Okie wins NYT Librarian of Year Award!

Susan Lura, Children's Services Assistant, Norman Public Library, Norman, Okla.

The New York Times announced today the names of the 25 winners of the 2006 New York Times Librarian Awards. Now in its sixth year, the program honors librarians from around the country who have provided outstanding public service and have had a strong and positive impact on their nominators. This year's winners represent 17 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.

Included among the 25 winners for the first time are three academic librarians. In an expansion of the program, librarians working in college and university libraries were eligible to be nominated by college students, faculty and administrators. Nominations for the public librarian awards came from the general public. The Times received more than 1,300 nominations from 45 states this year.

The Times will hold a ceremony and reception in honor of the winners on Dec. 13 at which each winner will be given $2,500 and a commemorative plaque from The Times. A separate plaque featuring the winner's name and title will be sent to the library where each winner works. Gail Collins, editorial page editor for The Times, will be guest speaker at the ceremony....