Broward County Library wins 2020 ALA/Information Today, Inc. Library of the Future Award

CHICAGO — The Broward County Library (BCL) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been selected to receive the 2020 ALA/Information Today, Inc. Library of the Future Award. The award, sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and Information Today Inc., annually recognizes innovative planning, application or development of focused patron support relating to information technology in libraries and is given to an individual library or library consortium, group, or support organization. 

The Library was selected for its innovative use of a now-common household device, Amazon’s Echo, to bridge language barriers as part of its Project Welcome initiative. BCL created Project Welcome to welcome English-language learners to the area, inform them of BCL resources, and support them on their journey to English literacy, economic prosperity and belonging. 

Project Welcome targets families in the county’s largest non-English speaking communities who speak Spanish, Haitian Creole and Portuguese. The whole program is facilitated using the voice services of Alexa via the Amazon Echo, which is used at every public service point. Using Alexa, staff are able to translate words and phrases from English to other languages to help communicate more easily with patrons. For those languages not supported by Alexa, the library uses dedicated tablets. 

Consisting of two phases, the initiative first allows the library to “engage” or welcome newcomers and their families through a series of videos and marketing and resource materials translated into their native languages. In the second phase, the program facilitates inclusion in the community by introducing families to library services and programs, including BCL’s English and Citizenship classes and its Welcome Ambassador mentoring program.

Information Today Inc., a publishing company, is a leader in providing libraries with resources to meet knowledge management needs. 

The 2020 ALA/Information Today, Inc. Library of the Future Award jury members include: Jodie Gambill, Vanderbilt University; Rodney Lippard, University of South Carolina Aiken; Rod MacNeil, Thomas Jefferson University; Erica McCormick, Texas State Library & Archives Commission, and Brian Rogers, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, chair.

The ALA/Information Today, Inc. Library of the Future Award will be presented Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, during the Midwinter Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana.  More information on the ALA/Information Today, Inc. Library of the Future Award and how to submit a nomination is available on the ALA website (www.ala.org).