 2021 Crystal Bookmark Award Recipients
Congratulations to our 2021 Crystal Bookmark Award Recipients! The awards recognize contributions made to encourage mastery of the written, spoken and/or illustrated word to unlock the potential of residents in the Las Vegas area.
The individual recognition was awarded to Marcus Allen, founding partner of the Read with my Barber initiative. Allen, who struggled in school, created the program to ensure that students in underserved communities do not have the same experience. Through this initiative, Allen makes books available in his five barbershops throughout the year to increase access to literary resources and raise awareness around the importance of reading. He partners with Nevada Reading Week each year to provide free haircuts to all students who read with their barber that week. He also hosts a training for barber college students to teach them how to support literacy in their work. Allen continuously uses his platform to increase access to books to communities that need it the most.
The organizational recognition was awarded to the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District for its efforts to ensure the community has easy-to-access tools that foster literacy to all ages. The organization offers early literacy programs to parents and caregivers, an adult learning programming that features a variety of classes and direct access to its digital ebook and audiobook collection for all Clark County School District students. The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District’s free access to technology, reading and research materials, homework help, tutoring, internet and online resources provided students the tools and support they needed to thrive during the pandemic.
Additionally, David Schnitzer was awarded for his literary achievement in the Las Vegas area through his book “The Adventures of Big Head Bob – Transform Weakness into Strength.” The character he’s drawn since he was a little boy turned into a way to create something positive for the world. Schnitzer self-published his book and art project, inspired by the birth of his nephew while being furloughed during the pandemic, and has donated all proceeds to the Clark County School District. A free game and YouTube book are also available; both were collaborations with local artists and singers, who he has also inspired along the way. He has shared the story with over 124 classes around the United States and Canada through sessions where he discusses social emotional learning, mindfulness and problem solving with students. Schnitzer teaches that it’s important to work together, take a deep breath and turn a negative into a positive.
Nominations for the award were submitted online. A panel of judges selected the winners.
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