Wilmington Library’s Jamar Rahming Among 10 Honorees of Prestigious I Love My Librarian Award

December 18, 2024

Library Director Recognized for Transforming Community Spaces and Expanding Access to Vital Resources

CHICAGO – The American Library Association (ALA) is thrilled to announce this year’s ten recipients of the coveted I Love My Librarian Award. Representing communities across the nation, the 2025 honorees are exceptional librarians from academic, public, and school libraries who were nominated by community members for their expertise, dedication, and profound impact on the lives of their patrons.

“Librarians nationwide make positive impacts on their communities every day, and the inspiring stories from this year’s I Love My Librarian Award recipients prove how transformative their efforts can be to the lives of their patrons,” said ALA President Cindy Hohl. “From Alabama to Alaska, from the Bronx to Maui, the vital services these librarians provide reinforce what we all know: libraries are an essential public good, and the people who power them serve to inform, connect, educate, and empower their communities.”

This year, ALA received nearly 1,300 nominations from library users, reflecting the immense impact librarians have across the country. Nominations highlighted librarians’ outstanding service, including expanding access to literacy and library resources, engaging in outreach within their communities, and supporting the needs of the most vulnerable populations. This year’s honorees include four academic librarians, three public librarians, and three school librarians.

Each honoree will receive a $5,000 cash prize, complimentary registration, and a $750 travel stipend to attend ALA’s LibLearnX event in Phoenix. The award ceremony will take place during the LibLearnX welcome reception at 6 p.m. ET on Friday, January 24, 2025, and will stream live on YouTube.

The 2025 honorees are:

• Abby Armour

Mukwonago Community Library, Mukwonago, Wisconsin

Abby Armour has led efforts to repatriate Native American items in her library’s Grutzmacher Collection to the tribes that claim them, making her library the first in Wisconsin to comply with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

• Charlotte Chung

Suncrest Elementary School, Morgantown, West Virginia

Through her Building Bridges to Literacy project, Charlotte Chung supports English language learners and reluctant readers with a multilingual collection tailored to her diverse school community.

• Missy Creed

The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

As a consumer health librarian, Missy Creed participates in outreach events and health fairs, providing reliable and accessible health information to her community.

• Jessica Gleason

Wailuku Public Library, Wailuku, Hawaii

After wildfires devastated Lāhainā, Jessica Gleason launched services through her library’s bookmobile, bringing books, internet, programming, and essential resources to displaced families.

• Peggy Griffith

The Ferris School, Wilmington, Delaware

Administrative librarian Peggy Griffith has modernized the library at Ferris School, a secure treatment facility for court-committed youth. By replacing outdated materials and helping students transition back to their communities with personalized guidance, she is making a meaningful difference.

• Candice Hardy

Miles College, Fairfield, Alabama

At this Historically Black College, Candice Hardy has revitalized the library as a hub of campus life, hosting voter activation events, local artist exhibitions, and cultural programming.

• Analine Johnson

Johnson High School 9th Grade Campus, Laredo, Texas

With 25 years of service, Analine Johnson has created literacy programs for bilingual students and raised funds to help students from low-income backgrounds purchase books.

• Theresa Quiner

Kuskokwim Consortium Library, Bethel, Alaska

In a remote Alaskan city accessible only by plane or boat, Theresa Quiner supports her community through outreach to shelters, food banks, and skills-based programs such as camp cooking and canning.

• Jamar Rahming

Wilmington Institute Free Library, Wilmington, Delaware

In just six years, Jamar Rahming has transformed the Wilmington Institute Free Library into a vibrant community hub. From stocking books in local barbershops to hosting events with cultural icons like LeVar Burton and Dolly Parton, Rahming has reinvigorated the library’s role in the community.

• Nelson Santana

Bronx Community College, Bronx, New York

Nelson Santana has curated a collection reflecting the cultural and social history of Caribbean and Latin American communities, engaging his campus with grant-funded exhibits and programming.

Since its inception in 2008, the I Love My Librarian Award has received over 24,000 nominations, showcasing how librarians go above and beyond to promote literacy, expand access to technology, and support diversity and inclusion in their communities.

The award is generously sponsored by Carnegie Corporation of New York, with additional support from The New York Public Library. To learn more about the honorees, visit ilovelibraries.org.