Fiscal Note
No appropriation required.
Title
Honoring Madison Public Library's receipt of the 2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services at the White House on June 1, 2016.
Body
WHEREAS, The National Medal for Museum and Library Service is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries for service to the community, given by the Institute of Museum and Library Services; and
WHEREAS, the National Medal for Museum and Library Service honors outstanding institutions that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. Selected institutions demonstrate extraordinary and innovative approaches to public service, exceeding the expected levels of community outreach; and
WHEREAS, Madison Public Library's vision of being "your place to learn, share and create" and commitment to community engagement has manifested itself in programs such as The Bubbler, which offers arts-based participatory learning experiences through hands-on, pop-up workshops where participants learn a variety of arts- and maker-based skills from community experts; and
WHEREAS, Madison Public Library provides a safe space in which community partners from social service agencies, literacy providers, and organizations that provide job and computer training offer critical services to Madison residents most in need of help, including transportation, counseling, housing assistance, meal assistance, tax assistance, and help in job seeking; and
WHEREAS, the library's commitment to community efforts to address the achievement gap has resulted in partnerships to help children, teens and their parents learn about the importance of early literacy and developing literacy skills. These partnerships include Parents as First Teachers with Public Health of Madison & Dane County and Read Up! with Madison Metropolitan School District and United Way of Dane County; and
WHEREAS, Madison Public Library's commitment to reaching teens has resulted in the Making Justice program, bringing Bubbler artists and maker programs to juvenile detention centers through a partnership with UW-Madison and Dane County Juvenile Court Program, which encourages creative expression through activities such as writing rap music, creating murals, and learning digital media production skills; and
WHEREAS, Madison Public Library is the first public library in Wisconsin to receive the National Medal of Museum and Library Service in the medal's 22-year history; and
WHEREAS, Library Director Greg Mickells and community member and library staff member, Rob Franklin, accepted the award for Madison Public Library in a ceremony at the White House in Washington, DC on June 1, 2016. They were joined by Madison Public Library Board president Tracy Kuczenski;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Common Council of Madison honor Madison Public Library's receipt of the 2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.