Holmes receives Bechtel Fellowship

CHICAGO - The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the Professional Recognition and Scholarships Committee have awarded the 2026 Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship to Soline Holmes.

The Bechtel Fellowship is designed to allow qualified children’s librarians to spend up to four weeks reading and studying at the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, a part of the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida, Gainesville. The Baldwin Library contains a special collection of 120,000 volumes of children’s literature published mostly before 1950. The fellowship is endowed in memory of Louise Seaman Bechtel and Ruth M. Baldwin and provides a stipend of $7,500.

Soline Holmes is the Preschool/Lower School Librarian and Information Services Department Chair at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau, Louisiana.  She will research the history and evolution of toy and moveable books and explore their value in engaging children in a digital age.

The Baldwin Library collection includes many historical examples of toy and moveable books, dating back as far as the sixteenth century. During her fellowship at the library, Holmes will have the opportunity to handle and study these historic treasures.

“With all the current research that is being done to show just how vital play is to building early learning and literacy skills, Ms. Holmes’ research into the benefits of movable and toy books is both timely and extremely relevant to youth services. I am excited to follow what she discovers, and how these blended books might be used to encourage reading and early learning in our patrons,” said committee member Heather Beverly.

“The Professional Recognition and Scholarships Committee were impressed by the scope of hands-on research in the Baldwin Library’s collection as well as her plan to share findings not only with educators and librarians, but also with students in her school and beyond,” said Co-chair Jenny Rosenoff.

“We're thrilled to welcome Ms. Holmes to the Baldwin and its collection of over 800 toy and movable books. Her project will illuminate the unique affordances of these structures as tools for teaching and entertainment,” said Dr. Fiona Hartley-Kroeger, Curator of the Baldwin Library.

ALSC, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,000 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries. To learn more about ALSC, visit ALSC’s website at www.ala.org/alsc.

The 2026 ALSC Professional Recognition and Scholarships Committee includes: Jenny Rosenoff, co-chair, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair, NJ; Gwen Vanderhage, co-chair, Brodart Company, Williamsport, PA; Heather Love Beverly, Cook Memorial Public Library District; Vernon Hills, IL; Brenda Dales, Miami University, Oxford, OH; Grace Enriquez, Lesley University, Boston, MA; Bethni King, Georgetown Public Library, Georgetown, TX; Maria Xochitl Peterson, Chicago, IL; Sylvia Tag, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA.