CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Chapel Hill Public Library is the only North Carolina institution and 1 of 30 finalists for a national award that would get them a celebration at the White House.
“Oh, the librarians always have very good recommendations,” Alex Humphries said while walking into the library with her daughter.
“It’s a great spot for studying because they have a lot of accessible seating areas,” UNC student Simon Cook said.
“They have a lot of current books, so I don’t have to buy them,” Kathy Pavlik said. She likes to get new books from the library, so she does not have to buy them for her book club.
Many enjoy the services of the Chapel Hill Public Library, now a finalist for the 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
“We were nominated by Congresswoman Valerie Foushee for the 2024 IMLS Award, which the IMLS award is the highest honor given to museums and libraries around the country for demonstrating the service that they give to their community,” Chapel Hill Library Marketing and Communications Coordinator Hannah Kanwischer said.
She said the staff is excited the possible trip to the White House.
“We don’t really know what that would look like, how many people would get to go or anything, but we’ve joked about taking the circulator, which is our library on wheels up to D.C., would definitely be exciting,” she said.
Kanwischer called the library the “community’s living room,” and said this nomination and support have really reflected that.
“We love the community and seems like the community loves us back which is really exciting. Being nominated is really a testament to our hard-working staff, and also the organizations that help the library run,” Kanwischer said.
“The staff is excellent. They know everything. They know where everything’s at, and they’re very friendly,” library patron Joe Patterson said.
If the library wins the award next month, they will head to the White House for the ceremony in July.