91´«Ã½

Andrea Bernard recipient of the prestigious 2016 I Love My Librarian Award

NEW YORK – Today Andrea Bernard, library director at Tyler Memorial Library in Charlemont, Massachusetts, was named a winner of the I Love My Librarian Award. Bernard is being recognized for her exceptional contributions to the community and ongoing commitment to transforming lives through education and lifelong learning. She is one of only 10 librarians in the country this year to receive this national honor.

Bernard is commended for modernizing the library for the 21st century by providing new services that connect closely with library users’ needs.

When Bernard discovered many of the local residents didn’t have access to high-speed internet at home, she purchased new computers. Now public access computers are available for library users to locate government services, apply for jobs, take online classes and engage in social media.

She established Tyler Tech, a summer program to provide local school children opportunities to participate in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) activities, extending formal learning from the classroom. Bernard also started programming for adults, including workshops on healthy eating and wellness, singing groups, ukulele lessons and flower arranging classes.

Bernard will receive a $5,000 prize at an award ceremony and reception held this evening in New York City. The ceremony is hosted by Carnegie Corporation of New York, which co-sponsors the award along with The New York Public Library and The New York Times. The 91´«Ã½ administers the award through its Public Awareness Office, which promotes the value of libraries and librarians.

As part of the award process, the public is invited to nominate their favorite librarians working in public, school, college, community college and university libraries. This year nearly 1,100 nominations were submitted by library users detailing how librarians connected them to information, opportunities and critical technology to help improve the quality of their lives.

There are a total of 166,000 librarians in the United States who are experts in helping people access information and resources they need to succeed in today’s digital age. Librarians are continually working to meet the changing needs of the library users and communities they serve.

This year’s award recipients include three academic librarians, four public librarians and three school librarians. A complete list of the 2016 I Love My Librarian Award recipients can be found at .

About Carnegie Corporation of New York

Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 “to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding.” In keeping with this mandate, the Corporation's work focuses on the issues that Andrew Carnegie considered of paramount importance: international peace, the advancement of education and knowledge, and the strength of our democracy.

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at . To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.

About the 91´«Ã½

The 91´«Ã½ is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 57,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the 91´«Ã½ is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

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