Nevada Library Association Awards

Mr. Blanchard served on the library board for eight years. He served as both vice-president and president of the library board in his two terms. Mr. Blanchard offered significant and valuable contributions to the library system. During the libraries’ Internet controversy, he chaired several meetings that were extremely challenging. Mr. Blanchard guided the library through management changes and supported it during difficult budget times. Mr. Blanchard helped obtain significant donations from his employer Barrick Goldstrike for both the library and the Nevada Library Association. He was responsible for mine tours at both conventions in Elko and assisted with the sponsorship of the bus to the JAZ ranch for the1999 Elko convention.

Laura Oki has provided significant and lasting contributions to the Nevada Library Association and the Elko-Lander-Eureka Counties Library system. Laura exhibits professional ethics and abilities in all the work she provides library patrons, and her library colleagues. Laura has been an active participant in NLA for many years. This is just a partial list of her accomplishments and contributions to the association.

• Recording secretary: 1987, 1994, and 2000

• Coordinated Local Arrangements for

NLA conference in 1993, 1999

• Northeast District Chair; 1984, 1997

• ACTION 1995

• MPLA Joint Conference Program 1994

• Annual Meeting Chairperson 1986

In addition to her contribution to NLA, Laura provides excellent service to library patrons in our service area and to rural patrons in Northern Nevada via branches and bookmobile. The library system will be adding its 10th branch in a rural community this year. The Bookmobile funding has often been in jeopardy and Laura has run several public campaigns to generate support for this valuable service.

When the library system underwent attacks about Internet access, Laura defended intellectual freedom and the right of patrons to access information without censorship. She fully participated in a committee that had to face several challenges and deal with turmoil and front page newspaper coverage.

Barrick Goldstrike has been a major contributor to the success of the Elko-Lander-Eureka Counties Library System, the Las Vegas Clark County Library District (LV-CCLD) and the Nevada Library Association. This mining company has given funding and computers to the library and given tremendous support to the Nevada Library Association. In the past year alone, Barrick donated over $20,000 to the libraries. Last year at the NLA conference the mine provided free tours, including lunch, to conference attendees and paid for the transportation to the JAZ ranch.

This list is just a portion of the commitment and support of libraries in Nevada by the company:

• Mine tours for NLA in 1993 and 1999

• Ten years of support of the Friends of the Elko County Library

• $7,000.00 for audio books for the Elko-Lander-Eureka Counties Library System

• Provided corporate sponsorship of the Summer Reading Program “READiscover Nevada” 2000

in the amount of nearly $7,000.00.

• Provided $6,000 to LV-CCLD for science education materials.

In addition, the company supported the active participation of an employee, Michael Blanchard, as a member of the library board of trustees for the past 8+ years.

Nevada Mining Association has provided significant financial support to the growth and prosperity of the Nevada Library Association for many years. For nearly a decade NMA sponsored a reception at the annual conference.

In recent years they have provided financial support for program printing and have given educational and promotional materials to participants. The Nevada Mining Association and its member mines give generously to local libraries and provide support for libraries in Nevada.

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