Louisville Library Wins Award

The Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL) and Metro Louisville have been named the first place recipient of the 2016 LibraryAware Community Award given by Library Journal and underwritten by LibraryAware™, a product of the NoveList division of EBSCO Information Services.

The award recognizes communities that engage with their libraries to improve the lives of their citizens and create lifelong learners and library users.

This morning, LibraryAware Product Manager Nancy Dowd and Library Journal Editorial Director Rebecca Miller were on hand to present Mayor Greg Fischer and Library Director Jim Blanton with the award and a $10,000 check.

The LibraryAware Community Award recognizes a library system that has demonstrated its ability to engage with its community and make citizens “aware” of what the library can do for them.

The Louisville Free Public Library was judged to be a model of this goal as a leader in improving the overall literacy of the community, from children to adults, and supporting lifelong learning for residents. Through a deep awareness of community needs, collaborating with partners and innovative programming, LFPL provides the residents of Louisville with broad access to knowledge, ideas, and information to support them in their pursuit of learning at all stages of life.

“It’s critical for the future of our city that our citizens embrace lifelong learning so they can reach their full human potential,” said Mayor Fischer.  “And our great and award-winning Louisville Free Public Libraries help them do that every single day.”

You can find more information about the services provided by LFPL here.

 “The Louisville Free Public Library works with stakeholders to identify and address areas of need,” said the Library’s Director of Education Julie Scoskie. “Our commitment to improve literacy and support lifelong learning has been formalized using the Public Libraries United with Schools (PLUS) brand.  In addition, offering fun, recreational programming and building community with interactive programs like the How-to Festival and Living Library, expands our appeal to the public.”

The Louisville Free Public Library leads collaborative efforts to help meet the educational needs of the community. In support of the Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) 3rd Grade Reading Pledge, the Library received a 149,000 book donation and partnered with Metro United Way and JCPS to provide every student in grades K-3 their own books to take home and encouraged them to enroll in the Share 100 Stories before 4th Grade program.  In response to low kindergarten-readiness scores in 2014, the Library – with support from the Community Foundation of Louisville and the Library Foundation – launched the 1000 Books before Kindergarten Challenge, reaching more than 18,000 children. Last summer, more than 51,000 of the Mayor’s Cultural Passes were distributed – largely through the Library – enabling families to enjoy cultural venues free of charge during the summer

More than 600 adults have enrolled in the nationally replicated Code Louisville training partnership (provided by KentuckianaWorks with LFPL’s support), and 70 families are enrolled in the new Family Education/GED program at the Library. And more than 30,500 children and teens completed the Library’s 2015 Summer Reading Program – reading more than 290,000 books when school was out!

“We know our students benefit from a strong public library system," said Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Donna Hargens. “Our community libraries are hubs of activity for JCPS students.  For students without access to technology at home – the library is where they come to do homework and research a project. And while our students are here doing homework or participating in an activity – they might just see a book that sparks their interest. And thanks to the library, each JCPS student has a library card so he or she can check out that book and take it home.”

The LibraryAware Community Award is given annually to a community of any size and its library. The Louisville Free Public Library and its community partners will be featured on the cover of the April issue of Library Journal.