At its annual convention in May, the Florida Library Association named the Palm Beach County Library System the Florida Library of the Year. The library system was recognized for the wide array of programs and classes offered at its 17 locations and through its outreach services, which included:
• 102 programs in conjunction with the statewide initiative Viva Florida 500, which commemorated Ponce de Leon’s arrival in the Americas;
• Hosting top authors like Tim Dorsey and Mary Jane Clark during the Writers Live series;
• Hispanic Heritage Month festivities kicking off with a Food Truck Fiesta and mariachi music; and
• Training preschool teachers who taught 400,000 preschoolers last year.
The library system also enrolled 10,000 Palm Beach County residents in the Summer Reading Program and taught 1,700 computer classes.
“Innovative, responsive, diverse, inclusive — PBCLS truly has something for everyone,” FLA Awards Committee Chair Richard Mott said.
The library system also received the Public Library Website Award for its new web site and web catalog launched in April 2013.
“The user experience was enhanced in many ways, including limiting library jargon, offering easy search options for both the web site and catalog, and the clean, modern look that is uncluttered, aesthetically appealing and easy to use,” Mott said.
For more info., visit www.pbclibrary.org.
