Book Award Committee Guidelines
The following guidelines are set down to provide guidance for the selection process and to facilitate a smooth transition on the Awards Committee from year to year:
Each year a maximum of six (6) awards will be given. There are no set categories.
To be eligible for a PNBA Book Award:
—Publication must occur within established annual parameters - Oct. 1 - Sept. 20.
—Primary contributor or contributors must currently reside within the PNBA region, which includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.
—Book must display and be identifiable by a valid 13-digit ISBN.
--Book must be available U.S. direct and/or through a viable book wholesale distribution outlet.
--Book must be obtainable with industry standard wholesale terms and returns policies.
At the discretion of the Committee, an award may be given honoring efforts in publishing, illustration, or for a body of work.
Winning books will be advertised by the PNBA in Footnotes, Northwest Book Lovers.org, and in other media as appropriate, and by our participating member stores, as much as possible.
The deadline for submissions shall be September 17 each year. Receipt of copies of the nominated books by the members of the Committee is the only way to nominate a book. Books must be received by the members of the Awards Committee by September 20 to be eligible for consideration of an Award.
A Short List of preliminary finalists will be selected by the Committee as soon as possible after the fall show, and the Short List will be provided to PNBA staff for distribution to our bookstore members and the media to promote during the Holiday Season. The final Winners will be chosen by the Committee by early December and announced by PNBA staff as early in January as possible.
Members serve two-year terms, renewable for up to two additional years at the discretion of the Committee Chair and Board. A viable candidate need only be currently employed in a PNBA member store or library.
A new Committee Chair will be proposed by the Committee Chair in consultation with the Executive Director as soon as possible after the final meeting of the Committee each year. Outgoing committee members are encouraged to submit the name and contact info of a possible replacement for consideration by the committee at their fall meeting. New members will be proposed by the Committee chair and PNBA staff, from a list of candidates provided by staff and the outgoing committee members. New members will be selected with an eye toward providing as much “balance” on the committee as possible, including diversity of store size and type, geographic location, male/female representation, etc. The Board of Directors will approve the new Committee members, and the new Chair, as early as possible each year.
The committee chair should, whenever possible, be a PNBA board member, so that s/he can personally provide Committee reports at board meetings and can more easily coordinate Award Committee activities with the Executive Director. The Committee Chair should serve in that capacity for two (2) years, if possible.