I Love My Librarian

Danielle S. Apfelbaum, Librarian II at NYIT, was one of ten librarians from across the country honored with a 2016 I Love My Librarian Award. The winners are being recognized for their exceptional public service contributions geared toward transforming lives and communities through education and lifelong learning.

“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 … Her energy and innovations, and her focus on evidence-based practices, have been instrumental in creating new partnerships with faculty and students.”

Apfelbaum was recognized with the award in part for the way she guides new students through the library’s resources and services and makes them feel comfortable and knowledgeable in the process. For example, she educates students about how to conduct research properly and helps them develop information literacy skills to correct misconceptions about online information. In addition, she holds workshops on plagiarism and the school’s academic integrity policy and shows students how to evaluate and cite sources.

The winning librarians were selected from nearly 1,100 nominations submitted by the public, who explained how their favorite librarians have connected them to information, opportunities, and critical technology and 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.”

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. Each winner will receive a $5,000 prize at an award ceremony and reception hosted by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Learn more about Apfelbaum and the award.