Lemony Snicket Sponsors Prize for Librarians Facing Adversity

A day in the sun awaits long-suffering librarians: The American Library Association (ALA) has approved the new Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced With Adversity, proposed and funded by the “Series of Unfortunate Events” author himself, Daniel Handler.

The prize is designed to honor “a librarian who has faced adversity with integrity and dignity intact,” according to the award proposal. ALA council gave the prize a thumbs-up at the ALA Midwinter Meeting held in Philadelphia January 24-28, 2014.

The annual award—granted only if a suitable candidate is found—comes with a cash prize of $3,000 from Snicket’s book earnings, plus an additional $1,000 for travel expenses.  In addition, Snicket, will provide the winner with “an odd, symbolic object from his private stash” and “a certificate, which may or may not be suitable for framing.”

The deadline for applications is May 1. The winner will be announced at ALA’s Annual Conference in Las Vegas.

ALA’s online application can be found at: ala.org/awardsgrant/lemonysnicket