Librarians in our nation's 123,000 libraries make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans every day. Today, 10 librarians are 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.
More than 3,200 library users nationwide nominated a librarian. The 10 award winners are:
Sol A. Gomez
Branch Manager, Librarian II
Pima County Public Library, Sam Lena-South Tucson Branch
Tucson, Ariz.
Laura Grunwerg
Director of Youth and Young Adult Services
River Edge Public Library
River Edge, N.J.
Lucy Hansen
Lead Librarian
South Texas Independent School District, Biblioteca Las Americas
Mercedes, Texas
Alice K. Juda
Reference Librarian
U.S. Naval War College
Newport, R.I.
Karen E. Martines
Public Administration Library Department Head
Cleveland Public Library
Cleveland, Ohio
Dwight McInvaill
Director
Georgetown County Library
Georgetown, S.C.
Seamus O'Scanlain (Scanlon)
Librarian and Assistant Professor
Center for Worker Education Library (The City College of New York)
New York, N.Y.
Dana Thomas
Media Specialist
Cypress Lake Middle School
Fort Myers, Fla.
Carolyn Wheeler
Media Specialist
Conant Elementary School
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Rochester Hills Public Library
Youth Services Librarian
Rochester, Mich.
Oceana Wilson
Director of Library and Information Services
Crossett Library, Bennington College
Bennington, Vt.
"In a world that is increasingly oversaturated with a torrent of disconnected information, more and more we look to librarians as our guides to the truth," said Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York. "They are the guardians of history and the true keepers of the flame of knowledge. Our lives are enriched by their contributions and our great, diverse democracy is strengthened by their dedication and their expertise. We thank them and we celebrate them today, and always."
"The 'I Love My Librarian' program demonstrates how vital libraries and librarians are to our communities and the people they serve," said Janet L. Robinson, president and chief executive officer of The New York Times Company. "We are delighted to have this opportunity to celebrate librarians from across the country. We are also proud to once again join the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the American Library Association in saluting this exceptional group of 10 librarians who contribute so greatly to our society."
"The 3,200 nominations received were rich with anecdotes of personal transformation. We congratulate this year's 10 winners while recognizing these stories as a testimony to the importance of all librarians nationwide and the positive impact libraries and librarians have on their communities," said Camila A. Alire, president of the American Library Association (ALA).
Each of the 10 award winners receives a $5,000 cash award and will be honored at a ceremony and reception in New York, hosted by The New York Times on Dec. 3.
Nominations were open to librarians working in public, school, college, community college and university libraries. In order to be eligible, the nominee had to have received a master's degree from a program accredited by the ALA in library and information studies or a master's degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational institution accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.
The selection committee is comprised of Dr. Rookaya Bawa, program officer at Carnegie Corporation of New York; Sari Feldman, executive director, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, Ohio; Sandra M. Marcus, assistant professor/coordinator library public relations, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, N.Y.; Diane McNulty, executive director of Community Affairs and Media Relations at The New York Times; Jim Rettig, university librarian, Boatwright Memorial Library, University of Richmond, Va.; and Rocco A. Staino, contributing editor, School Library Journal, retired, North Salem Central School District, N.Y.
The ALA administered the award through the Campaign for America's Libraries, its public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians.
The award, which began as The New York Times Librarian Awards in 2001, is now a collaborative program of Carnegie Corporation of New York, The New York Times and the American Library Association. More information about the award recipients is available a twww.ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian.
Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic foundation created by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to do "real and permanent good in this world." Carnegie Corporation has been associated with almost every important development in library service in the United States. Andrew Carnegie himself had used much of his personal fortune, beginning in 1886, to establish free public libraries throughout America, which led the Corporation's initial grantmaking to focus on libraries and the opportunities for public education they offer. Early library funding went to the building structures themselves, but by the 1920s, grants in this area began to emphasize the evaluation and strengthening of both public and university librarians' training.
The New York Times Company, a leading media company with 2008 revenues of $2.9 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, 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 is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 65,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.
