Hayward’s Jayanti Addleman receives American Library Association I Love My Librarian Award

CHICAGO, Jan. 11, 2021—Jayanti Addleman, director of library services for the Hayward Public Library, is a winner of this year’s I Love My Librarian Award.  Recognized by the American Library Association (ALA) for her inspiring leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, she was selected from 1,865 nominations from library users across the country.

Addleman has made a powerful impact since joining Hayward Public Library (HPL) in January 2019.  In her eventful two-year tenure, Addleman oversaw a major move to a new branch, adapted library services to an unprecedented public health crisis and led efforts to abolish overdue fines for patrons.  Nominators say she has navigated these changes with exceptional expertise and enthusiasm.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Addleman took swift action to ensure HPL could continue serving community members in need.  She worked with staff to streamline the process for registering for a library card online, taking care to eliminate barriers for undocumented individuals.  She also oversaw efforts to distribute hundreds of tablets, hotspots and other devices to help bridge the digital divide.  She also secured funding for a new bookmobile to deliver resources to residents whose transportation challenges prevent them from participating in curbside pick-up at the library.

“Ms. Addleman is HPL’s biggest cheerleader and is always there to help in any way that she can,” her nominators wrote.  “She tirelessly reminds the community of the services the library has to offer, keeping services relevant and impactful.”

Addleman and this year’s nine other honorees will each receive a $5,000 cash prize, a $750 donation to their library, and complimentary registration to ALA’s 2021 Virtual Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits.  The virtual award ceremony will take place during the conference at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 and will be available to stream live at https://www.youtube.com/user/AmLibraryAssociation.

Since the award’s inception in 2008, library users have shared more than 20,000 nominations detailing how librarians have gone above and beyond to promote literacy, expand access to technology and support diversity and inclusion in their communities.  Information regarding previous award winners can be found on the I Love My Librarian website at http://www.ilovelibraries.org/lovemylibrarian.

Carnegie Corporation of New York generously sponsors the I Love My Librarian Award.  The New York Public Library also supports the award. ALA administers the award through its Communications and Marketing Office, which promotes the value of libraries and librarians. 

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.” In keeping with this mandate, the Corporation's work focuses on the issues that Andrew Carnegie considered of paramount importance: international peace, the advancement of education and knowledge, and the strength of our democracy.

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 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, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves nearly 17 million patrons who come 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/support.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice of 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.