SustainRT Citation for Wellness in the Workplace
About the Award
In recognition of the fact that library staff are our greatest asset in building and supporting sustainable libraries and communities, the ALA Sustainability Roundtable (SustainRT) is recognizing libraries that go above and beyond in meeting the wellness needs of their staff with the SustainRT Citation for Wellness in the Workplace. All ALA members are invited to nominate any library or organization whose efforts to meet the needs of their staff in the areas of continuing education and creating a positive work environment have advanced sustainability and encouraged wellness. This may include wellness initiatives for unions, gender equity, pay equity, and other activities designed to improve the salaries and status of library professionals.
The SustainRT’s Citation for Wellness in the Workplace carries on the work begun by ALA Past-President Loida Garcia-Febo with her Presidential Citation for Wellness in the Workplace and her commitment to the wellness of library workers. Garcia-Febo says, “As a woman with deep interests in mental and physical health, and the well-being of library workers, wellness is of utmost importance to me. Libraries have the power to help transform lives through efforts promoting wellness. I hope this citation motivates libraries everywhere to support the overall well-being of their staff.”
Call For Nominations
Nominations for the 2026 Citation for Wellness in the Workplace Award are being accepted November 3rd, 2025 through March 16th, 2026.
Complete the nomination form to nominate a library or organization for the SustainRT Citation for Wellness in the Workplace.
All ALA members are invited to nominate any library or organization that has made efforts to meet the needs of their staff in the areas of continuing education, wellness, positive work environment, unions, salaries, gender equity, pay equity initiatives, and other activities designed to improve the salaries and status of librarians and other library workers.
Citation for Wellness in the Workplace Winners
2025 Palatine Library District
At Palatine Library District, staff wellness is a top priority woven into the fabric of their workplace culture. Over the past several years, they have worked intentionally to foster an environment where staff can care for their mental wellbeing individually and feel supported collectively. From creating a welcoming Wellness Room with tools for stress relief to offering access to a social worker for professional support, they are committed to meeting their staff’s wellness needs in meaningful ways. Regular mental health check ins, annual wellness surveys, and staff education initiatives are key components of this approach.
They back this culture of care with tangible policies that support work life balance, competitive compensation, and flexible schedules. Staff receive increased paid leave, milestone bonuses, and cost of living adjustments, as well as the opportunity to work from home when possible. This past year they implemented a Volunteer Time Off policy which grants paid time off for staff to volunteer. Planned future initiatives include mental health stipends and potential incentives for multilingual staff. Additionally, their staff led Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and Wellness Committees, along with monthly feedback opportunities like Director’s Chats and LEGOs With Leadership, ensure that employee voices guide their ongoing progress. Together, they are building a workplace where wellbeing is not just encouraged, it is embedded in everything they do.
2024 Kent County Public Library
Kent County Public Library is being celebrated for its commitment to wellness as a strategic priority, earning the 2024 Citation for Wellness in the Workplace. Over the past three years, the Kent County Public Library has increased its staff levels, ensured increasing compensation, and prioritized team building at the organizational level. In considering the holistic well-being of their staff, they have added more personal leave and leave for professional development, added more leave use categories, implemented initiatives like “Early Release Fridays” during the summer, and developed a telework policy. The intentional initiatives and policies supported by their leadership in recent years have improved staff’s work-life balance and encouraged professional development. These developments and more showcase the Kent County Public Library’s enduring dedication to the overall well-being of its employees. SustainRT acknowledges the profound impact of integrating wellness practices into policy and applauds the culture of wellness that the Kent County Public Library is fostering in its workplace through this citation.
2023 Oak Park Public Library
The 2023 Citation for Wellness in the Workplace is awarded to the Oak Park Public Library in recognition of their commitment to wellness as a strategic priority. Last year, the Oak Park Public Library’s Well-Being Committee prioritized wellness through meaningful staff engagement programs like beekeeping training, monthly conversation groups, and Staff Engagement Day. Beyond these programs, the intentional initiatives and policies supported by their leadership in recent years have improved staff’s work-life balance and encouraged professional development. In considering the wholistic wellbeing of their staff, Oak Park Public Library has prioritized inclusive recruitment and hiring practices, implemented lifestyle spending accounts, and revised flexible work arrangements. Additionally, their intentional equity in providing professional development to all staff through programs like tuition grants and support for conference attendance demonstrates their ongoing commitment to the long-term wellbeing of their employees. SustainRT recognizes the lasting impact of turning wellness practice into policy and commends the culture of wellness that Oak Park Public Library is creating in their workplace with this citation.
2022 Queens Public Library Health and Safety Department
The Health and Safety Department at Queens Public Library has won the 2022 Citation for Wellness in the Workplace for their commitment to promoting the physical and mental well-being of their library workers. Their program was designed to increase employees’ health awareness and focus on prevention of disease to sustain a healthier workforce. By adding expertise from medical, health, and social care professionals to their staff, the department expanded programs with a focus on promoting mental health and wellness.
2021 Westerville Public Library
The Westerville Public Library has won the 2021 SustainRT Citation for Wellness in the Workplace in recognition of the great strides the library has made in pay equity for their library workers. In autumn 2020, the library board passed a new pay range scale that resulted in a 34.80% increase for the lowest pay ranges in the organization starting in the new fiscal year. This citation awards their progress towards meeting the needs of staff and promoting wellness through a commitment to pay equity for library workers. The citation helps promote the work done by leaders and provides examples of what can be done to foster staff wellness.
