For “collective support” during COVID-19 and in the face of book challenges, Library Journal selected “All library staff” as the 2022 recipients of its annual Librarian of the Year award. I share this honor with “hundreds of thousands of library staff members—more than 350,000 in the U.S. alone.”
“The past year has asked much from library workers across the country, among many others. COVID-19 continued to create unprecedented challenges, requiring library staff to balance patron and student needs with their own safety and that of their colleagues and loved ones. New services developed in response stretched time and resources, and as libraries reopened, staff were required to enforce mask and vaccination mandates. Budget shortfalls resulted in furloughs and layoffs. Book challenges in school and public libraries ramped up exponentially, targeting books by authors who are BIPOC and/or members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Due to some local legislative climates, trans authors have been particularly targeted, as have Black authors. These challenges sometimes threaten the employment and even freedom of the library staff, not just the retention of the book.”
Peet, L. (2022, March 4). Collective support: LJ’s 2022 Librarians of the Year - UPDATE. News. Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/Collective-Support-LJs-2022-Librarians-of-the-Year
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