INWOOD — Thanks to locals sharing their personal stories of how the library has impacted them, the Inwood Library is $20,000 richer.
The library, along with five other branches throughout the five boroughs, won the third annual NYC Neighborhood Library Awards for libraries “going above and beyond to provide exceptional services and programming for their communities,” Sarah Needham, of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, said in a statement. The initiative was launched by the Charles H. Revson Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation in 2013
“From ESOL classes for new immigrants, to after-school safe havens for at-risk youth, these institutions play a critical role in shaping the lives of New Yorkers all across the city. To keep up with the high demand for programs and services, we must continue to invest in our libraries,” Julie Sandorf, president of the Charles H. Revson, said in a statement.
“We are very excited,” Danita Nichols, branch manager for Inwood Library said in an email.
The library, which many feared would shut down due to state budget cuts several years ago, has been hailed as a model of how libraries can collaborate with schools and families to make a difference in the community.
Although the three Uptown branches — Washington Heights, Fort Washington and Inwood libraries — were vying for the grand prize, only two made it to the finals with approximately 500 nominations from local residents, according to a statement from the Charles H. Revson Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
Along with the Inwood branch, other award winners include Arverne Library and Glen Oaks Library in Queens, Morrisania Library in The Bronx and Sunset Park Library in Brooklyn.
The Fort Washington Library from Washington Heights earned $10,000 after being named a finalist — as was Aguilar Library in East Harlem, Dyker Library in Brooklyn, Far Rockaway Library in Queens and Kings Bay Library in Brooklyn.
The judges for the awards included Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize-winning author; Jelani Cobb from the New Yorker; Angela Flournoy, National Book Award finalist and author; Richard Reyes-Gavilan, executive director of the DC Public Library and Peter Hatch, chief of staff for the city's Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services.
