Congratulations to academic librarians Shamella Cromartie, William C. Gibbons, and George D. Oberle on being among the recipients of the 2022 I Love My Librarian Award. ALA received more than 1,300 nominations from library users for this year’s award, which demonstrates the breadth of impact of librarians across the country. Hundreds of nominations focused on librarians’ swift and effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, from hosting virtual programs to distributing books and technology safely to those in need.
Shamella Cromartie, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina: Cromartie has centered equity, diversity and inclusion in her programming and service efforts at Western Carolina University, notably in her development and implementation of the library’s Faculty Fellows program. Designed using a competitive application process, the program coaches faculty members in employing inclusive pedagogy in their courses through continuous learning and revision to their approach to teaching and rewards successful applicants with a stipend for their work and funding for inclusive classroom materials.
William C. Gibbons, City College of New York, New York City: Known to many in his community as a librarian, teacher and mentor, Gibbons has inspired his students to embrace and overcome obstacles. Through the Black Male Initiative, a student development initiative spanning the entire City University of New York system that seeks to support students’ educational success from groups underrepresented in higher education, he has helped forge paths for student participants to become future educators.
George D. Oberle, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia: Applying his dedicated scholarship in history and his commitment to social justice, Oberle has transformed his campus community and its understanding of GMU’s and its namesake’s racial history through his work establishing and leading the Center for Mason Legacies (CML), an interdisciplinary and collaborative research center housed in the university’s Fenwick Library
Complete details on all the recipients are available on the ALA website.
Honorees will each receive a $5,000 cash prize, a $750 donation to their library, and complimentary registration to ALA’s LibLearnX. The virtual award ceremony will take place during the conference at 3:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, and will be available to stream live on the ALA YouTube channel.