Two Lee County Library System (LCLS) Staff Members Win State Awards

For Immediate Release
Media Contact:

Heather O’Connell

239-461-2924

Fort Myers, FL; May 15 – Two Lee County Library System (LCLS) Staff Members Win State Awards

At their annual conference, the Florida Library Association recognized two LCLS staff members for their dedication in making library services more accessible, especially for those who speak English as a second language.

Kathy Mayo
The LCLS Outreach Services Coordinator received the inaugural Chavez-Hernandez Libraries Change People’s Lives Award from the Florida Library Association (FLA). The award is named for Dr. Maria Chavez-Hernandez who was responsible for a large body of works focusing on Library and Information Services in the Caribbean region, and was a leader in providing resources and programming on the specific Library and Information needs of Latin American immigrants and their families.

Mayo manages the LCLS Bookmobile, Books-by-Mail, Talking Books and Senior Outreach, along with literacy services. She developed the Multicultural Coordinator position to help make programs more available to those who speak English as a second language.

In selecting Mayo for this award the Florida Library Association recognized her as “devoting her career to leadership in the expansion of library services to the underserved, people with disabilities, those living in institutions and non-English speakers.”

“For nineteen years in Lee County and many more before that at the State Library & Archives of Florida, Kathy has been a pioneer and a national and state leader in this field. She is the recipient of many awards, but none is more fitting for a professional of her caliber than this, a new award named after an individual who labored, like Kathy, to bring library services to those whose need is greatest.” - FLA 2008 Awards Program brochure.

Mayo will be honored by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on May 27, during their regular meeting.

Maria Palacio (photo attached – Maria at center)
The Multicultural Program Coordinator at Lee County Library System is this year’s recipient of the Florida Library Association’s Minority Scholarship Award.

Maria says she’ll never forget when she found out she was selected. ”I was screaming; I couldn’t believe it! I was very excited,” Maria said.

The news came at a difficult time for Maria. “It was the week that Maria Chavez-Hernandez died and she really mentored me. It was a bitter-sweet moment. She was the first person I would have called, then my mom,” she said.

Maria will use her scholarship to continue her work at FSU where she’s pursuing a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science, with a concentration on leadership and management. Her grades aren’t in yet, but she hopes to maintain her 4.0 from last semester. She says the scholarship will pay for two classes and books.

”It’s a huge help!” Maria said. The Cape Coral mother of two, who was the first in her family to graduate from college, says she couldn’t be more thrilled about the scholarship.

“Education excites me and so does being more a part of that library world!” she said.

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