank Phillippi Ryan’s “Trust Me;” and U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith’s selections for “American Journal: Fifty Poems for Our Time.”

On the festival’s Fiction Stage, Hayden awarded the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction to acclaimed writer Annie Proulx, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Shipping News” and the short story “Brokeback Mountain.” The prize, one of the Library’s most prestigious awards, honors an American literary writer whose body of work is distinguished for its mastery of the art, originality and imagination.

Proulx urged the crowd to make literacy a top priority for children.

"You can never introduce your child to reading too early," Proulx told the crowd, adding that they should start reading to babies before they're born and as often as possible. "If you repeat this recipe every day ... you will have a smart, intelligent, involved person in your life."

On Friday, Hayden also announced the winners of the 2018 Library of Congress Literacy Awards, honoring organizations for their exemplary, innovative work to confront illiteracy, raise reading levels and promote reading. The top prizes were awarded to: Reading Is Fundamental of Washington, D.C.; East Side Community School of New York City; and Instituto Pedagógico para Problemas del Lenguaje of Mexico City.

The festival’s celebration of reading and writing kicked off earlier in the week with a pinning ceremony for the 2018 National Student Poets, who represent five regions of the country and presented their work on the festival’s Parade of the States Stage.

The National Book Festival is made possible by the generous support of private- and public-sector sponsors who share the Library’s commitment to reading and literacy, led by National Book Festival Co-Chairman David M. Rubenstein. Charter sponsors are the Institute of Museum and Library Services, The Washington Post and Wells Fargo; Patron sponsors are The James Madison Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities; the Champion-level sponsor is PBS; Contributor-level sponsors are National Geographic and Scholastic Inc.; and, in the Friends category, AARP, Booklovers Circle members, Bookshare - a Benetech initiative, Buffy Cafritz, Marshall B. Coyne Foundation Inc., Joseph and Lynn Deutsch, Dollar General Literacy Foundation, Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction administered by The University of Alabama School of Law, The Hay-Adams, The Junior League of Washington, Leon Levy Center for Biography (CUNY), Library of Congress Federal Credit Union, J.J. Medveckis Foundation, Mensa Foundation, Lissa Muscatine and Bradley Graham, Timothy and Diane Naughton, Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Program, Reading Is Fundamental, Small Press Expo (SPX), Split This Rock and the Whittle School & Studios. Media Partners are C-SPAN2’s Book TV, The New York Times, NPR and PBS Books. Those interested in supporting the National Book Festival can contact the Library at devofc@loc.gov.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States - and extensive materials from around the world -both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.