Wednesday, January 23, 2013

MPL’s Coordinator of Youth & Community Outreach Services Wins Award

  

Kelly Hughbanks has won the 2012 WLA Outreach Services Award. Each year, the Outreach Services Award (formerly called the Frances de Usabel award) is sponsored by the Outreach Services Roundtable (OSRT) and is awarded to a “library or librarian who has provided exemplary library outreach services to underserved populations.” Public, academic, school or special libraries and librarians are all eligible to be nominated for this award. Nominees should be members of the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) but do not need to be members of the Outreach Services Round Table.
The award was created as a tribute to the Special Needs Consultant for the Wisconsin Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning, Frances de Usabel. For many years, de Usabel worked to promote and increase outreach services in Wisconsin public libraries. She continues to support the efforts of libraries and librarians in doing their outreach work through her generous donation of the funds for the monetary award.
Kelly Hughbanks has excelled in her outreach work as the Coordinator of Youth & Community Outreach Services at the Milwaukee Public Library. Hughbanks has written several LSTA grants for which she was awarded money to do programs such as Books2Go/Libros para llevar which reaches approximately 800 childcare centers per year to “, improve(s) reading readiness in children aged 0 to 5 by developing the Six Skills of Early Literacy, and providing intensive outreach and mentoring to 32 childcare providers and families located in neighborhoods with the highest concentration of poverty.”
“In 2012, Kelly expanded the library’s Summer Super Reader Outreach Program by utilizing federal Community Development Block Grant funds in combination with private and City funding to reach 2,292 children at 80 childcare centers. Each center is visited by a library educator three times over the summer who actively engaged the children in the Summer Super Reader Program and early literacy activities,” said Joan Johnson, Deputy Library Director, Milwaukee Public Library, who nominated Hughbanks for the award.
Johnson also said, “Kelly is a good spokesperson for MPL’s Youth and Outreach Services and has made numerous appearances on local broadcast television. She has been an inspiring leader for the children’s staff who are providing direct service. She is strategic in her use of staff’s skills and strengths, and all the resources at her disposal to maximize the impact of the services and programs under her purview. She has served at the State level as Chair of WLA’s Youth Services Section and is respected by her peers. Those who know her work would be pleased to join us in honoring her with this nomination.”
Clearly Kelly Hughbanks is well-deserving of this recognition for her work. Her efforts have had a positive impact on thousands of children in the Milwaukee Area. The OSRT board is proud to recognize Kelly for all she has done in her outreach efforts. As the winner of the Outreach Services Award, Hughbanks will receive a one-year membership in the Outreach Services Round Table and cash award of $250.

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