O’Neal Library staffers serving on national selection committees

Three staff members at O’Neal Library in Mountain Brook — Matt Layne, Michelle Cheng and  Gloria Repolesk — were recently picked to serve on committees that choose books to receive national awards, according to an ONL news release.

Matt Layne, who serves as a young adult librarian, is one of nine people in America picked to serve on the selection committee for the Michael L. Printz Award. This award recognizes the best book written for teens based entirely on literary merit.

“I’m a sucker for a story rich in character development,” Layne said in the news release. “A strong voice is essential for me as well, and beautiful writing inspires me.”

Michelle Cheng, a library assistant in the young adult department, will be one of nine members of the selection committee for the William C. Morris Young Adult Debut Award. She said she is looking forward to the experience.

“Everyone on the committee is such a unique reader, so it’s amazing to dive into the nuances of these young adult books together,” Cheng said.

The committee will be looking at books by previously unpublished authors in the young adult category.

Repolesk, the head of the children’s department, is serving on the 2022 committee for The Children’s Literature Lecture Award.

The CLLA is an annual event featuring an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher from any country who prepares a paper considered to be a significant contribution to the field of children’s literature.

Many of the past winners have been big names, such as Neil Gaiman, Jacqueline Woodson and Maurice Sendak.

“I feel the job as a member of a selection committee is to try and find distinguished books that children will fall in love with,” Repolesk said.