The Bristow Public Library has recently been awarded the Association of Rural and Small Libraries’ 2023 Equity Champion Award. This award recognizes a library or individual library worker who has demonstrated a commitment to sustained accessibility, equity, and inclusion practices through the work they do. They have identified one or more systemic barriers to access or service within their organization and have taken action to remove them.
Upon receiving the award, Executive Director Heather Hutto exclaimed she was accepting the award on behalf of the library’s team. She also dedicated the award to another rural Oklahoma librarian, Enid Public Library Director, Theri Ray.
“Recieving this award on behalf of my team is the biggest honor. Truly, their efforts are how we’ve managed to successfully accomplish our goals,” Hutto said. Those goals include doubled circulation and attendance numbers, equality gaps closed by the various outreach programs (textual literacy, digital literacy, ESL education, citizenship classes, offsite Summer Reading Program, ASD inclusion efforts, and biweekly outreach for disabled community members), and equitable representation in the library’s Choska Talfa local history room.
Hutto dedicated the award as a show of respect and solidarity for Ray, after various books and programs at the Enid Public Library faced bans and other censorship measures. “The fact that she can get up every morning and serve her patrons in spite of it all inspires and motivates myself and my staff every day, “ Hutto said. Other nominated for the award include: Natalie Binder from Jefferson County R.J. Bailar Public Library in Monticello, Florida, Ashley Stewart from Caseyville Public Library District in Caseyville, Illinois, and Maplewood Public Library in Maplewood, Missouri.
For more information contact the library at (918) 3676562, or the library’s website @bristowlibrary.okpls.org. For more information about ARSL check out https://www.arsl.org/