Nominate a librarian you love for the 2026 I Love My Librarian Award

CHICAGO – The American Library Association (ALA) invites library users nationwide to nominate their favorite librarians for the prestigious I Love My Librarian Award. The national award recognizes the outstanding public service contributions of librarians working in public, school, college, community college or university libraries. Nominations are accepted online now through Monday, Dec. 15, 2025.

Ten librarians will each receive $5,000 in recognition of their outstanding achievements. Awardees will be honored at the I Love My Librarian Award ceremony at the 2026 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago; honorees will also receive free full conference registration and a travel stipend to cover expenses as part of their award packages.

Since the award was established in 2008, library users nationwide have submitted more than 24,000 nominations detailing how librarians transformed their communities through innovative programs, increasing access to resources and services, and promoting literacy. 170 librarians have received this distinguished honor.

Among last year’s honorees are Charlotte Chung, an elementary school librarian at Suncrest Elementary School in Morgantown, WV, who engages reluctant readers and supports English language learners; Candice Hardy, an academic librarian at Miles College in Fairfield, AL, who nurtures students’ growth as informed and empowered citizens through an array of engagement activities; and Jessica Gleason, a public librarian at the Wailuku Public Library in Wailuku, HI, who has helped communities in western Maui recover from devastating wildfires with the library’s bookmobile services.

Full eligibility criteria, as well as tips for writing a strong nomination, are available on the award website.

The philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York has generously sponsored the I Love My Librarian Award since its inception. The New York Public Library is also a supporter of the award. The award is administered by the American Library Association.

About the American Library Association
The American Library Association is the largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to America’s libraries. The ALA mission is to empower and advocate for all libraries and library workers to ensure equitable access to information for all. For nearly 150 years, ALA has provided resources for information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more information, visit www.ala.org.

About Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace.

About The New York Public Library
For over 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With over 90 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars. The New York Public Library receives approximately 16 million visits through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/give.