WMBFNews.com | Myrtle Beach/Florence, SC | News, Weather, SportsGeorgetown Co. library director is 1 of 10 awarded

Georgetown Co. library director is 1 of 10 awarded

COLUMBIA, SC (WMBF) - The Georgetown County Library's director is South Carolina's first winner of the "I Love My Librarian Award," which is presented annually by the Carnegie Corp. of New York and the New York Times to 10 librarians nationwide.

"I do not consider myself to be particularly loveable, but I am dedicated to making life better for our citizens," Dwight McInvaill said. "We are living in a period of great technological and social change. Libraries need to continually innovate and to experiment to stay relevant and serve their communities. That is what we have tried to do at the Georgetown County Library. To have been nominated by local folks for this award is a true honor, and I can promise local residents that we will not rest on our laurels, but roll up our shirtsleeves and keep working for them."

American Library Association President Jim Rettig added, "This award honors the significant relationship between library users and librarians. It also recognizes these 10 librarians for the notable impact they have on the lives of the people they serve and on their communities."

During the past several years, the library has coordinated a collaboration with nine other local cultural agencies and created the Georgetown County Digital Library (www.gcdigital.org) to preserve its community's history. This work - underwritten recently by a grant from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation - has resulted in an online collection with more than 17,000 items including historic photographs, maps, and 19th Century newspapers. Images from the collection were used this fall by the television show "Anderson Cooper 360" to assist in the production of a documentary on the Lowcountry ancestors of First Lady Michelle Obama.

To combat at its roots a county illiteracy rate approaching 30 percent, the library has established - in concert with Georgetown County First Steps - collections of books in approximately 40 childcare centers. The library has also developed a curriculum which a library storyteller uses to teach youngsters basic language and motor skills. The library also offers childcare providers quarterly training sessions for accreditation. For this work, the library received in 2003 the first "Counties Care for Kids Award" given by the National Association of Counties.

The library also addresses teen illiteracy and a local high-school dropout rate that has approached 38 percent by having a countywide interactive gaming program at all of its four facilities. To participate in this endeavor, which is funded by a major grant from the Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation, teens must register for library cards and check out library materials regularly. They must also attend library programs on topics ranging from culture to technology, and must remain in school and maintain good grades.

In 2007, the Georgetown County Library became South Carolina's only library recognized nationally by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for a National Medal for Library Service. Then-First Lady Laura Bush noted in a White House ceremony that this library has emerged as a national treasure by inspiring residents to embrace their heritage and to dream of a bright future.

McInvaill has served as the director of the Georgetown County Library since January 1996. During the last year, he earned his library about $1.3 million in grants and usually averages about $300,000 in grants annually.

Each of the "I Love My Librarian" winners received a $5,000 cash award at a ceremony and reception at the New York Times Building hosted by the New York Times on Dec. 3, 2009.

In addition to McInvaill, awardees include the following individuals: Sol A. Gomez of Tucson, AZ; Laura Grunwerg of River Edge, NJ; Lucy Hansen of Mercedes, TX; Alice K. Juda of Newport, RI; Karen E. Martines of Cleveland, OH; Seamus Scanlon of New York; Dana Thomas of Fort Myers, FL; Carolyn Wheeler of Bloomfield Hills, MI; and Oceana Wilson of Bennington, VT.

More than 3,200 library users nominated a librarian as part of the Campaign for America's Libraries, according to the American Library Association's public information office. During this third year of the award, nominations were open to librarians working in public, school, college, community-college, and university libraries.

Librarians in our nation's 123,000 libraries make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans every day. More information about the I Love My Librarian Award is available at the www.ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian.

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