The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced the Georgetown Public Library is one of 10 recipients of the 2018 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. The award will be presented at an event at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., in May.
More than 100 friends and city officials were on hand as Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross shared the National Medal award announcement at a public reception at the Library May 1. In his speech, Mayor Ross articulated its prestige with the Pulitzer, Oscar and Heisman, but summed up with a Freddie Mercury quote because “We are the Champions… of the world.”
“Winning the 2018 IMLS National Medal is truly an honor for our library and community,” Georgetown Public Library Director Eric Lashley said. “It is rewarding for our staff, volunteers, and community partners to be recognized at the national level for our efforts to engage, enlighten, and empower our community.”
Selected from 29 national finalists, the 2018 National Medal for Museum and Library Service winners represent institutions that provide dynamic programming and services that exceed expected levels of service. Through their community outreach, these institutions bring about change that touches the lives of individuals and helps communities thrive. The San Antonio Public Library is the only other public library in Texas to have won the IMLS National Medal in the past.
National Ceremony
As part of the ceremony and celebration, Georgetown community member Rosie Rocke will travel to Washington, D.C., with Lashley to accept the National Medal on behalf of Georgetown Public Library and provide a personal account of the power the library has had in the community. After Rocke’s husband died in 2013, the library became her safe haven. The super-volunteer notes that “the library was my grief counselor. It made my transition to a widow easier.”
Texas State Librarian Mark Smith detailed the unique and remarkable achievement this medal represents. “No Texas Library has won this award since 2006 and we’ve only had two libraries in history win this medal. From 2013-2018 we had five finalists but no medal winner. It’s one thing to give this award in California and New York and Illinois where they are spending about $30 per capita on library services. In Texas, we spend, on average about $10 per capita on library service. But it is not dependent on size. It is libraries in small to mid-size communities like Georgetown that are really the backbone of this system and really serve huge numbers of people with engaging programs. We are a hub of learning and technology where people can go form childhood to elder years with enrichment, interaction and resources for economic and workforce development.”
Library staff reimagine and reinvent the library through patron-centric library services, innovative partnerships with organizations and agencies, and creative, engaging programming.
