The American Library Association this week announced the 10 recipients of the 2023 I Love My Librarian Award. Founded in 2008, the national award honors exceptional librarians from academic, public, and school libraries as nominated by their patrons. The award is sponsored and supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the New York Public Library, with the award administered by the ALA.
ALA officials said they received more than 1,500 nominations from library users for this year’s award, with "hundreds of nominations" focusing on librarians’ work in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the fight against the wave of book banning censorship in communities across the nation.
“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,” said American Library Association President Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada, in a statement announcing this year's winners. “Congratulations to this year’s I Love My Librarian Award honorees, who positively impact the lives of those they serve every day.”
This year’s award recipients include three academic librarians, three public librarians and four school librarians. The 2023 honorees are:
Kathryn Blackmer Reyes, San José (Calif.) State University.
Vikki Brown, Highlands County (Fla.) Library System in Sebring.
Cara Chance, Lafayette Public Library, Carencro, Louisiana.
Tara Coleman, Kansas State University, Manhattan.
David Ettinger, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Julie Marie Frye, Childs Elementary School in Bloomington, Indiana.
Lauren Ginsberg-DeVilbiss, Wright Brothers School in New York City.
Jamie Gregory, Christ Church Episcopal School, Greenville, South Carolina.
Roseanna Gulisano, Highbridge School in New York City.
Elacsha Madison, Evanston (Illinois) Public Library.
Honorees will each receive a $5,000 cash prize as well as complimentary registration and a $750 travel stipend to attend ALA’s LibLearnX event in New Orleans. The award ceremony will take place during the LibLearnX welcome reception beginning at 6:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023.
