How to Join MYRA and Get Voting Privileges for the Book Awards

Updated

You join MYRA (Minnesota Youth Reading Awards) by signing up for a membership through myrahome.org, and that one membership gives your site voting privileges for both the Maud Hart Lovelace and Star of the North book awards. Membership also includes member-only resources, a summer packet of posters, bookmarks, and sponsor items, and updates during the year about events and resources tied to the current nominees. The site does not list prices or payment details, so check the membership page for current terms before you commit.

What a MYRA Membership Covers

MYRA runs two annual "read and vote" programs: the Maud Hart Lovelace award and the Star of the North award. A single membership covers voting for both, registered to one site.

Benefit What you get
Voting privileges Both the Maud Hart Lovelace and Star of the North awards, for one site
Member-only resources Resources and "goodies" available only to members
Summer packet Posters, bookmarks, and other items from MYRA's sponsors
Year-round updates News about events and resources related to the current nominees

The organization describes itself as 100% volunteer powered and says it has connected Minnesota youth to books for 40 years.

Steps to Join

  1. Go to myrahome.org.
  2. Open the Membership section from the main navigation (the site lists "Membership" and "Join MYRA" as menu items).
  3. Choose the membership option that fits your site — a school, library, or other group that will run the read-and-vote program.
  4. Complete the signup and any payment steps shown on the membership page. Pricing is not published in the site text available here, so confirm the current fee and payment method on that page.
  5. After joining, watch for the summer packet and member updates so your readers know which titles are on the current nominee lists.

To verify it worked: you should be able to access member-only resources and see the current nominee lists for both awards (for example, the 2025–2026 Maud Hart Lovelace and Star of the North nominees). If you cannot, contact MYRA through the contact form on the site.

Before You Join: Questions to Settle

  • Who is the "site"? Voting privileges are granted per site, so decide whether your school, classroom, or library will be the registered member.
  • What does it cost? The available site content does not state a price. Treat cost as unknown until you see the membership page.
  • Is login required? The site shows a "Log in" link and runs on Wild Apricot membership software, which suggests member accounts exist — but the exact access rules for voting are not spelled out in the text available, so confirm with MYRA if voting access is essential to you.

If You Do Not Want to Join

You can still use the public parts of the site: browse current and past nominees and winners for both awards, suggest a title, or volunteer with either program. MYRA also invites people to email [email protected] if they want to help with activities during the year.