Horning to lead Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Kathleen T. Horning has been named director of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), a library of the School of Education.

Horning, who succeeds Virginia “Ginny” Moore Kruse, has been serving as acting director since Kruse’s retirement last year. Dean Charles Read of the School of Education recently announced Horning’s appointment.

Established in 1963, the CCBC is a noncirculating examination, study and research library for adults who have an interest in children’s and young adult literature. UW–Madison and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction fund it.

Horning has worked as a librarian at the CCBC since 1982. For nine years, she also was a children’s librarian at the Madison Public Library. She has a bachelor’s degree in linguistics, and a master’s degree in library and information studies, both from UW–Madison.

She is the author of From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children’s Books (HarperCollins, 1997). With Kruse, she co-authored Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults, 1980-1990, and, with Kruse and Megan Schliesman, Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults, 1991-1996. She has written numerous articles about children’s and young adult literature, and frequently speaks on these topics.

Horning is president of the United States Board on Books for Young People and serves on the board of directors of the American Library Association/Association for Library Service to Children. She chaired the group’s first Committee on Social Issues in Relationship to Materials and Services for Children.

She also has served on numerous book award committees and chaired several, including the Americas Award Committee, under the auspices of The Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; ALA/ALSC’s 1997 Mildred Batchelder Award Committee; and ALA/ALSC’s 1995 John Newbery Committee.

The CCBC is located in Room 4290, Helen C. White Hall, 600 N. Park St. To contact the center, call (608) 263-3720 or visit the CCBC Web site.