We have a lot of luminaries as volunteer hosts and guests on KUMD and Northland Morning ... but the The Independent Book Publishers Association has just given one of them - well, two of them, actually - a national award.
Sparky Stensaas is the founder of Stone Ridge Press which publishes regional and national
outdoors and nature books. In addition to being the Executive Director of Friends of Sax-Zim Bog, Sparky has been known to host Backyard Almanac when regular host Larry Weber takes a few days off.
The publication of Larry Weber's Web Watching: A Guide to Webs and the Spiders that Make Them wins Stone Ridge Press the Ben Franklin Silver Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association.
In a news release, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) announced the winners in the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award™ program, now in its 31st year. The indie book award program
recognized excellence in books published during calendar year 2018. From close to 1,500
entries, one gold winner and two silver winners were named in each category.
The news release goes on to say:
"This year's list of IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award™ winners rest at the pinnacle of professional
independent publishing. These are the best of the best," said IBPA CEO Angela Bole. "This is
important because in the end it’s not just about publishing; it’s about publishing well. Becoming
an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award™ winner showcases a publisher’s commitment to
professional standards and high-quality book content and production.” It is regarded as one of
the highest national honors for small and independent publishers.
Over 150 librarians, booksellers, and design and editorial experts – most of whom have
decades of book industry experience – judge the books submitted to the IBPA Benjamin
Franklin Award™ program.
Our congratulations to Sparky Stensaas, Stone Ridge Press, and Larry Weber for this well-deserved award!