91´«Ã½

NEW YORK – Today 10 librarians were honored with the prestigious 2017 I Love My Librarian Award for their outstanding public service contributions. Selected from more than 1,100 nominations submitted by library users nationwide, including educators and members of the public, the winning librarians are being recognized for their leadership in transforming lives and communities through education and lifelong learning.

The 1,125 nominations detail how librarians working in public, school, college, community college or university libraries have gone above and beyond to improve community members’ lives. In the United States there are 190,000 librarians working in libraries of all types, and only 100 librarians have been selected for this distinguished honor since the award’s inception in 2008.

The 2017 award winners include an academic librarian who preserves the stories and histories of the LGBTQ community; a public librarian who helps economically disadvantaged families connect with social services; a school librarian who inspires a love of reading in students who are new to the country or speak English as a second language; and a public librarian who helps underserved teens explore their passions and prepare for college.

“This year’s I Love My Librarian Award recipients are true leaders who are inspiring and implementing strategies to better their communities,” said Jim Neal, president of the 91´«Ã½. “Whether it’s fostering inclusion and diversity or mentoring youth, these librarians are expanding beyond their traditional roles and providing more opportunities to meet the changing needs of the patrons they serve.”

Each winning librarian will receive a $5,000 prize at an award ceremony and reception to be held in New York City tonight. The ceremony is hosted by the philanthropic foundation 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.

The 2017 I Love My Librarian Award recipients include three academic librarians, four public librarians and three school librarians. This year’s winners are:

Julie Bill

Musicians Institute College of Contemporary Music

Los Angeles

Sheikla Blount

Columbiana (Alabama) Middle School

Annie Cipolla

Los Angeles Public Library

Rosemary Cooper

Albert Wisner Public Library

Warwick, New York

Laurie Doan

Tredyffrin Public Library

Strafford, Pennsylvania

Mary Jo Fayoyin

Savannah (Georgia) State University

Natalia Fernández

Oregon State University

Corvallis, Oregon

Marcia Kochel

Druid Hills Middle School

Decatur, Georgia

Rita Platt

St. Croix Falls (Wisconsin) Elementary

Timothy Ryan

Rochester (New York) Public Library

For more information regarding the 2017 I Love My Librarian Award recipients, please visit . To share information about the winners and the importance of their work in the community please use #ILoveMyLibrarian on social media.

Photos of the award recipients are available 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.