PLA 2010 Conference: Best Small Library Award Winners Honored

Public Library Assocation - PLA 2010 - Annual Conference - Portland

By Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 03/27/2010

• 2009 and 2010 winners and runners-up
• Award contains funding to attend PLA
• Inspiration for continued excellence

For many small libraries across the country, the annual Best Small Library in America Award, sponsored by Library Journal and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is both a challenge and an inspiration.

So the honorees from 2009 and 2010 gathered March 25 in Portland, OR, for an awards ceremony. “The very best part of the award is hearing from our patrons, 'We always you knew were the best small library in America.'" observed Anne Hughes, director of the Glen Carbon Centennial Library (GCCL), IL, the 2010 winner. "We plan to keep it that way.”

Hughes, pictured (r.) with LJ Editor-in-Chief Francine Fialkoff, noted that Glen Carbon gained special mention in a previous round of the award and thus encouraged runners-up to apply again.

(Photos by Debora Miller)

The winning library receives a $15,000 cash award, a feature story in LJ, and membership and conference costs for two library representatives to attend the PLA conference.

Two finalist libraries were awarded with membership and conference costs for two library representatives to attend PLA. Also honored were the 2010 runners-up, Baker County Library District, Baker City, OR, Perry Stokes, director, and Cross Plains Public Library, TX, Linda Burns, director.

2009 awards
The 2009 winner was the Union County Carnegie Library, SC. While Nancy E. Rosenwald, director of the library during its winning year, was unable to attend, Ann White, vice-chair of board of trustees, read Rosenwald's salute to the library's community and employees.

The award, noted White, would not have come about without Rosenwald "tieing all this together." And the award, White related in Rosenwald's voice, will help the library to continue to strive for excellence.

In photo, White (r.) joins Rebecca Miller, LJ Executive Editor, Features.

Also honored were Pinewoods Library and Learning Center, Athens Regional Library System, GA, Miguel Vincente, branch manager, and Weippe Public Library, ID, Terri Summerfield, director. The Pinewoods award was accepted by Kathryn Ames, director of Athens Regional Library.