The 2025 recipients of the I Love My Librarian Award (ILMLA) are 10 standout librarians. They include a bookmobile librarian serving a community in crisis, a school librarian bridging gaps for low-income students, a youth detention facility librarian creating a more inviting and inclusive space, and other notable community figures.
On January 24, the American Library Association (ALA) presented the awards as part of the LibLearnX conference in Phoenix (watch the video here). Among the recipients were four academic librarians, three public librarians, and three school librarians, each nominated by community members for their expertise, dedication, and impact. Awardees received $5,000, as well as complimentary registration and a travel stipend to attend LibLearnX.
Since the ILMLA’s inception in 2008, 170 librarians have received the honor. For this year’s awards, nearly 1,300 nominations from across the country were submitted.
“These 10 honorees are inspiring examples of what is possible in our profession,” ALA President Cindy Hohl said at the ceremony. “Their stories are a testament to the profound leadership, compassion, and expertise of our nation’s librarians.”
This year’s recipients are:
Abby Armour
Director of Mukwonago (Wis.) Community Library
Shortly after she began her role as director of Mukwonago Community Library (MCL), Armour learned its holdings included more than 12,400 Native American artifacts that had been gifted to the library in the 1960s by a local collector.
In 2022, Armour began guiding efforts to repatriate items from the collection under the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Last year, MCL returned items, taken decades ago from a burial site near Sacramento, California, to the Wilton Rancheria Tribe. It is the first public library in Wisconsin, and the third in the US, to repatriate belongings under NAGPRA.
“While this isn’t a typical library responsibility—far from it, I never thought I would be doing this—I’m proud we’re doing the right thing,” Armour said in her acceptance speech. “And I very much encourage other libraries to engage with their local tribes as well.”
Armour is also credited with expanding access to library materials and services. She has grown MCL’s Library of Things collection, called The Thingery. She used grant funding to add smart lockers outside the library for 24/7 hold pickups—one of the first libraries in the state to do so. She has also facilitated MCL’s participation in the Library Memory Project, which provides programs to patrons with dementia and cognitive decline.
“I can safely say,” one of her nominators wrote, “that in my more than 40 years of library service, I have rarely encountered anyone as enthusiastic, as forward-thinking, as risk-taking, competent, and yet professional as Abby Armour.”
Charlotte Chung
Library media specialist at Suncrest Elementary School in Morgantown, West Virginia
In the Monongalia County school district, students across its 19 schools are native speakers of 53 different languages. At Suncrest Elementary School, Chung’s mission has been to make sure students in the district can access reading materials that will turn them into motivated readers.
In 2023, she received grants from ALA’s American Association of School Librarians and Your Community Foundation of North Central West Virginia to support literacy development for students learning English. Chung used the funds to purchase books and audiobooks in students’ native languages and make them available across the district via an interlibrary loan system.
In accepting the award, Chung said that staff members, administration, and students “all feel that the library is a place by and for the students—students who see themselves reflected in the school library, students who see themselves as being valued, heard, loved. And children who feel valued, heard, and loved tend to do better academically.”
In 2024, Chung used a $50,000 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative to fund the Building Bridges to Literacy project. The project is designed to motivate students to read, engaging reluctant readers with a library collection and resources geared toward students’ needs and interests. The project also brings in outside partners, including students from University of Pittsburgh’s School of Computing and Information to help develop materials, as well as staffers from Morgantown Public Library to collaborate on book selection.
“Students adore her, and staff members look to her as a resource,” her nominators wrote. “She has created a welcoming, supportive library environment. Thanks to Mrs. Chung, the library has truly become the heart of our school.”
Missy Creed
Consumer health librarian at Ohio State University in Columbus
As the consumer health librarian at Ohio State University’s Health Sciences Library and the sole librarian within its Library for Health Information (LHI), Creed works both in and outside the library’s walls to get reliable health information to community members.
In nominating her, one person wrote, “What I find so special about Missy’s work is her steadfast commitment to reaching underserved populations in Central Ohio. She truly enjoys and embraces any effort to get appropriate information into the community’s hands.”
In 2024, Creed conducted about 60 outreach events across Central Ohio. She was a fixture at community health fairs and vaccination clinics, providing more than 1,000 individuals from medically underserved communities with trustworthy and digestible health information across a broad spectrum of topics. Recently, the National Network for Libraries of Medicine named LHI an ambassador library in its Partner Outreach Program, which funds small outreach events for five years.
“I’m inspired daily by the resilience and openness of the participants at our health fairs and community events,” Creed said in her acceptance speech. “Thank you for trusting me with your health stories and allowing me to be part of your journey toward informed health decisions.”
Creed also works behind the library desk at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center, providing confidential reference services to the public and medical center staff.
“As I accept this award,” Creed said, “I do so on behalf of all who believe in the transformative power of access to information.”
Jessica Gleason
Bookmobile librarian at Wailuku (Hawaii) Public Library
In August 2023, wildfires tore through western Maui, killing more than 100 people and devastating the town of Lahaina. More than 2,200 structures were destroyed—most of them residential—and the town was left without its library. But then Gleason rolled in with the Holoholo Bookmobile (holoholo means traveling for pleasure in Hawaiian), helmed by driver Michael Tinker and decked out in colorful art, a bright yellow awning, and full shelves.
Within a month of the fires, Gleason had identified locations where the bookmobile could reach the most people. She worked with shopping centers, schools, churches, hotels, and government officials to provide books, internet access, and programming, as well as essentials such as meals and clothing for families in need.
As one of her nominators wrote, “Amid all the uncertainty, fear, and grief in the aftermath of Maui’s 2023 wildfires, Jessica has been a steadying presence and force for positive action among her colleagues and her community members.”
Gleason held keiki (children’s) storytimes in Maui’s Napili Park and brought library materials to senior housing centers and the Maui Community Correctional Center, anticipating patrons’ needs and providing joy and a sense of normalcy.
“[Librarians] are part of a fabric of helpers that provide a safety net for all the people, and increasingly for those who are traumatized, vulnerable, and marginalized, and need compassion, empowerment, and support,” Gleason said.
She also urged her fellow librarians to attend to their own well-being. “We have to take care of ourselves first. So that we can continue to show up for one another and the people we serve.”
Peggy Griffith
Administrative librarian at Ferris School in Wilmington, Delaware
At Ferris School, Griffith creates opportunities for youth in rehabilitation. Overseen by the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families, Ferris is a detention and treatment facility for boys ages 13–18 who have committed serious or repeated offenses.
“For these young people, the library isn’t just a space to read; it’s a space for hope, growth, and connection,” Griffith said in her acceptance speech. “It’s where they can build skills, discover new worlds, and realize that their story isn’t over—it’s still being written.”
Griffith has cataloged existing library materials, replaced damaged or outdated resources, repurposed old furniture to make the space more inviting, and created library curriculum content for teachers.
As students transition back into the community, Griffith provides the teens with personalized letters of encouragement and resources for résumé assistance and connecting with social workers. She also encourages the teens to get library cards.
“For the teens I serve,” said Griffith, “a library card can feel like a fresh start, and a librarian can be someone who believes in them when no one else does.”
According to one of her nominators, Griffith’s “compassion, attention to detail, and unwavering focus on the well-being of those she serves and works with makes her a shining example of what it means to truly care for the people we work with, especially children.”
Candice N. Hardy
Director of the Learning Resources Center at Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama
Hardy directs the Learning Resources Center (LRC) at her alma mater, Miles College (MC), a historically Black college. There, she instills the same values in the students that she received at MC.
Hardy prioritizes nurturing students’ growth as informed, empowered citizens. For instance, she led efforts ahead of the 2024 US general election to organize a campuswide voter activation day, drawing hundreds of students to engage with civic leaders and organizations and learn about the voting process.
In early 2024, Hardy helped create a new exhibit space at LRC. Its inaugural exhibition, Roots and Renaissance: An African American Journey through Art, featured works from 25 local Black artists, curated by the Fairfield Black Art Collective. Hardy has leaned into programming to engage and educate students beyond the classroom, including author visits, a film screening and panel on the last ship that brought enslaved people from Africa to the US, and career readiness services.
On stage at LibLearnX, Hardy addressed her fellow librarians. “Your tireless efforts to your communities have not gone unnoticed,” she said. “If I were to write a letter to a rising librarian, it would sound like this: Dear Librarian, you rock. Go the extra mile.”
One of Hardy’s nominators wrote, “Ms. Hardy deeply cares about every student who walks through the door of the library. She goes out of her way to make sure that everyone feels welcome.”
Analine Johnson
Library media specialist at Lyndon B. Johnson High School 9th-Grade Campus, United Independent School District in Laredo, Texas
For 25 years in her role, Johnson has supported and built futures for at-risk readers and students in need, particularly those contending with poverty and language barriers. She helped raise more than $20,000 for her school to assist students from low-income backgrounds in purchasing their first books. She also created an after-school literacy program to support recent immigrants and emerging bilingual students.
“The library became my safe space,” a student said in her nomination. “Mrs. Johnson gave me the courage to believe in myself.”
Across the street from her campus, at Cielito Lindo Park, Johnson spearheaded the addition of the Lil Library Box—a collaboration between Johnson’s school, district council members, and the Laredo Parks and Recreation Department. With student helpers, she maintains its trove of free titles. Walking distance from several campuses in the school district, the Lil Library Box encourages children to read during the summer months and realizes a dream of Johnson’s—to help kids build their own home libraries.
In her speech, Johnson highlighted school libraries’ essential role in leveling the playing field for all students. “There are countless inexpensive ways to put books into the hands of our children and community to bridge gaps,” she said. “I remain dedicated to expanding the reach of book-rich environments, mirroring the environment in which I was fortunate to grow up.”
“Analine Johnson is a librarian who changes lives,” one of her nominators wrote. “She 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.”
Theresa Quiner
Director of Kuskokwim Consortium Library in Bethel, Alaska
In the remote Alaskan city of Bethel, disconnected from the road system and accessible only by plane or boat, Quiner is helping her local community thrive.
Kuskokwim Consortium Library (KCL) doubles as a satellite library for the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a community library for the city of Bethel and its primarily Indigenous Yup’ik and Cup’ik population. Despite its remote locale, with a service population of about 6,500, KCL sees more than 300 patrons a day on average.
Quiner understands and meets the community’s needs with abundant and relevant programming, including classes that teach camp cooking, canning, and other necessary skills for living in rural Alaska.
“Living in rural Alaska isn’t always easy,” Quiner explained. “It’s really cold. It’s very remote and it’s very expensive. What people don’t see, unless they take the time and open their minds and their hearts, is that in Bethel people take care of each other. The community is stronger and tighter-knit in a much more powerful way than anywhere else I have lived.”
To serve the most vulnerable, Quiner has formed local partnerships, including with the Bethel Housing and Homelessness Coalition and the Tundra Women’s Coalition, which supports women and children who are victims of battery and sexual assault.
“Our community thrives because the dedicated members who serve here put their heart and soul into making Bethel a great place to live,” one of her nominators wrote. “Theresa exemplifies this notion of community involvement, and her hard work and dedication to the citizens of Bethel are what makes her a cherished member of this community and a most deserving recipient of this honor.”
Jamar Rahming
Executive director of Wilmington (Del.) Institute Free Library
Rahming’s 2018 appointment as executive director of Wilmington Institute Free Library (WIFL) sparked a transformational rebirth for the 102-year-old institution. He has put a focus on community partnerships and fundraising that has helped to turn WIFL into a thriving educational, cultural, and literacy center.
In accepting his award, Rahming explained, “I wanted to engage my community in such a manner that nobody would ask, ‘Why does the library exist?’”
Since 2018, library staffers have stocked bookshelves for children inside local barbershops; hosted Pitch or Ditch, a Shark Tank–style competition series in which minority-owned businesses pitch local leaders and entrepreneurs for capital; and partnered with local nonprofit Harper’s Heart to open a diaper bank and community closet on the library’s second floor.
Early in his role, Rahming said, he learned that most of the community he served rarely left city limits. “I decided that it was time to bring the world to them, to serve as the living room of the community, and to create cosmopolitan, transformative life experiences for an urban Black community.”
His efforts have brought well-known authors and cultural icons to participate in library programs and events. The growing list includes actor LeVar Burton, dancer Misty Copeland, actor Jenifer Lewis, singer Dolly Parton, and the cast of the TV sitcom A Different World.
Rahming is “the epitome of a librarian who goes above and beyond, not only in his work but in his mission to transform lives through learning, inclusivity, and community engagement,” said one of his nominators. “His leadership has fundamentally reshaped [WIFL] and has positively impacted countless lives.”
Nelson Santana
Associate professor and deputy chief and collection development librarian at Bronx (N.Y.) Community College
More than half the student body at Bronx Community College (BCC) identifies as Hispanic, and more than one-third as Black. Santana empowers students by ensuring the library’s collection reflects the diverse population it serves and elevating activist histories.
Taking the stage at LibLearnX, Santana highlighted his view of the profession. “Librarians and library workers are not first responders,” he said, “but I believe that we are saving lives through our work.”
As a scholar, Santana’s focuses are Latin American migrant activities, the role of libraries and archives in communities of color, and how libraries impact students’ lives. He uses this research trifecta to raise awareness of and empower historically disenfranchised groups while engaging students outside the classroom.
In 2022, with funding from ALA’s American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries program, Santana launched the exhibition Transnational Dominican Activism: Documenting Grassroots Social Movements about activism spearheaded by the Dominican populations in New York City; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and Santiago, Chile, between 2009 and 2020.
In 2023, he collaborated with another professor to secure an ALA Building Library Capacity Grant to support the BCC Reads initiative, a campuswide common-read book program that showcases challenged titles, starting with Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.
“Professor Nelson Santana represents the very best of what a modern librarian can be—innovative, inclusive, scholarly, and deeply committed to student success,” wrote one nominator. “His work has not only enhanced our library’s resources and services but has also elevated the academic experience for our entire college community.”
Carnegie Corporation of New York sponsors ILMLA, with additional support from the New York Public Library. Previous ILMLA recipients are listed at ilovelibraries.org/love-my-librarian.
