Ridgewood Library nominated for prestigious title
OCTOBER 17, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood Library is in the running to be named “Best Small Library in America.”
The title is bestowed by the Library Journal, co-sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to “showcase the exemplary work of these libraries.”
The benchmark for “small” is a library serving a population of fewer than 25,000 – and at 24,958 residents, Ridgewood barely makes the cut.
Library Director Nancy Greene worked with her staff to put together the nomination by the Sept. 10 deadline, which required compiling a variety of information like statistical data on the population, circulation, staff and programming.
The nomination itself came from Franklin Appleton, a 63-year-old “lifelong” resident who heard about the award through his friend Robin Ritter, the library’s program coordinator.
“At one time it was just a resource for reading, and of course they had encyclopedias way back when, and I think it’s just kept up with the technology,” said Appleton of how the library has evolved. “It’s held up through the ages, which is why I like it so much.”
The winning library will receive a $20,000 cash award, and will be announced with a feature story in the Feb. 1 edition of the Library Journal. Two finalist libraries will be awarded a $10,000 cash award and will be given special mention in the Library Journal.
Meredith Schwartz, the senior editor of news and features at the Library Journal, said more than 50 small libraries have sent in nominations.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/at-the-library/library-nominated-for-prestigious-title-1.1111514
