From emotional support to business advice, winners of I Love My Librarian awards serve in many ways

NEW YORK (AP) — This year’s winners of the I Love My Librarian Award, $5,000 honors presented by the American Library Association, took on a lot more than selecting books and fighting bans.

Diana Haneski, at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, is a survivor of the 2018 shootings, who is committed to emotional support for others. Fred Gitner, of New York City’ Queens Public Library, develops resources for immigrants and asylum-seekers. At the University of Puerto Rico, Gladys López-Soto draws upon her expertise in copyright law to aid aspiring entrepreneurs and inventors.

“While much of the national conversation surrounding libraries has fixated on book censorship, and as library workers across the U.S. continue to face historic levels of intimidation and harassment, librarians’ efforts to empower their patrons and provide vital services for their communities shines a spotlight on the enduring value of libraries in our society,” library association president Emily Drabinski said in a statement Monday.

The 10 recipients were selected from around 1,400 nominations, submitted by local patrons. Established in 2008, the award is sponsored by Carnegie Corporation of New York and also administered in partnership with the New York Public Library.

Other winners announced Monday include Melissa Corey of St. Joseph, Missouri, whose middle school fairs help ensure students receive free books; Claire Dannenbaum, at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon, where she helps oversee research projects; Malvern, Arkansas’ Clare Graham, a public librarian who converted coin-operated newspaper racks into Little Free Libraries; and Gabriel Graña of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where middle schoolers work on book displays and other library offerings.

Award winner Ted Quiballo, of Northwestern University, helps refugees and asylum-seekers learn new technology skills; at the Solano County Library, in Fairfield, California, Mychal Threets uses social media to tell stories about students there; and Curt Witcher, of the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has developed a substantial genealogy collection.

“The inspiring stories of this year’s I Love My Librarian Award honorees demonstrate the positive impact librarians have on the lives of those they serve each day,” Drabinski said.