Newswise — Ten librarians across the country have been honored with the 2016 I Love My Librarian Award, including Danielle S. Apfelbaum, librarian II at NYIT (New York Institute of Technology). Apfelbaum and the other winning librarians are being recognized for their exceptional public service contributions to transforming lives and communities through education and lifelong learning. The librarians were selected from nearly 1,100 nominations submitted by the public, which detailed how their favorite librarians working in public, school, college, community college, or university libraries connected them to information, opportunities, and critical technology that helped improve the quality of their lives. “The I Love My Librarian Award is an incredible opportunity to acknowledge librarians as experts and valuable resources, essential to the success of their libraries and communities,” said Julie Todaro, president of the American Library Association (ALA). “As highly-educated professionals, librarians are providing library constituents with the tools and knowledge they need to grow and thrive in today’s changing information landscape. The fact that these nominations come from the people they serve gives us heartfelt testimony to the powerful impact librarians make every day through their work and commitment to their profession.” Apfelbaum is being recognized and commended for engaging students who are unfamiliar with library resources and services. For example, during orientations, she introduces students to library services in a way that makes them feel comfortable and knowledgeable. Her sessions also give students’ more insight and confidence into the research process, which is essential to their academic success. Additionally, she holds workshops on plagiarism and the school’s academic integrity policy. She helps students develop information literacy skills to correct misconceptions about online information and shows students how to evaluate and cite sources properly.
“Danielle is one of our most forward-thinking librarians,” said Francine Glazer, Ph.D., NYIT associate provost for Educational Innovation and director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. “She has successfully introduced a number of educational technologies to our students, including Google Apps, Kahoot, Prezi, Poll Everywhere, and others. Her energy and innovations, and her focus on evidence-based practices, have been instrumental in creating new partnerships with faculty and students.” This year’s librarians join a distinguished group of award recipients who have been commended for their efforts to advance individual and community progress. Only 90 librarians have received the national award since its inception in 2008. In the United States, there are 166,000 librarians who are continually working to meet the changing needs of library users and the communities they serve. The 2016 I Love My Librarian Award recipients include three academic librarians, four public librarians, and three school librarians (learn more at www.ilovelibraries.org/lovemylibrarian). Each winning librarian will receive a $5,000 prize at an award ceremony and reception hosted by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, which sponsors the award. The New York Public Library and The New York Times are co-sponsors of the award. The ALA administers the award through the ALA’s Public Awareness Office, which promotes the value of libraries and librarians. Apfelbaum earned a B.A. in English, a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Archives and Records Management, and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus. She also earned a Master of Science in Instructional Technology from NYIT, and is currently working towards a Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction, and the Science of Learning from University at Buffalo, State University of New York.
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