91´«Ã½

Jesse Braun recognized with national public service honor

CHICAGO – Jesse Braun, middle school librarian at Beverly Vista Middle School Library in Beverly Hills, California, is a winner of this year’s I Love My Librarian Award. Recognized by the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) for expertly adapting educational services during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was selected from 1,865 nominations from library users across the country.

An expert in educational technology, Braun has brought innovative leadership to his school, incorporating augmented reality and gamified learning into his instruction. Teachers count on him for technology assistance and mentorship, and students benefit from his lessons on digital privacy and online citizenship.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has been indispensable to students and teachers, leading online lessons, transitioning clubs to virtual meetings, offering remote reference assistance, and disseminating bags of textbooks to 900 students, all while maintaining social distancing.

“Since the pandemic closed our school, Mr. Braun has continued to work tirelessly to ensure that our library continues to serve a central role in the Beverly Vista Middle School community,” his nominators wrote. “It has been an undertaking requiring a level of dedication and steadfastness that has been an inspiration to every member of the Beverly Vista Middle School community.”

Braun and this year’s nine other honorees will each receive a $5,000 cash prize, a $750 donation to their library and complimentary registration to 91´«Ã½’s 2021 Virtual Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits. The virtual award ceremony will take place during the conference at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 and will be available to stream live at .

Since the award’s inception in 2008, library users have shared more than 20,000 nominations detailing how librarians have gone above and beyond to promote literacy, expand access to technology and support diversity and inclusion in their communities. Information regarding previous award winners can be found on the I Love My Librarian website at .

Carnegie Corporation of New York generously sponsors the I Love My Librarian Award. The New York Public Library also supports the award. 91´«Ã½ administers the award through its Communications and Marketing Office, which promotes the value of libraries and librarians.

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 nearly 17 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 foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the 91´«Ã½ has been the trusted voice of libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.

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