2025 CLA Award and Scholarship Recipients!

It is with great pleasure to announce the recipients of this year's CLA awards and scholarships:

Awards

The John and Patricia Beatty Award

For Children’s, Barrio Rising: The Protest That Built Chicano Park by Maria Dolores Aguila

For Teens, Rising From the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992: Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire by Paula Yoo

Technical Services Award of Merit

Mary Kocman, Technical Services Department Head at Palos Verdes Library District

Outstanding Librarian in Support of Literacy

Leila Hassen, City Librarian at the Azusa City Library

Young Adult Services Award

Jessica Lundin, Teen Librarian at TeenHQ at San José Public Library

PRExcellence Awards

The PRExcellence Awards will be announced separately with 2025 Best in Show announced at the CLA Annual Conference Awards Gala.

Zoia Horn Intellectual Freedom Award

Al Muratsuchi, California Assemblymember, 66^th Assembly District

CLA President’s Award

Carol Frost, Executive Director, Peninsula Library System

Scholarships

The Begun Scholarship 

Emily Hammond, Student at San Jose State University

The CLA Scholarship For Black, Indigenous, People of Color Students In Memory Of Edna Yelland

Jennifer Perez Lara, Student at San Jose State University

Robert Karatsu Conference Scholarship

Britt Navarro, Student at University of Southern California

Jennifer Perez Lara, Student at San Jose State University

Krosheska Portillo, Student at University of Southern California

Starla Villalba, Adult Services Librarian at Ontario City Library

These remarkable librarians and leaders exemplify the very best of our profession, and we are honored to celebrate their achievements and contributions to California's library community.

Please mark your calendars and join us as we honor these award recipients at our CLA Awards Gala on Friday, October 24, 2025, from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. This special evening will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate these extraordinary individuals while enjoying hors d'oeuvres and networking with colleagues as we embrace our conference theme of "Telling Our Own Stories."

*Tickets are required, and we encourage you to reserve yours soon.*

We can’t wait to gather with you to celebrate and recognize the outstanding achievements across our profession.  Looking forward to seeing you in Riverside!