The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is one of 30 finalists for the 2015 Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Medal for Museum and Library Service for its service to the community.
The Library was nominated in part because of the work of its Outreach Services department, which was created in September 2013 to help the Library better serve Brooklyn’s most vulnerable and underserved populations.
The Outreach Services department’s programs include citizenship classes for new Americans; Creative Aging workshops for older adults; the Veterans History Project, which records and preserves the personal accounts of Brooklynites who have served their country; and the TeleStory program, which facilitates virtual story times, sing-alongs and other bonding activities for incarcerated fathers and their children.
“Brooklyn Public Library’s staff and volunteers take great pride in serving Brooklynites from every walk of life, including children and teens, older adults, new Americans, and families experiencing homelessness,” said Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson. “We are honored to have earned consideration for the National Medal in recognition of our service to the community.”
A full list of the finalists include:
- Brooklyn Public Library (Brooklyn, New York)
- Cecil County Public Library (Elkton, Maryland)
- Craig Public Library (Craig, Alaska)
- Embudo Valley Library and Community Center (Dixon, New Mexico)
- Illinois Fire Service Institute Library (Champaign, Illinois)
- Los Angeles Public Library (Los Angeles, California)
- Madison Public Library (Madison, Wisconsin)
- Mid-Columbia Libraries (Kennewick, Washington)
- Middle Country Public Library (Centereach, New York)
- Phoenix Public Library (Phoenix, Arizona)
- Terrebonne Parish Library System (Houma, Louisiana)
- The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (New York, New York)
- The Westport Library Association, Inc. (Westport, Connecticut)
- Tulsa City-County Library (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
- University of North Texas Libraries’ Portal to Texas History (Denton, Texas)
The National Medal winners will be named later this spring. Representatives from winning institutions will travel to Washington, D.C., to be honored at the National Medal award ceremony.
To learn more about the 2015 National Medal finalists, visit www.imls.gov/medals.
