<div dir="ltr"><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Arial;white-space:pre-wrap">****Please excuse the cross posting****</span><br></span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Arial;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">It’s that time of the year again – voting for the 2021 Rhode Island Teen Book Award winner! Teens of Rhode Island get a chance to vote for the book they think is the best book they have read from a list selected by teachers, public librarians, and school library media specialists.</font></span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"> </font></span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline;outline:0px;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit"><span style="outline:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit"><span style="color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Where can our teens vote? Well, they can do it in schools and local public libraries. Interested schools and libraries can find an official ballot and a QR code for our digital voting form under <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://riteenbookaward.org/ritba/official-election-ballot__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!f5t12BHsmdf_R9AHw9-cKotl7aC7p2Il7r5-YY9IJnUUPJ96rl6hv5PsDnRxOyp58k3F$" target="_blank" style="color:blue;outline:0px"><span style="color:rgb(0,98,160)">Official Election Ballot</span> [riteenbookaward.org]</a>, to download and print for use at your library.  Due to this year&#39;s pandemic situation, we are  accepting digital ballots (from students and physical voting sites) at <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.tinyurl.com/RITBAvote__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!f5t12BHsmdf_R9AHw9-cKotl7aC7p2Il7r5-YY9IJnUUPJ96rl6hv5PsDnRxO0TkQHcA$">www.tinyurl.com/RITBAvote [tinyurl.com]</a>.  Ballots can be accepted at the participating schools, libraries, and online from January 25, 2021 through February 28, 2021. Voting results from physical voting sites should be submitted through the digital ballot form by the end of day Monday, March 1, 2021. </font></span></span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"> </font></span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline;outline:0px;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="outline:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit"><span style="color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">We are once again offering free books as prizes and incentives for both teen voters and voting stations in public and school libraries across Rhode Island. For more information and to get your voting station involved, click <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://riteenbookaward.org/voting-incentives__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!f5t12BHsmdf_R9AHw9-cKotl7aC7p2Il7r5-YY9IJnUUPJ96rl6hv5PsDnRxOxkJxiVP$" target="_blank" style="color:blue;outline:0px"><span style="color:rgb(0,98,160)">here for 2021 Voting Incentives</span> [riteenbookaward.org]</a>.</span></span></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline;outline:0px;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="outline:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit"><span style="color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"><br></span></span></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline;outline:0px;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit"><span style="font-family:Arial;white-space:pre-wrap">Please direct any questions to </span><a href="mailto:riteenbookaward@gmail.com" target="_blank" style="font-family:Arial;white-space:pre-wrap">riteenbookaward@gmail.com</a>  <br></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;vertical-align:baseline;outline:0px;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit"><br></p><div>Thanks,<br></div><div><br></div><div><div><div>Rebecca Ott  MLIS, MA</div><div>Head of Youth Services/Young Adult Librarian</div><div>Tiverton Public Library</div><div><font face="roboto, arial, sans-serif">RITBA Chair 2019-Present</font></div></div></div></div>