Recipient of the IMLS National Medal for Libraries!

This summer, the Griswold Memorial Library was named a recipient of the IMLS National Medal for Library Services, the highest honor awarded to libraries. It was a truly surreal experience, from receiving the news by telephone on a quiet Friday afternoon, to traveling to Washington, D.C. to attend the awards ceremony.

The IMLS Medal is given to libraries that surpass expectations and standard service levels. This year, GML was one of three rural libraries to receive the award. Our outreach services at the local transfer station and the Franklin County Jail, the Carol Purington Poetry Collective, and William Apess Day were cited as exemplary. It has often felt like we were going out on a limb when launching these services, and yet—I don’t think it should! I practice slow librarianship and self-care; I have learned not to bite off more than I can chew. I just “put my big rocks first,” which means prioritizing people over administration and gatekeeping.

After winning the IMLS award, I walked around under a cloud of cognitive dissonance, recognizing the gulf between the vision I have for our library and the way things actually are: far from perfect. But it’s not just our library, I believe that libraries in general have a long way to go. I want for people in communities everywhere to expect the very best from their libraries, for every person, wherever they’re at in their life. Libraries aren’t elite institutions, and GML shouldn’t be exceptional. We just show up and do what we can to make sure everyone feels special.