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Nadia Orozco-Sahi has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 Career LIFT Award, sponsored by OCLC and Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures. They are the Library Services Coordinator at the University of New Mexico.

Core is dedicated to cultivating and amplifying the collective expertise of library workers in core functions and we recognize the importance of the everyday work of our practitioners. Recipients receive $1,500 to attend an 91´«Ã½ conference, the Core Forum, or to take a continuing education class to grow their skillsets and careers. The award is designed to support information professionals whose passion, actions, and everyday work warrants recognition and celebration. We honor the critical labor that goes into organizing, managing, and maintaining core library services. LIFT stands for Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures.

The LIFT Awards Committee was impressed by Orozco-Sahi's engagement as a chapter councilor in the New Mexico Library Association and advocacy efforts, which include launching a local mentorship program inspired by their experience as a mentee in Core’s mentorship program. In addition to evidence that they contribute to the day-to-day operations at the University of New Mexico, Orozco-Sahi's application expressed a desire to make a positive impact on the profession and to develop programs that “bring us joy, providing sustenance during difficult times.” They were also named an 91´«Ã½ Emerging Leader in 2022.

Funding from the LIFT Award will support Orozco-Sahi's professional growth and development by reducing the financial burden of attending conferences such as . Their application demonstrated a strong commitment to the advancement of library services and the ability to produce concrete outcomes that would benefit others in Core and the profession. The Committee is pleased to provide funding to support their continued work as chair of the Rainbow Round Table and in recognition of their potential to increase engagement at a national level as their career develops.

When notifed they had won, Orozco-Sahi responded, "Core has been an invaluable resource during my time at 91´«Ã½ so far, connecting me with people who have changed the trajectory of my professional career, as well as my personal growth. To be honored with this LIFT Award means being able to continue to engage meaningfully with library professionals, to be a voice in the room working towards the ideals of libraries and librarianship. I am grateful for the support and recognition."

Applications for the 2024 Career LIFT Award will open in January.

Members of the 2023 Core Career LIFT Award Committee are: Gabrielle Somnee Wiersma (chair), Lauren Corbett, and Meredith P. Goins.

About Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures

is the national association that advances the profession of librarians and information providers in central roles of leadership and management, collections and technical services, and technology. Our mission is to cultivate and amplify the collective expertise of library workers in core functions through community building, advocacy, and learning. Follow us on our , , or .

About OCLC

is a nonprofit global library cooperative providing shared technology services, original research and community programs so that libraries can better fuel learning, research and innovation. Through OCLC, member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the most comprehensive global network of data about library collections and services. Libraries gain efficiencies through OCLC's WorldShare, a complete set of library management applications and services built on an open, cloud-based platform. It is through collaboration and sharing of the world's collected knowledge that libraries can help people find answers they need to solve problems. Together as OCLC, member libraries, staff and partners make breakthroughs possible.