About the Golden Sower Program

Nebraska capital building with tiny sower statue on top

On top of the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, stands a 19,000 pound, bronze statue known as the Sower. He stands barefoot and without hat, sowing seeds. He is symbolic of the state of Nebraska as a major agricultural state. He is not merely sowing seeds of grain, but something much greater. He is the symbol of sowing the seeds of agriculture, life, hope and prosperity. The Sower, sculpted by Lee Lawrie, was chosen as the symbol of the Nebraska children's choice literary award for similar reasons. 

The award's sponsor, Nebraska Library Association, hopes the program will sow seeds which:

Whether student are seeking information or reading for pleasure, quality literature presented through the Nebraska Golden Sower Award program will enrich the lives of Nebraska's children and sow seeds of the future. Nebraska's young readers are encouraged to visit their local public library or school library to find out how they can participate and vote in the Nebraska Golden Sower Award program.

VISION, MISSION, AND VALUES OF THE GOLDEN SOWER AWARD


Vision:

The Nebraska Golden Sower Award exists to foster a lifelong enjoyment of reading for pleasure in Nebraska’s youth.

Mission:

The Nebraska Golden Sower Award empowers young people to experience literature of various styles, emotions, situations, and characters that mirror themselves and the outside world, fostering respect and compassion for others.

Values:

Youth experience recent literature in a variety of genres, formats, and reading levels.

Youth experience compassion for others through experiences in books.

Youth experience a variety of emotional experiences while reading.

Youth experience high-quality writing, illustrations, and creativity.

Youth see themselves in literature.

Youth see diversity in literature.

Youth collaborate with others.

Program Roles

Students — Each school year, students can read the current nominees. If they read at least four titles on one of the nominee lists, they are eligible to vote for their favorite on that list. Students may vote for multiple nominee lists if they're eligible.

School Librarians, Public Librarians, Teachers, etc. — Adults present the current Golden Sower program to students in a way that fits their local environment. They also gather student votes and enter those vote totals on this website's voting page.

Selection Group Volunteers — These adults discuss titles and select nominees one year in advance. Most of these volunteers are teachers and library workers. Email nlagoldensower@nebraskalibraries.org to inquire about becoming a selection group volunteer.

Golden Sower Committee Members — This Nebraska Library Association committee oversees program activities and sets policy. Committee members must be current NLA members. Individual committee members might also be selection group volunteers, but these are distinct roles. Email nlagoldensower@nebraskalibraries.org to inquire about becoming a Golden Sower Committee member.

Program Process Diagram

process workflow. publishers and authors suggest [arrow] suggested titles. Selection group volunteers sponsor [arrow] discussion titles. selection group volunteers select [arrow] golden sower nominees. students vote [arrow] golden sower winners and honor books.

An eligible book (see Selection Criteria) becomes a discussion title when a selection group volunteer reads a book because they suspect it could make a good nominee and decides to sponsor it. In the past, selection group volunteers could sponsor up to 5 titles per year per reading level (picture book, chapter book, or novel). Publishers and authors can suggest titles, but these volunteers are under no obligation to read or sponsor books suggested in this way.

A Committee member will verify each sponsored title's eligibility and create a discussion thread on a private forum. Selection group volunteers can read as many or as few discussion titles as they like, but they can only vote for titles they have read. This vote by adult volunteers does not directly produce the list of Golden Sower nominees. Instead, all selection group volunteers who voted are invited to a selection meeting where they attempt to create a balanced nominee list by reaching farther down the voting results list to some extent. After these lists are determined, a member of the Committee does a final eligibility check and contacts publishers about any supply concerns. Alternates are also selected in case of a required change. When all is well, the new nominee lists are publicly announced, making them official.