Honoring the Best and Brightest in the Ohio Library Community
The Ohio Library Council presents major awards that recognize individuals and organizations making outstanding contributions to Ohio’s public library community. These honors celebrate the innovative and dedicated people who help make Ohio’s public libraries strong, vibrant, and essential to the communities they serve.
Nominations for the current cycle are now closed. We encourage you to begin thinking about colleagues, teams, or volunteers who deserve recognition—nominations will reopen in January 2027.
Meet the 2026 Award Recipients
- Hall of Fame Librarian
Janet Ingraham Dwyer, Library Consultant with the State Library of Ohio - Librarian of the Year
Paula Brehm-Heeger, Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Director of the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library - Service Excellence Award
Steven Haynie, Manager of the South Euclid-Lyndhurst Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library - Local Library Champion Award
Lu Ann Stanley, member of the Wright Memorial Public Library Foundation Board - Emerging Leader Award
Emmie Troyer, Mobile Services Supervisor, Tuscarawas County Public Library - Library Innovation Award
Reading Railroad, developed by Dr. Karlos L. Marshall, Director of Community Impact and Innovation, and Robert Owens, M.Ed., Community Impact and Innovation Manager, Dayton Metro Library - Citizen of the Year Award
Thomas Suddes, Assistant Professor of Instruction, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University and member of the Editorial Board, The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com
Awards and Honors Categories
- Hall of Fame Librarian
Recognizes a librarian for their career achievements. - Librarian of the Year
Honors a librarian for their recent achievements.
- Service Excellence Award
Recognizes the achievements of a library employee or group of employees for stellar service. - Local Library Champion Award
Recognizes exceptional volunteer service of an individual or group. - Emerging Leader Award
Recognizes Ohio’s library leaders of tomorrow. - Library Innovation Award
Recognizes a program or initiative that breaks new ground in library service. - Citizen of the Year Award*
Recognizes a citizen (or a group of citizens) in Ohio who has had a positive influence on library services throughout the state.
Award Selection and Presentation
Award recipients are chosen by the OLC’s Awards and Honors Committee based on a specific set of criteria and nominations and recommendations from the Ohio library community. The committee reserves the right to move a candidate(s) to another category if appropriate. Winners will be announced in August 5, 2026 and recipients will be recognized during the 2026 Convention and Expo in Sandusky in October. If you have questions, please contact Jeanine D’Andrea, Director of Membership Services at jdandrea@olc.org, or Jennifer Welsh, Chair of the Awards and Honors Committee at jwelsh@starklibrary.org
*Citizen of the Year Award
The Citizen of the Year Award recipient is selected by the OLC Board of Directors based on nominations from the public library community. Nominations are accepted throughout the year. If you have questions about the Citizen of the Year Award or wish to nominate someone, please contact Michelle Francis, OLC Executive Director, at mfrancis@olc.org.