The National Medal for Museum and Library Service is our nation’s highest honor awarded to libraries and museums. It is annually given by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in recognition of exceptional service to the community and making a difference in the lives of individuals, families, and communities. I am very pleased to share with you that the Pueblo City-County Library District has been accorded this special distinction for 2018!
This year’s nominees included libraries and museums of all types from across the country. The IMLS Medal of Service is acknowledgement of the extraordinary accomplishments and contributions of PCCLD programs and services. It also is testimony to the tireless efforts of dedicated library employees, volunteers, and advocates. PCCLD will be specially recognized for this achievement at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 24.
As part of the ceremony and celebration, Pueblo community member Mandy Brown will travel to Washington, D.C. with members of the PCCLD Board of Trustees and the Executive Director to accept the National Medal on behalf of the library district and provide a personal account of the power PCCLD has had in the community. Mandy found the library staff to be warm and welcoming. And when Mandy shared her fear of computers, librarians were quick to encourage her to enroll in PCCLD’s free computer classes. Now, Mandy spends much of each day at the library, reading and studying. She is enrolled in nursing classes at our local community college and hopes to rejoin the workforce, all with the help of PCCLD’s support system. “The greatest thing you get at the Pueblo City-County Library is hope,” says Mandy.
Following the Washington Medal ceremony, StoryCorps—a national nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans—will visit PCCLD and provide an opportunity for local community members to share stories of how libraries have affected their lives. These stories are preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
IMLS is the primary source of federal support for libraries and museums in the United States. Since 1994, IMLS has presented the Medal of Service to institutions that demonstrate extraordinary and innovative approaches to public service and exceed expected levels of community impact. Members of the National Museum and Library Services Board, the presidentially-appointed policy advisory board for IMLS, reviews the nominations and recommends the award winners. All types of museums and libraries qualify to be nominated for this award. There are some 150,000 libraries and museums in the United States. PCCLD is now one of fewer than 200 institutions to have been awarded the National Medal of Museum and Library Service.
This is a singular accomplishment for PCCLD and for the greater Pueblo Community. It truly is an once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
This year’s nominees included libraries and museums of all types from across the country. The IMLS Medal of Service is acknowledgement of the extraordinary accomplishments and contributions of PCCLD programs and services. It also is testimony to the tireless efforts of dedicated library employees, volunteers, and advocates. PCCLD will be specially recognized for this achievement at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 24.
As part of the ceremony and celebration, Pueblo community member Mandy Brown will travel to Washington, D.C. with members of the PCCLD Board of Trustees and the Executive Director to accept the National Medal on behalf of the library district and provide a personal account of the power PCCLD has had in the community. Mandy found the library staff to be warm and welcoming. And when Mandy shared her fear of computers, librarians were quick to encourage her to enroll in PCCLD’s free computer classes. Now, Mandy spends much of each day at the library, reading and studying. She is enrolled in nursing classes at our local community college and hopes to rejoin the workforce, all with the help of PCCLD’s support system. “The greatest thing you get at the Pueblo City-County Library is hope,” says Mandy.
Following the Washington Medal ceremony, StoryCorps—a national nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans—will visit PCCLD and provide an opportunity for local community members to share stories of how libraries have affected their lives. These stories are preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
IMLS is the primary source of federal support for libraries and museums in the United States. Since 1994, IMLS has presented the Medal of Service to institutions that demonstrate extraordinary and innovative approaches to public service and exceed expected levels of community impact. Members of the National Museum and Library Services Board, the presidentially-appointed policy advisory board for IMLS, reviews the nominations and recommends the award winners. All types of museums and libraries qualify to be nominated for this award. There are some 150,000 libraries and museums in the United States. PCCLD is now one of fewer than 200 institutions to have been awarded the National Medal of Museum and Library Service.
This is a singular accomplishment for PCCLD and for the greater Pueblo Community. It truly is an once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.