FAIRVIEW BRANCH LIBRARIAN RECIPIENT OF NEW YORK TIMES LIBRARIAN AWARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date:       November 16, 2005
Contact:  Greg Mullen, Director, Library Services, (310) 458-8607
 

Noted for her commitment to her profession, her peers, and the children and families of her community, Sylvia Anderle, children’s and Latino outreach librarian for the Fairview Branch of the Santa Monica Public Library has been selected to receive one of the 2005 New York Times Librarian Awards.

Now in its fifth year, The Times’ awards program honors librarians from around the country who provide outstanding public service and have a positive impact on their communities. This year’s 27 winners represent 13 states with more than 1,200 nominations coming from 48 states. A selection committee composed of leading library professionals and a representative from The Times chose the winners. The Times will hold a reception in honor of the winners on November 16 at which each winner will be given $2,500 from The Times and a commemorative plaque.  More information about the 2005 New York Times Librarian Awards is available at www.nytimes-community.com.

A branch children’s librarian for 15 years, Sylvia Anderle was nominated by Santa Monica Public Library staff and library patrons for this prestigious national honor. Having spearheaded Spanish-language family and toddler story times at the Fairview Branch that attract not only residents but also families from surrounding communities, Sylvia’s work to improve the reading skills and lives of library patrons helped garner her recognition.  A summer reading tutorial program begun by Sylvia that pairs volunteers with children entering grades one through five has drawn more than 500 youth. “To see how Sylvia welcomes children and their caregivers to her programs; to observe how she orients new immigrants to the library; to hear the advice that she gives colleagues is to see a great librarian in action,” wrote Susan Annett, Public Services Principal Librarian at the Santa Monica Public Library, in her nomination to The Times.

Observing her commitment to serving the emergent literacy and readiness-to-read needs of the children and families of Santa Monica with her outreach and bilingual programs, former Friends of the Library board member, Ellen Mark, wrote to The Times, “I have witnessed the sense of empowerment that Sylvia has created among library users, particularly the Spanish-speakers, by increasing their ability to access information as well as deepening their love for reading. She is a vibrant and energetic person, held in high regard in the Library’s community, and that is continually reflected when you spend time in the branch.”

The City of Santa Monica is proud to join The New York Times in saluting Sylvia Anderle for her dedicated library service to the children and families of Santa Monica.

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This page was last updated on 11/17/05.