10 librarians nationwide receive I Love My Librarian awards

Some are fighting local efforts to censor books, while others are focused on cultural programs, education about Ukraine or helping people buy groceries: These are this year's winners of the I Love My Librarian Award. Based everywhere from New York City to Carencro, Louisiana, the winners share a common desire to work closely with their patrons. “Even in these unprecedented times and as our nation’s library workers face historic levels of intimidation and harassment due to an ongoing wave of book censorship, librarians continue to empower their patrons, teach critical literacy skills, promote inclusion in their space and collections, and provide vital services for their communities,” American Library Association President Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada said in a statement. Each of the 10 honorees received a $5,000 cash prize and a $750 travel stipend to attend the library association's LibLearnX event last month in New Orleans. The awards were based on nominations from library users around the country and made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and support from the New York Public Library. Winners include Kathryn Blackmer Reyes of the San Jose State University library in San Jose, California, cited for how she promoted untold stories by Asian Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics among others. At the Highlands County Library System in Sebring, Florida, Vikki Brown successfully pressed for a grant to set up a mobile library for the rural population. The awards were established in 2008. This year, judges at the library association chose the winners from more than 1,500 nominations. This article was provided by The Associated Press.