[1] They are named in honor of nineteenth-century American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in recognition of his deep belief in the power of books and learning to change the world.

[2] The award is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and administered by the American Library Association (ALA).

[1] Booklist and the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) cosponsor the awards.

[1] The annually appointed selection committee includes a chair, three Booklist editors or contributors, and three former members of RUSA CODES Notable Books Council.

[1] The winners, one each for fiction and nonfiction, are announced at an event in June at the American Library Association Annual Conference; winning authors receive a $5,000 cash award, and two finalists in each category receive $1,500.