2026 Award Winners

Congratulations to Lois Eannel (Palm Harbor Community Services Agency: East Lake Community Library and Palm Harbor Library), winner of the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award. 

• This year’s honoree has spent decades transforming libraries in Florida’s unincorporated communities into vibrant, accessible, and innovative hubs. As Director of East Lake Community Library, she has expanded services, programs, and facilities while maintaining the library’s community spirit. Through groundbreaking initiatives—from literacy kits and adaptive toys to early learning play areas and passport services—she has redefined what a library can offer. Her leadership, creativity, and advocacy have inspired generations of librarians, strengthened community engagement, and set a model for libraries across the state, leaving a lasting legacy of innovation, dedication, and service.

Congratulations to Casey McPhee (Largo Public Library), winner of the 2026 Administrator of the Year Award. 

This year’s honoree has been dedicated to ensuring the library remains a trusted, accessible, and welcoming resource for the community. She has launched the Free to Read Campaign and Book Fund, advocated for library services at the local and state levels, and expanded outreach to bring library programs directly to the people. Reducing barriers to information and championing intellectual freedom has been a hallmark of this honoree’s leadership.

Congratulations to Miriam Kashem (Miami-Dade Public Library), winner of the 2026 Librarian of the Year Award. 

This year’s honoree is an innovative and award-winning librarian who has dedicated her career to making history, culture, and information accessible to all. She has created engaging programs for teens and adults, including award-winning historical roleplay events, public lectures, and pop culture initiatives that bring books and history to life. She develops collections that reflect diverse perspectives, mentors fellow librarians, and champions intellectual freedom, leaving a lasting impact on both her colleagues and the community she serves.

Congratulations to Ashton Maggard (Orange County Library System), winner of the 2026 Outstanding New Librarian Award.

This new librarian has quickly distinguished himself as a creative and dedicated librarian. He strengthened the teen volunteer program, curated the America 250 Book List for Florida Humanities, and led engaging programs from hybrid book clubs to youth Dungeons & Dragons events. Known for mentorship, collaboration, and piloting innovative services, he shares expertise through staff training and professional development, expanding access and impact across the library system while inspiring excellence in colleagues and patrons alike.

Congratulations to Nayvelis Castineira (Miami-Dade Public Library System), winner of the 2026 Outstanding Paraprofessional Award.

This year’s winner has spent over a decade driving staff development and operational excellence across the Miami-Dade Public Library System. Coordinating system wide training, reviving the Mentorship Program, and creating centralized resources for staff, she brings innovation and initiative to every project — from large public events to COVID-19 response efforts — while mentoring colleagues, building sustainable solutions, and supporting departments with skill and heart.

Congratulations to Broward County Library, winner of the 2026 Library of the Year Award. 

This library excels in connecting with the community through innovative partnerships, programs, and services. They promote inclusion, equity, and access to information while providing cutting-edge technology and training. Their branches serve millions of visitors, offer extensive digital and physical collections, and host award-winning programs such as the Black History Saturday School Series and their Workforce Ready program. Staff development, accessibility, and community engagement are at the heart of this library’s success.

Congratulations to Katrina Brockway, Doris Mendez-DeMaio, Aramis Troche, Amber Fairchild, Ariel Carmichael, Tina Dupes, Carmen Peterson, Kate Houseal, and Elizabeth Braunworth of the Palm Beach County Library System, winners of the 2026 Innovative Program or Service Award. 

This year’s honoree created a haunted library experience, I Read Dead People, that thrilled and educated the community. Attendees explored rooms transformed to reflect literary tales, guided by “ghostly” performers who brought deceased authors to life. This immersive, multi-sensory program blended literature, theatricality, and storytelling, drawing new visitors to the library and sparking excitement for learning. Its creativity, scalability, and strong community impact make it a standout example of innovative library programming.

Congratulations to Broward County Library for Freegal Quest, winner of the 2026 Communications Excellence Award.

This institution’s Freegal Quest campaign creatively increased awareness and use of the Freegal streaming music service. Using print, digital, social media, in-person outreach, and staff “Freegal Wizards” as human ambassadors, the three-month campaign boosted new users by 154% and streams by 33%. Interactive playlists, QR codes, staff-led events, and video content created a seamless, engaging user experience. By blending innovative marketing with hands-on support, the campaign showcased how libraries can connect, educate, and inspire through communications excellence.

Congratulations to Miami-Dade Public Library for Creating Spaces for Independence, Confidence and Purpose for Neurodiverse Students, winner of the 2026 Libraries Mean Business Award. 

This year’s honoree partnered with local special needs schools to bring student-run cafés into library spaces, giving students with disabilities hands-on work experience. These cafés teach customer service, teamwork, and confidence while engaging the community. By reimagining library spaces as inclusive learning environments, the initiative fosters independence, workforce readiness, and meaningful connections, showing how libraries can innovate to expand opportunity, equity, and community impact.

Congratulations to Maria Guerrero, Women in the Arts, Inc., winner of the 2026 Outstanding Citizen Award.

This year’s honoree has dedicated over 15 years to championing the Orange County Library System as a Friends of the Library board member and arts advocate. Through exhibitions, programs, and tuition-free arts classes, she has connected artists with the public, enriched patron experiences, and strengthened community partnerships. Her creativity, leadership, and collaborative spirit have helped position OCLS as a vibrant hub for learning, arts, and community engagement.

Congratulations to The Westside Gazette, winner of the 2026 Outstanding Business or Media Partner Award

This year’s honoree has championed Broward County Library for more than 50 years, promoting programs, fundraising efforts, and anti-censorship initiatives like Book Sanctuaries and “I Read Banned Books.” Their recent donation of 50 years of historic back issues for digitization preserves a vital record of Black history, ensuring the library remains a trusted resource, a cultural hub, and a bridge to the community it serves.

Congratulations to David Hildenbrand of the Miami-Dade Public Library, for Behind the Walls, winner of the 2026 Maria Chavez-Hernandez "Libraries Change People's Lives" Award.

This year’s honoree has expanded library access for incarcerated individuals, their families, and correctional staff through the Behind the Walls program. By providing resources inside facilities, supporting reentry, and building strong community partnerships, he has created a national model for equity-driven library services. His work ensures that education, information, and opportunity reach underserved populations while strengthening the library’s role as a bridge between institutions and the community.

Congratulations to Sara White & the Seminole County Public Library Youth Services Team, for the Badge-Based Summer Reading Program for Ages 5-12, winner of the 2026 Betty Davis Miller Youth Services Award for Children’s Services.

This year’s honoree transformed the library’s Summer Reading Program with a flexible, badge-based system that encourages children ages 5–12 to read on their own terms. Weekly reading challenges allow participants to choose books that interest them, earning badges for each completed challenge. This innovative approach has dramatically increased participation, engaged young readers throughout the summer, and made the program accessible for all reading levels. By replacing quantity-based tracking with meaningful, tangible rewards, the program fosters a love of reading, motivates regular library visits, and builds long-lasting excitement for literacy.

Congratulations to Sharlene Fagan and Sarah Gantt, of Volusia County Public Library System for TeenTober™ What Lurks in the Library!, winners of the 2026 Betty Davis Miller Youth Services Award for Teen Services.

This year’s honoree transformed teen literacy through TeenTober at John H. Dickerson Heritage Library. In a community facing systemic barriers, staff engaged 72 teens with creative reading and writing challenges, gamified activities, and weekly themes that sparked imagination and collaboration. Community partnerships provided meaningful incentives like bicycles and safety gear. The initiative increased sustained participation, strengthened library connections, and demonstrated how innovative, accessible programming can empower teens, promote literacy, and build lasting community impact.