Mukwonago, Wisconsin

Abby Armour is repatriating ancestral belongings.

Under Abby Armour’s leadership, the Mukwonago Community Library is repatriating sacred objects from the thousands of Native American items in its Grutzmacher Collection, gifted to the library in 1965 by artifact collector Arthur Grutzmacher.

“Ms. Armour personally hand-delivered the items,” said the president of the Wilton Rancheria Tribe of California. “Her utmost respect to our ancestors’ belongings and to the tribe will never be forgotten. Because of this dedication, our items are home. This is what makes the Mukwonago Community Library not just a role model for Wisconsin libraries, but a role model for all libraries.”

Morgantown, West Virginia

Charlotte Chung helps every student find a book.

At Suncrest Elementary School in West Virginia, Charlotte Chung is making sure every student can find a book that speaks to them — literally. She secured major grants to build a multilingual collection, giving students access to books and audiobooks in their home languages.

That’s meant the world to students — like the Suncrest kindergartener who, sharing a Spanish-language audiobook with her classmates, proclaimed: “This is my book! This book is for me!”

Columbus, Ohio

Missy Creed provides health access in her community.

As the consumer health librarian at The Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, Missy Creed works beyond the library’s walls. She leads dozens of outreach events each year, delivering bilingual health materials and reaching patients, families, and underserved neighborhoods with reliable, easy-to-understand information.

“She truly enjoys and embraces any effort to get appropriate information into the community’s hands,” one colleague said. “She boldly goes where others might not go.”

Lahaina, Hawaii

Jessica Gleason delivers hope on four wheels.

After wildfires devastated Lahaina, Hawaii, in 2023, Jessica Gleason rolled in with the Holoholo Bookmobile, bringing books, internet access, and children’s story times to families who had lost everything. In just weeks, she established regular stops at parks, schools, churches, and even the district courthouse, offering not just library services, but a sense of stability and community.

“Amid all the uncertainty, fear, and grief, Jessica has been a steadying presence and a force for positive action,” a fellow librarian wrote. “And she continues to work in and with Maui’s West Side community, developing connections that are helping so many heal and grow beyond their tragic losses.”

Wilmington, Delaware

Peggy Griffith creates second chances.

At the Ferris School, a secure treatment facility for court-committed teens in Wilmington, Delaware, Peggy Griffith makes the library a place for personal growth. She modernized the collection, curated books on resilience and healing, and expanded access to the statewide library network. Whenever one of her students reenters the community, she gives them a public library card and a personalized letter of encouragement.

“Peggy exemplifies how a caring librarian and access to books and literacy can provide not only knowledge, but also healing and a sense of hope,” one nominator wrote.​

Fairfield, Alabama

Candice Hardy makes every student feel at home

At Miles College, a historically Black college in Fairfield, Alabama, Candice Hardy has turned the once-quiet Learning Resources Center into a place of culture, civic engagement, and student support. She has brought in local Black artists for exhibitions, launched voter registration drives, and hosted a career-readiness closet to provide students with professional clothes — all while making the library somewhere students can be themselves.

“Ms. Hardy deeply cares about every student that walks through the door of the library,” a student wrote. “She goes out of her way to make sure that everyone feels welcome. Whether it is a smile, a kind word, or simply being there to help, her presence makes it a comforting place for all.”

Laredo, Texas

Analine Johnson helps young readers overcome obstacles.

At the United Independent School District in Laredo, Texas, Analine Johnson has spent more than two decades helping students facing poverty, language barriers, and other obstacles. She raised more than $20,000 to help low-income students purchase their first books, created an after-school literacy program for emerging bilingual students, and spearheaded a “Lil Library Box” in a local park to keep kids reading all year round.

“Mrs. Johnson has built libraries that are more than just spaces for books — they are places where dreams are nurtured, confidence is built, and futures are shaped,” a nominator wrote.​

Bethel, Alaska

Theresa Quiner supports a remote community’s needs.

At the Kuskokwim Consortium Library in Bethel, Alaska — a rural city accessible only by plane or boat — Theresa Quiner serves both the University of Alaska Fairbanks Kuskokwim campus and the region’s largely Yup’ik and Cup’ik population. Whether hosting rural skills classes, inviting teens to join movie nights and gaming clubs, or supporting families experiencing homelessness, she helps the community far beyond books.

“Theresa tirelessly builds programs and partnerships that meet the real needs of Bethel — from housing and homelessness support to cooking classes and Indigenous celebrations. She makes the library a place where everyone belongs,” one nominator wrote.

Wilmington, Delaware

Jamar Rahming turns library love into community love.

At the Wilmington Institute Free Library in Delaware, Jamar Rahming has transformed a once-underused library in a historically challenged city into an educational and cultural center. He has launched statewide literacy initiatives, built partnerships to support families in need, and invited visitors like LeVar Burton and Angela Davis to inspire residents.

As a Wilmington Public Library board member put it: Jamar and his staff “have helped the Wilmington Library to thrive and, in turn, helped the community to thrive.”

Bronx, New York

Nelson Santana helps his community see their own stories.

At Bronx Community College in New York, where the majority of students identify as Hispanic or Black, Nelson Santana has secured the donation of thousands of books, launched an exhibition on Dominican activism, and led a campuswide reading initiative featuring novels like Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.

“Professor Nelson Santana represents the very best of what a modern librarian can be,” wrote his nominators. “Innovative, inclusive, scholarly, and deeply committed to student success.”