Dear Reader,
First, thank you for all you do to connect young readers with books representing them and their worlds.
Since you are here, you already know that celebrating and amplifying inclusive books for children and teens is near and dear to our hearts. With the 17th annual CYBILS Awards about to get underway, we want to ensure that our decision-making panels reflect the diversity of our country.
The judging panels are the backbone of the CYBILS Awards and while we are proud that representation is growing, our goal is to become fully inclusive. New readers and new voices are wanted – and needed. When we open the Call for Judges on August 17th, we want to make sure that the invitation is carried to where it might be more clearly heard. To do that, we need your help.
Would you be willing to share this letter, something on your social media or in your newsletter directed toward the particular community you serve? Our goal is to make this easy, so we pulled together some info for you so you don’t have to search for it.
1. Website link with details on being a judge: Information for Bloggers;
2. The link to our Logos for Your Social Media; and
3. Info about the Cybils Inclusivity Initiative.
Additionally, feel free to use any images that you have seen in our Instagram or Twitter feeds. We have been posting about the upcoming Call for Judges, and they may be particularly helpful.
Please know, that this is not a one-way street. Anything that is shared on social will most definitely is amplified to our communities to broaden your reach. If you include @CybilsAwards and/or #CYBILS2022 we are sure to see it and can take it from there.
We really hope to include a more diverse group of readers on our panels this year, and we appreciate the time you’ve taken to read our request.
Yours in Bookishness,
The CYBILS Board
Charlotte Taylor, President
Sheila Ruth, Executive Director