Each year, the Pennsylvania Library Association honors the service of their members, as well as those community volunteers, who go above and beyond the call of duty to support the work of libraries throughout Pennsylvania.
On Tuesday, October 26th the Upper Dublin Public Library located in Fort Washington was recognized as the 2022 Library of the Year.
“The Pennsylvania Library Association is pleased to recognize these libraries and librarians for creating innovative programs and services. State-wide recognition of these accomplishments by colleagues in the field is definitely something to be proud of.” said Jennifer Knisley, 2022 president of the Pennsylvania Library Association. “Congratulations to all of the 2022 award recipients!”
In the announcement, the association states that throughout the past year, the Upper Dublin Public Library provided exemplary service to patrons through myriad and, at times, devastating challenges to the community.
From the announcement:
On September 1, 2021, an unexpected tragedy struck Upper Dublin Township when an E2 tornado tore through hundreds of local homes, an elementary school, and the township municipal building. Library leadership and staff immediately shifted priorities, working with Upper Dublin Police and Township Commissioners as they relocated to portions of the Library building for critical support services. Upper Dublin Public Library promptly arranged for and sponsored a series of presentations by local mental health professionals to help the community heal, offering parallel video access for these sessions to assure the widest possible delivery to those families still suffering the effects of the tornado. Library staff worked with volunteers to help collect and distribute hundreds of books to Upper Dublin families and classrooms that were recovering from the tornado.
Fostering unity and healing within the community, Upper Dublin Public Library creatively implemented strategic partnerships with other organizations, such as the Township Parks and Recreation Department, with over 2,000 attendees to the “Celebrate Summer” performance series.
In addition to the extraordinary emergency response in 2021, the library also continued to improve upon traditional services throughout the pandemic. The community has gained significant increases in resources such as easy-to-use drive-up service assuring access to books and other materials, public computer access, museum pass borrowing, and a new PlaySpace for families.
A committee comprised of association members reviews the nominations, submitted in late summer, and selects winners for a series of categories. Awardees are then invited to attend the association’s annual conference where they are recognized among the membership, their peers, representing all library types and sizes from throughout Pennsylvania.
“The Pennsylvania Library Association is able to do what we do thanks to the unwavering efforts of our volunteers and our members,” said Christi Buker, executive director of the Pennsylvania Library Association. “These awards are just our small way of shining a light on what all librarians, library staffs and our volunteers do to continue promoting the value libraries bring to communities they serve. We are thankful for their support and engagement and are honored to be able to recognize their efforts. Congratulations to all of our 2022 winners.”
Photo: Pennsylvania Library Association