The McConnell Center for the Study of Youth Literature, named after beloved educator and mentor Anne McConnell, was created and is maintained to serve as a unique examination, study, and research library of the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Kentucky. The McConnell Center supports teaching, learning and research related to children's and teen/young adult literature by serving as a resource for UK students, UK faculty, researchers, public librarians, school librarians, teachers, child care providers, parents, authors and illustrators of youth literature, and other adults who work with children.

A vital gathering place for books and ideas, the McConnell Center is committed to identifying excellent literature for children and adolescents and to bringing this literature to the attention of those adults who have an academic, professional, career, or personal interest in connecting young readers with books.

The McConnell Center's non-circulating collections include current, retrospective, and historical books published for children and teens/young adults.

The Collections

The Current Collection includes review copies of trade books published in the United States for children and teens/young adults during the past 12 months. An attempt is made to acquire virtually all books in this category.

The McConnell Center Current Collection is non-circulating and organized by genre: picture books, fiction and nonfiction (informational books). This collection is not catalogued and is not electronically searchable. Unlike most library collections, these books have not been evaluated and selected by professional librarians. The Current Collection is simply a record of what has been published for children and teens/young adults in the past 12 months. These books are available for examination as an aid in making purchasing decisions or as a tool to expand current knowledge of trends in children's and teen/young adult literature. The McConnell Center is happy to provide working professionals with the opportunity to evaluate first-hand those books they are thinking of purchasing.

The Permanent Collections are non-circulating and consist of those books published more than 12 months ago that have been retained in the McConnell Center due to their significance to the collection. Award-winning, notable, historic, local, or regional books are retained. Reference materials and periodicals are also available to aid in retrospective collection development, professional development, or research in the field. The Permanent Collections are electronically searchable by use of one designated computer in the SLIS CAIT Lab.

The Basic Permanent Collection includes picture books, easy readers, fiction (transitional, middle readers, and teen/young adult), and nonfiction (informational books). These books have been retained either because they are recommended for school and public libraries or because they are historically significant and may therefore be useful as a teaching tool or for research purposes. Books are organized alphabetically by the author's last name or by the Dewey Decimal System.

The Award-winning Collection is currently well underway but still in its formative stages. The goal is to form a comprehensive collection of all medal winner and honor books from the inception of a given award to the present. These awards include the Caldecott Medal, the Newbery Medal, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award, the Coretta Scott King Awards, the Pura Belpre Awards, and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video. The Coretta Scott King award-winners and the Pura Belpre award-winners are found shelved within the Basic Permanent Collection. Green stars indicate Coretta Scott King winners and honor books. Red stars indicate Pura Belpre winners and honor books. The other award-winners are found in smaller, stand-alone collections.

The Kentucky Collection is currently in its formative stages. The goal is to form a comprehensive collection of books for youth containing Kentucky characters or settings and books for youth written and illustrated by current and former Kentucky residents. Books are organized alphabetically by the author's last name.

Please click here for Notable Kentucky Youth Authors & Illustrators.
Please click here for The Kentucky Bluegrass Award.

The Reference Collection includes current and historical titles related to literature for the young, including general information about youth literature, biographical materials on authors and illustrators, and resources on intellectual freedom, multicultural literature, and publishing. Books are organized by the Dewey Decimal System.

The Periodical Collection includes journals useful primarily to public and school youth librarians. The primary focus of these journals is most likely to be youth literature or library youth services. Representative titles include The Horn Book, The Lion and the Unicorn, School Library Journal, and Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA). Click here for a complete list of holdings. There is also a small examination collection of magazines for youth. Periodicals are organized alphabetically by title.

The McConnell Youth Literature Conference

The McConnell Center hosts the annual McConnell Youth Literature Conference held in Lexington, KY. The McConnell Conference draws librarians, teachers, and other professionals who work with youth to share ideas, examine materials, and meet authors, illustrators, and other leaders in the field of Youth Literature. The New Book Exhibit and the accompanying free bibliography are made available for examination at the McConnell Youth Literature Conference.

The 2008 McConnell Literature Conference will be held February 29-March 1 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Lexington. Featured speakers will be author Pam Munoz Ryan, author/illustrator Denise Fleming, and author George Ella Lyon. Fees will be $95 for full conference, $55 Friday only, $70 Saturday only. Student full conference rate is $30 (banquet and luncheon are additional). Click here for conference registration. Please email immediate questions to either Lousetta Carlson, carlson@uky.edu, or Mary Landrum, landmar1973@yahoo.com.

2008 McConnell Conference Schedule

Friday, February 29th

Click here for last year's conference web page.

Hotel Information for The McConnell Youth Literature Conference

Conference Hotel: Embassy Suites
1801 Newtown Pike
Lexington, KY 40511
(859) 455-5000
King or Double Non Smoking suites S,D,T,Q $125.00
Reservations by attendees must be received on or before Thursday, 1/31/08
To make your hotel reservation click here.

Connecting with Characters Contest

The McConnell Conference planning committee is delighted to announce the first Connecting with Characters Contest. Students who write a letter to their favorite Pam Muñoz Ryan character are eligible to win tickets for themselves and a chaperone to attend Ryan's Friday night speech on February 29, 2008. Click here for the contest entry form. Please address questions to Stephanie Reynolds, stephanie.reynolds@uky.edu.

History of the Center

The Center for the Study of Children's Literature was established in 1983 by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA) and the University of Kentucky School of Library and Information Science. The Center was later rechristened The McConnell Center for the Study of Children's Literature in honor of Professor Emerita Anne Y. McConnell. In 2006, the name was altered to reflect the full range of the resources in the collection. The McConnell Center for the Study of Youth Literature contains materials appropriate for children (birth through 12 years of age) and teens or young adults (12 through 18 years of age).

Click here for A Tribute to Anne Y. McConnell written by SLIS Professor Dennis Carrigan.

People

Staff Bios

Professor Stephanie Reynolds is new to SLIS and will be assuming the oversight of the McConnell Center and the conference. Professors Jackie White and Sandy Ireland also contribute to the the center and conference.

Mary Landrum, Graduate Assistant
Mary Landrum is a student at the University of Kentucky, SLIS. She plans to become a youth services librarian upon receiving her MLIS. Her previous education includes a B.A. in English and French from Earlham College, and an M.A. in French Studies from New York University.

The McConnell Center phone number is: (859) 257-5797

Conference Registration
2008 Conference Announcement
Collections
History of the Center
People