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Brunswick's Curtis Memorial Library Receives the John Cotton Dana Award from the American Library Association
Brunswick's Curtis Memorial Library Receives the
John Cotton Dana Award from the American Library Association
$10,000 Award Recognizes Library Strategic Communication and Public Relations
BRUNSWICK, ME – Curtis Memorial Library has received the American Library Association's John Cotton Dana Award in recognition of its communication and public relations related to hosting the Robert McCloskey: The Art of Wonder exhibit in 2023, which helped bring thousands of new and lapsed patrons back into the library after COVID – doubling the number of visitors and new library cards issued each month of the exhibit compared to 2021 numbers.
The award is named for John Cotton Dana (1859–1929), the father of the modern library, who is credited with helping transition libraries from reading rooms to community centers. The award is managed by the Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures division of the American Library Association and EBSCO Information Services and includes a $10,000 grant from the H.W. Wilson Foundation, which will be presented at the American Library Association Annual Conference on Sunday, June 30 in San Diego, CA.
Eight (8) awards are given annually, with this year's other winners from Anchorage Public Library; Barrie Public Library in Ontario, Canada; Orange County Library System in Orlando, FL; Richmond Hill Public Library in Ontario, Canada; Salt Lake County Library in Utah; Spokane Public Library in Washington and Tacoma Public Library in Washington.
Curtis Memorial Library's campaign submission was titled: Make Way for Visitors! How a Post-COVID Exhibition of Robert McCloskey's Illustrations Brought Lapsed Patrons, New Cardholders and 80,000 Visitors to a Public Library One Summer in Maine."
Curtis' Executive Director Elisabeth Doucett shared how much it speaks to our community to be the first public library in Maine to receive the John Cotton Dana Award since it was first established nearly 80 years ago in 1946.
"As part of our 140th year, and in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the publication of Robert McCloskey's "Blueberries for Sal" – we were thrilled to see so many people come back inside the library for the first time since COVID; return again and again with summer visitors to see the McCloskey exhibit; and rediscover all their library has to offer while they were here! Because the exhibit was displayed throughout the library and amongst the stacks, patrons had a chance to experience the whole of the library and its staff, and see some of the updates and improvements we had made to our spaces and services in response to and following the pandemic."
"As a public/private partnership, Curtis Memorial Library would not be able to present an exhibit like this without the support of our partners and sponsors: the Illustration Institute; the May Massee Collection, Emporia State University Special Archives and Collections, Emporia, Kansas; the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation; Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shops;L.L.Bean; Bath Savings Bank; the Amtrak Downeaster; the Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine and MidCoast Maine. Additionally, we offer special thanks to Sal and Jane McCloskey for their gracious participation and support, and all the other talented authors, storytellers, and illustrators who contributed to the success of the exhibit and campaign."
Additional information can be found in a press release issued by the American Library Association and EBSCO Information Services on Tuesday, June 18.
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