Public Libraries Feature Article Contest

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Each year the Public Libraries Advisory Committee chooses the best article written by a public librarian or public library worker and published in the previous volume year. Two prizes are awarded each year. The winner receives $500 and the article chosen for honorable mention receives $300.

Criteria include:

  • Author(s) must be a public library employee(s) at the time the manuscript is submitted.
  • Articles must have been submitted or published in 2022.
  • Articles must be feature length. Verso and Perspectives contributions will not be considered.

Congratulations to our 2023 recipients for articles published in 2022!

Winner: Jennifer Brown, Executive Director, and Nora Mulligan, Head of Adult Services, The Field Library, Peekskill, N.Y., “When First Amendment Auditors Visit Your Library” 

Honorable Mention: Jenn McKague, Outreach Services Librarian, Salt Lake County (Utah) Library, “Strengthening Communities—Outreach Services to Persons Who Are Incarcerated and Those Re-entering Society"


Past Recipients

2022 Recipients (Chosen from 2021 Volume Year)

Winner: Katie Horner, Head of Circulation & Reference, Lake Bluff (Ill.) Public Library, “We Can Do Better – Best (and Worst) Practices for Manager Responding to Sexual Harassment Claims

Honorable Mention: Tamar Kirschner, Library Technology Program Lead and Instructor, Job Skills for Library Careers: Access & Technical Services in Libraries, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, Calif., “We All Win—Training and Advancement for Non-MLIS Library Workers

2021 Recipients (Chosen from 2020 Volume Year)

Winner: Mary Jo Finch, “Learning From Our Statistics – Twelve Simple Rules for Understanding and Using Our Numbers Better

Honorable Mention: Marissa Bucci, Jay Janoski, Nicole Scherer, “Define & Design: The Bookstore Model of Customer Service

2020 Recipients (Chosen from 2019 Volume Year)

Winner: Amy An, “The Mission-Informed Library – Internal Marketing to Improve the Organizational Climate in the Public Library

Honorable Mention: Rhiannon B. Eades, “Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach

2019 Recipients (Chosen from 2018 Volume Year)

Winner: Jane Holt, “Constructive Confrontation: Being Decisive Rather than Nice

Honorable Mention: Karen Pundsack, “Ransomware at the Library

To learn more about writing for Public Libraries visit http://www.ala.org/pla/resources/publications/publiclibraries/writeforpl, or email Public Libraries Editor Kathleen Hughes at  khughes@ala.org.