Laurence Copel
youth outreach librarian and founder of the Lower Ninth Ward Street Library, New Orleans
About
Copel who moved from New York City to New Orleans in 2010 saw a need to provide age appropriate books to neighborhood youths. Known to the children in the Lower Ninth Ward as the “Book Lady,” Copel opened a library in her home through self-funding and small donations while living on $350 a week. She also converted her bicycle to a mobile book carrier allowing her to reach children and families that could not travel to her home.
Awards Won
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
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The Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced With Adversity
It is of the opinion of Lemony Snicket, author, reader, and alleged malcontent, that librarians have suffered enough. Therefore he is establishing an annual prize honoring a librarian who has faced adversity with integrity and dignity intact. The prize will be a generous amount of cash from Mr. Snicket's disreputable gains, along with an odd, symbolic object from his private stash, and a certificate, which may or may not be suitable for framing. It is Mr. Snicket's hope, and the ALA's, that the Snicket Prize will remind readers everywhere of the joyous importance of librarians and the trouble that is all too frequently unleashed upon them. |
2014 - Winner(s) |
