 Michelle
Obama to Present Top Library Award to
Patchogue-Medford Library
White House Ceremony also honors
Patchogue-Medford community member
Patchogue, NY —First Lady
Michelle Obama will present a 2010 National
Medal for Museum and Library Service to the
Patchogue-Medford Library – one of five museums
and five libraries to be honored in a White
House ceremony on Friday, December 17. The
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
gives the award to museums and libraries
demonstrating commitment to public service
through innovative programs and community
partnerships.
Patchogue-Medford Library board president
Patricia Seubert, and director Dina McNeece
Chrils, will attend the White House ceremony
accompanied by Zheni Velasquez, the library’s
designated community member. Each medal winner
was asked to select one community member who
could illustrate the institutions’ impact
through a personal story. Zheni Velasquez was
born in Gualaceo, Ecuador and immigrated to the
United States in 1991, and settled in Patchogue
where her dreams began with her first visit to
the Patchogue-Medford Library. She initially
attended local schools to learn English, but she
could not afford to buy a bilingual dictionary.
She was relieved to find the library’s Spanish
section and was proud to get her first library
card. From there, she took computer classes,
found a tutor, and eventually attended the
library’s citizenship preparation classes. In
2004, she became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
Zheni currently works as a Spanish language
teacher’s aide at Family Service League and
Ducky Pond School. She hopes to advance her
learning and gives all credit to the library for
helping her family grow positively through
education, recreation, involvement, and, most
important, information.
Her dreams of becoming proficient in English,
working as a professional in the United States,
and establishing roots in the community of
Patchogue all came true, starting at the
library! The Patchogue-Medford Library
will receive a $10,000 prize along with the
other winners to help raise public awareness of
the good work the institutions are doing in
their communities.
The following museums and libraries are winners
of the 2010 National Medal. To learn more about
the institutions, please click on the winners’
names:
Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, Fishers, IN
Explora, Albuquerque, NM
Japanese American National
Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Mississippi Museum of Art,
Jackson, MS
The New York
Botanical Garden, New York, NY
Nashville Public Library,
Nashville, TN
Patchogue-Medford Library,
Patchogue, NY
Peter White Public Library,
Marquette, MI
Rangeview Library District and
Anythink Libraries, Adams County, CO
West Bloomfield Township
Public Library, West Bloomfield Township, MI
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 people’s
lives. All types of museums, from anthropological
to zoological, fine art to folk art, rural, large,
and small are eligible for the award. Public and
private nonprofit libraries are eligible to receive
the award, and nomination of libraries of all sizes
is encouraged.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the
primary source of federal support for the nation's
123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The
Institute's mission is to create strong libraries
and museums that connect people to information and
ideas. The Institute works at the national level and
in coordination with state and local organizations
to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance
learning and innovation; and support professional
development. To learn more about the Institute,
please visit
www.imls.gov. |
