Scripter > About
- In This Section
- Founding
- Friends of the USC Libraries
Overview
Established in 1988, the USC Scripter® Award is an honor bestowed annually by the Friends of the USC Libraries in recognition of the best film adaptation of a book or novella, and is given to both the author and screenwriter. By honoring the literary artistry and collaborative process of turning a book into a screenplay and ultimately into a film, this unique award acknowledges the full spectrum of the writers' creative process.
The award is presented at a black-tie gala each spring on the University of Southern California campus in the beautiful Los Angeles Times Reference Room of Edward L. Doheny Memorial Library. The Scripter ceremony provides visibility and support for the University Libraries, part of USC Information Services. Dozens of films based on books or novellas are eligible each calendar year for the Scripter Award.
Films based on plays are not eligible, nor are foreign-language releases. Eligible books and films are reviewed by a committee comprised of Writers Guild of America Members, Academy Award-winning and -nominated screenwriters, authors, film industry executives, faculty, and select members of the Friends of the USC Libraries. This selection committee narrows down the year's eligible films to five nominees and then chooses that year's best film adaptation of a book, short story or novella.
Proceeds
Since 2000, proceeds from the USC Scripter Award have been earmarked toward the Doheny Library Preservation Fund, which provides support for the ongoing preservation and maintenance of this beautiful library.
One of the great architectural treasures of Los Angeles and one of the university's most recognizable buildings, the Doheny Memorial Library has served as USC's flagship research library since opening in 1932. The magnificent Los Angeles Times Reference Room, on the southeast side of the library's first floor, is the traditional home of the USC Scripter Award.
In October 2001, the library was reintroduced to the university community after being closed for an 18-month seismic retrofit project that entailed the reinforcement of existing walls and restorative cleaning of many of the building's goldleaf, wood and painted plaster details. The preservation project garnered a prestigious award from the Los Angeles Conservancy, an organization dedicated to preserving the architectural and cultural heritage of greater Los Angeles. During the retrofit, USC Information Services began work on a number of physical renovations and upgrades that are transforming Doheny Library into a model research library for the 21st century.
The new focus of Doheny Library is not only on digital and traditional information, but on creating an atmosphere charged with intellectual stimulation and exchange. It's about reinventing the library so that it becomes a place where faculty and students meet to share knowledge and ideas; a place where primary materials unique to USC serve as the foundation for entirely new fields of study; and a place that attracts the brightest faculty and scholarly minds from around the world.
The Doheny Preservation Fund was established to provide a permanent source of funds that will enable us to preserve and enhance Doheny Library for generations to come. This means that for as long as USC exists, so will Doheny Library — providing thousands upon thousands of students with a beautiful place to study, explore and dream.