Press Release - Public Librarian of the Year - Karen DeLuca

Press Release                 January 22, 2017

For immediate release

The Arnprior Public Library is racking up the awards.

On the heels of Carolyn Swayze’s Children and Youth Services Librarian of the Year award in November, the Ontario Library Association has now recognized Chief Librarian Karen DeLuca with the W.J. Robertson Medallion as Public Librarian of the Year.

“It’s such an honour for the library to be recognized at the provincial level, twice at that!” says Library Board Chair Maureen Sly Havey.  “Karen guided the library through its renovations in 2010 and has introduced some innovative programming since becoming Chief Librarian in 2009” says Sly-Havey.

One of her major achievements has been the recent launch of the iPod Project. 

“This partnership with the Grove Nursing Home became a full community effort last summer and it exemplifies what libraries are all about”, says DeLuca.  “Libraries are striving to become community hubs and meet the needs of everyone in it.  This project was initiated to provide support to the nursing home’s residents and its adult day program participants. Its success has now created a new lending collection for everyone in the community; and we couldn’t have done it without the kind donations from the general community” says DeLuca.

There will be more initiatives to come.  The library’s new strategic plan lists a number of goals including the introduction of more adult programming and expanded outreach. 

“We’ll listen to the community” says DeLuca. “The library has a phenomenal staff who help in all aspects of service delivery and I am proud to be able to accept this award on behalf of such a great team.”

DeLuca will receive the award February 2, 2017 at the Ontario Library Association’s annual conference in Toronto.

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