SIMSBURY LIBRARIAN RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD (NEW YORK – Dec. 8, 2011) Today, Jennifer O. Keohane of The Simsbury (Conn.) Public Library was named one of 10 librarians recognized for service to their communities, schools and campuses as winners of the Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award.
A business outreach librarian at The Simsbury Public Library Keohane offers the unemployed not only a place to learn new skills, but a welcoming space to collaborate and network. As one local business person said, “Keohane is one of the most brilliant, shining gems that supports Connecticut's business community.”
More than 1,700 library patrons nationwide nominated a librarian. The eight additional award recipients are: Venetia V. Demson DC Public Library, Adaptive Services Division Washington, D.C. Martha Ferriby Hackley Public Library Muskegon, Michigan Dr. Rhonda Allison Rios Kravitz Sacramento City College Sacramento, California Jennifer U. LaGarde Myrtle Grove Middle School Wilmington, North Carolina Elizabeth “Betsy” Long Doby's Mill Elementary School Media Center Lugoff, South Carolina Michelle Luhtala New Canaan High School Library New Canaan, Connecticut Saundra Ross-Forrest North Avondale Branch Library (Birmingham Public Library System) Birmingham, Alabama Rebecca Traub Temple University Harrisburg Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Barbara K. Weaver Ivy Tech Community College Northwest Gary, Indiana
Each receives a $5,000 cash award and were honored at a ceremony and reception in New York, hosted by The New York Times, on Dec. 8.
In their nominations, library patrons told stories of how their librarians make a difference in their community. This year’s winners include a librarian who makes the library easier to use for people with disabilities, an innovator who integrates technology throughout her school for improved collaboration among students and teachers, and a business outreach librarian who creates a space for the unemployed and local business community to learn new skills, network and collaborate. Nominations were open to librarians working in public, school, college, community college and university libraries.
Forty librarians nationwide have won the I Love My Librarian award since 2008. More information about the award recipients is available at www.atyourlibrary.org/ilovemylibrarian.
Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} The award is a collaborative program of Carnegie Corporation of New York, The New York Times and the American Library Association. Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic foundation created by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to do "real and permanent good in this world."
The New York Times Company, a leading media company with 2010 revenues of $2.4 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers and more than 50 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, BostonGlobe.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.
The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information. The ALA administered the award through the Campaign for America’s Libraries, its public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians.
