NSCLS Awards

NSCLS Awards

Each year the Nevada School and Children's Librarian Section of the Nevada Library Association awards or administers awards for outstanding services to youth in libraries around Nevada.

Award for Excellence: Lynn Ossolinski

The Award for Excellence recognizes career-long contribution to youth services. Ms. Ossolinski retired this year from her School Librarian position at Incline High School, Washoe County School District.

She has served for many years as the Intellectual Freedom Chair for NLA. She also served as President of NLA in 1990. Her dedication to serving youth and the Nevada Library Association is gratefully recognized with this award.

This award is given to a person who has initiated a special library program or service to young people in Nevada. Joyce has made this the hallmark of her service to the young people of Fallon and Churchill County during her twenty years of service at the Churchill County Library.

This year's award is in recognition of her contributions to our statewide summer reading program, READiscover Nevada. Churchill County encompasses part of the Pony Express route. With a Charter Grant from Bank of America, Joyce created an original, detailed Pony Express program manual. She then shared this with Children's staff around the state at our annual training in Tonopah. You can locate this resource at http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/nsla/srp

Lee Gordon, a School Librarian at El Dorado High School, Clark County School District, has been active in NLA and AASL (American Association of School Librarians). For the last several years, she has been active and tireless in her support of School Librarians and the new Information Power program.

For five years they have provided a $400 grant and plaque to a librarian utilizing technology in providing outstanding service to youth. This was the last year of this generous program sponsored by Winnebago Software.

Special Recognition Awards:

Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Watson

Mr. and Mrs. Watson founded the Friends of the West Las Vegas Library group and have lobbied for, and supported, the West Las Vegas Branch Library for many years.

Currently the WLV Branch is undergoing expansion, with the Children's Area to be nearly tripled in size in its new location. This long-held dream was realized in large part through the dedication of Mr. and Mrs. Watson.

The Nevada Young Reader's Award (NYRA) sponsors a luncheon at each annual conference. Since its inception in the late 1980s, authors of the winning books are invited to attend and speak at the luncheon. Several years ago, no authors attended--a disappointing experience for the young people and librarians looking forward to meeting the winning recipients.

Jackie Heide, Nevada's Permabound representative, contacted the NYRA Chair and offered to help sponsor the authors' visits to Nevada. For over five years, Jackie and Permabound have supported Nevada Young Readers' Awards--at each Conference Jackie has provided free books to children and librarians attending the program, which authors then sign.

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