The Joseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award

The New York State Regents Advisory Council on Libraries, EBSCO Information Services and Friends of the New York State Library

Information Announcement Application Previous Award Recipients

The Joseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award recognizes achievements by New York State libraries and library consortia of all sizes and types.  Named after Joseph F. Shubert, former State Librarian, the Award is given to individual libraries and to library consortia to recognize achievements that improve the quality of library service to their users. The Joseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award recognizes that attainment of excellence often happens in small steps; is a process, not a final product; and focuses on meeting user needs.  Yet, the result of the process assures a comprehensive approach to excellence in libraries and information services.

The New York State Regents Advisory Council is pleased to sponsor the Joseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award.  Members of the 2009 Award Committee are Samuel L. Simon (Chair), Ellen Bach, and Sara Kelly Johns. This year's award includes a gift of $1,000 supplied by EBSCO Information Services and the Friends of the New York State Library.Other notable projects may also be recognized and honored for their achievements.

2008 Award

The 2008 Joseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award went to the Mid-Hudson Library System in Poughkeepsie, New York, for the program entitled, Health Information Project. As explained in their application by Project Director Barbara Clapp, the Health Information Project is a designated community-based prevention provider that supports the summer Teen Intern Program, and supplies materials that focus on teen health, social issues and substance abuse prevention through the public libraries in the Mid-Hudson Library System. The Project addresses the reduction of individual, family, school and community risk factors, and enhances positive factors that buffer youth from unhealthy behaviors. Celebrating its 10th year, the Project is funded through the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS).

More information on Mid-Hudson's Health Information Project.

The runner-up was the Queens Library for HealthLink, their partnership with the Queens Cancer Center, the American Cancer Society of Queens, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to bring cancer information, screenings, and treatment referrals to medically underserved communities in Queens.

More information on Queens Borough Public Library's HealthLink.

The 2008 Shubert Award Committee (consisting of Sam Simon, Chair; Ellen Bach and Sara Kelly Johns, members) was enthusiastic in its decision to honor the Mid-Hudson Library System’s submission as an excellent example of the “spirit of the Shubert award.”  The award, along with a check for $1,000 made possible by EBSCO Information Services, was presented at NYLA’s Annual Conference and Awards Banquet in Saratoga Springs November 5-7, 2008.  Queens Library also received their award at the banquet.

Previous Award Recipients

[Click on the links below to view their applications for the Award. Some pages also have links to more information about the project.]

2008

2007

Story quilt cover; Galway Public Library; click to enlarge the image.

Story Quilt, a "one-of-a-kind literary, social history project of the Galway Public Library...."

Left: cover of Story Quilt: Poems of a Place by the People Who Live Here; A project of the Galway Public Library. See Galway's application for more information and pictures.

2006
  • Southeastern New York Library Resources Council: "The Hudson River Valley Heritage (HRVH) Service," providing online access to historical materials from New York State's Hudson River Valley to researchers, students and the general public.
  • Albany Public Library: Bookmobile service, coordinated by the Library's Outreach Department, providing day-to-day programs and services so that "[e]very City of Albany resident shall have regular and equitable access to the information, educational, and recreational resources and programs of the Albany Public Library."

2005
  • Southern Adirondack Library System: "Statewide Performer Database," a unique project that supports statewide youth library service by compiling programming and performer information from all across New York.
  • Mid-York Library System: The "Regional Read" project promoted literacy and community involvement by encouraging people to read Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and to participate in programs related to the book.

2004

  • Rochester Regional Library Council: "CLIC-on-Health" project, an outstanding approach to providing the people of the greater Rochester area with high-quality healthcare information and resources.
  • Cortland Junior/Senior High School Library: "Parent-Child Book Club" project, an exceptional approach to promoting literacy by bringing together eighth graders and their parents for literary discussions and author presentations.

2002

  • Albany Public Library: "First Stop/The Next Step" project, a unique approach to addressing the needs of those in the community who are in the process of making the transition from incarceration to employment.

2001

  • Crandall Public Library, Glen Falls: Unique approach to addressing specific consumer health needs of patrons.
  • Four County Library System, Vestal: Exemplary approach to providing Internet resources to a rural community via a Cybermobile project.

2000

  • Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
  • Lincoln High School Media Center

1999

  • Kendall Jr. High School Library
  • Mohawk Valley Library System

1998

  • Brooklyn Public Library
  • Queens Borough Public Library
  • North Country Reference and Research Resources Council

1997

  • Port Washington Public Library
  • Science, Industry & Business Library
  • Potsdam Public Library
  • Reading Room Association of Gouverneur
  • Finger Lakes Library System & Project Partners
  • University Libraries, SUNY at Buffalo University
  • Southern Westchester BOCES School Library System
  • Suffolk Cooperative Library System

1996

  • New York Academy of Medicine Library
  • The New York Public Library – The Branch Libraries
  • Lawville Free Library
  • Mohawk Valley Library Association
  • Nassau School Library System
  • Fairport Library Council

1995

  • Brooklyn Public Library
  • Queens Borough Public Library
  • Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
  • Mid-York Library System
  • Honorable Mention:
    • Voorheesville Public Library
    • Woodward Memorial Library
Last Updated: November 10, 2009