The American Folklore Society is the US-based professional association for folklorists, with members from the US, Canada, and around the world, which aims to encourage research, aid in disseminating that research, promote the responsible application of that research, publish various forms of publications, advocate for the continued study and teaching of folklore, etc. The Society is based at Indiana University and has an annual meeting every October. The Society's quarterly publication is the Journal of American Folklore. The current president is Dorothy Noyes and the president-elect is Norma Cantu. As of 2016, almost half of its 2,200 members practice their work outside higher education. In addition to professors, members include public folklorists, arts administrators, freelance researchers, librarians, museum curators, and others involved in the study and promotion of folklore and traditional culture. The society is associated with the more Europe oriented International Society for Ethnology and Folklore.
AFS awards various prizes to honor outstanding work inthe field of folklore, at the opening ceremony of the annual AFS meeting. These include the following:
The Zora Neale Hurston Prize is awarded annually and honors the best student work in the field of African American folklore.
The Américo Paredes Prize is awarded annually and honors excellence in integrating scholarship and engagement with local communities.
The Benjamin A. Botkin Prize is awarded annually to honor public folklorists and recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of public folklore.
The Chicago Folklore Prize is awarded annually and honors authorfor the best scholarly monograph in folklore.
Other prizes are awarded annually, by different sections of the American Folklore Society.
The History and Folklore Section awards the biannual Wayland D. Hand Prize for an outstanding book that combines historical and folkloristic perspectives.
Every other year, AFS awards the following prizes:
The American Folklore Society Lifetime Scholarly Achievement Award honors folklorists for outstanding accomplishments over a career of scholarship.
The Kenneth Goldstein Award for Lifetime Academic Leadership honors those who have made contributions to supporting academic programs in folklore for outstanding achievement.
