| PHOTO
FROM THE AWARD CEREMONY WHICH TOOK PLACE 3:30PM,
MONDAY, MARCH 14 IN WASHINGTON D.C.
Pictured (left to right) are Institute
of Museum and Library Services Director Robert S. Martin, Ph.D.;
Jo Anne G. Mondowney,
Interim Director, Flint Public Library; Martres Brown, senior
at Northern High
School, member of the Gamma Delta Kudos and co-orator of this year's Martin
Luther King, Jr., celebration, "I Have A Dream Speech," and First
Lady, Laura Bush.
Not pictured, but also traveling to Washington were Sally Kagerer, President, Flint District Library Board and John Rhymes, coach
and mentor for the Gamma Delta Kudos.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Washington,
D.C. – Mrs.
Laura Bush will present the 2004 National Awards for Museum and
Library Service to three museums and three libraries, including
the Flint Public Library in a March 14 ceremony at the Hotel
Washington, at 15th and Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW at 3:30 p.m. The awards are conferred annually by
the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to institutions
that have demonstrated a perpetual, long-term commitment to public
service through innovative programs and community partnerships.
Each recipient has created educational initiatives to enlighten
both everyday visitors and lifelong learners. Each has also shown
a special ability to impact the lives of underserved children
and adults and create a more enlightened and equitable society.
“As a former schoolteacher and librarian, I know that
museums and libraries are true treasures for discovery and learning,” Mrs.
Bush said. “I’m delighted to have the opportunity
to recognize all of these wonderful institutions.”
“Museums and libraries play a powerful role in building
and sustaining the communities that are the foundation of American
democracy today,” said Institute of Museum and Library
Services Director Robert S. Martin, Ph.D. “That means being
much more than a place to view artwork or a building that houses
volumes of books. It means becoming a place that understands
its unique ability and duty to respond to the needs of those
in the immediate community, and in many cases far beyond.”
The IMLS
selected the Flint Public Library for a number of reasons,
including the extraordinary work of its dedicated staff, its
wide array of offerings and its collaborative relationships with
foundations and community groups. The library is also being recognized
as a place for research, scholarship and personal advancement.
With its extensive reference department, local history and genealogy
resources, bookmobile and vast children’s collection, the
Flint Public Library is a true testament to the power of lifelong
learning.
 Flint
resident Martres Brown, an 18-year-old who has been involved
with the
library since before kindergarten and who has been a
star orator of the famous “I Have a Dream” speech
in the institution’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration
for the past two years, will
accept the award alongside Jo Anne G. Mondowney, Interim Director
of the Flint Public Library. Also attending the ceremony
are Sally Kagerer, President of the District Library
Board, and John Rhymes, coach and mentor to Phi Delta Kappa Sorority’s
Gamma Delta Kudos.
Other
libraries and museums receiving the 2004 awards include:
Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago, Illinois.
Mayaguez
Children’s Library, Inc., Mayaguez, Puerto
Rico.
The Regional Academic Health Center Medical Library of the
University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas.
Western Folklife Center, Inc., Elko, Nevada.
Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego, California.
The
National Award for Museum Service was established in 1994,
and the National Award for Library Service in 2000. Recipients
of the awards are chosen for their innovative approaches to public
service, and for their success in improving communities and making
a difference in peoples’ lives. All types of museums, from
anthropological to zoological, fine art to folk art, urban, suburban,
rural, large and small are eligible for the award. Public and
private nonprofit libraries are eligible to receive this award,
and nominations of libraries of all sizes are encouraged.
The Institute
of Museum and Library Services is an independent Federal grant-making
agency dedicated to creating and sustaining
a nation of learners by helping libraries and museums serve their
communities. The Institute fosters leadership, innovation, and
a lifetime of learning by supporting the nation’s 15,000
museums and 122,000 libraries. The Institute also encourages
partnerships to expand the educational benefit of libraries and
museums.
Link to
the Institute of Museum and Library Services Web Site (www.imls.gov) ...
THANKS, FLINT PUBLIC
LIBRARY COMMUNITY!
IT TAKES A GREAT
PUBLIC
TO MAKE A PUBLIC LIBRARY GREAT.
|
FLINT
PUBLIC LIBRARY
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