Cleveland Public Library Wins Prestigious National Award

Cleveland Public Library is the recipient of the 2020 John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award.

“It’s a tremendous honor. Cleveland Public Library is ecstatic to receive such a prestigious award,” said Felton Thomas, Jr., Executive Director and CEO of Cleveland Public Library.

Cleveland Public Library is one of eight libraries across the country to win the John Cotton Dana Award which honors outstanding library public relations. Each library will get a $10,000 grant from the H.W. Wilson Foundation for their achievement. Cleveland Public Library’s award is for the 150^th anniversary promotion. The money will be used for staff recognition. “It’s a testament to our staff’s dedication, hard work, and planning for a celebration marking an important milestone for the Library,” remarks Thomas, Jr.

The John Cotton Dana Award is provided in conjunction with the H.W. Wilson Foundation, the American Library Association (ALA) and EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO). Entries are judged on three key areas: needs assessment and planning, implementation, and evaluation. The 2020 winners will be honored at a reception held by EBSCO at the 2021 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.

Cleveland Public Library shares this coveted prize with our patrons and community. Thank you for supporting us for 150 years. We couldn’t have done this without you.

Felton Thomas, Jr., Executive Director, CEO

The John Cotton Dana Award was inaugurated by The H.W. Wilson Company at the 1946 annual conference of the American Library Association. The award is named after the first librarian to make use of public relations to promote library activities. Dana, known as the father of the modern library, strove to make libraries accessible to as many people as possible. The awards are funded by the H.W. Wilson Foundation.

Visit the ALA website for a complete list of award winners.