2026 Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity Winner- Mary Anne Antonellis

CHICAGO - The 2026 Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity is awarded to Mary Anne Antonellis, Director of the Shutesbury Public Library in Massachusetts, for her unwavering commitment to her community, her resilience in the face of adversity, and her dedication to the principles of librarianship. The award will be presented to Ms. Antonellis in Chicago in June at the annual conference of the American Library Association.

Over her 18-year tenure as director, Mary Anne has been steadfast in her dedication to serving her library community through seemingly insurmountable challenges. Indeed, it was Mary Anne’s leadership that helped guide the small town of Shutesbury from a major setback to a remarkable achievement: the opening of a new public library on January 10, 2026, after more than a decade of persistence and community engagement.

In 2012, Shutesbury lost a critical state library construction grant that would have funded a new building. Rather than scale back, Mary Anne focused on expanding what the library could offer from the 900-square-foot M.N. Spear Memorial Library. At the time, the library was a tiny building with limited space, no meeting rooms, and no running water or bathrooms. From behind its small circulation desk (and, at times, her own dining room), Mary Anne worked creatively to grow programs and services for the community, helping build support for the small library along the way. Among the many innovative programs and community partnerships Mary Anne built during this time, she launched a kayak lending program. Ms. Antonellis also led the library’s participation in an Institute of Museum and Library Services Leadership Grant exploring science literacy and healthy aging. That initiative sparked an ongoing wellness program that now offers four free fitness classes each week for older adults.

Throughout these programming and partnership efforts Mary Anne worked with her community to secure a steady investment of public and private funds to use towards a future building. In 2022, Shutesbury applied for and was awarded the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Small Library Pilot Project Grant, a competitive program designed to help one small town build a new library while developing strategies to support similar projects statewide. With the grant, taxpayer support, and the private-public funds raised over many years, Mary Anne was finally able to help Shutesbury realize their dream of a new and expanded library.

The awards committee is pleased to recognize and commend Ms. Antonellis for her steadfast dedication and library leadership in the face of adversity. The long-term fund-raising goals and community building efforts she invested in provide a model for other small and rural libraries across the United States who face similar challenges.

“On days when it feels like every worthwhile structure in the world is collapsing, Mary Anne Antonellis will remind me that with persistence and imagination will bring noble and new structures to our communities.” —Lemony Snicket

The 2026 Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity jury members included: Dr. Jacqueline ‘Jacquie’ Kociubuk, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, University of Rhode Island; Lynda Salem Poling, Senior Librarian, Access Services, Long Beach Department of Library, Arts, and Culture; Amber Conger, Deputy Director, Lexington County Public Library; Inti A. Dewey, Librarian, Denver Public Library; and Heather Nisen, Research  and Engagement Librarian, University of California Santa Barbara Library.

Applications for the 2027 Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity must be submitted by February 28, 2027. Guidelines and forms are available on the ALA website.

About the American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For 150 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.