2025 Award Recipients 

• Cindy Miller, Duluth Public School
• Rebekah Orensten, St. Paul Public Schools

ITEM Distinguished School Library Supporter Award 

• Julie Biersack, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools (District 196)

ITEM Librarian of the Year

• Anne Marie Griffin, Rochester Public Schools

Lars Steltzner Intellectual Freedom Award 

• Brittany Meurer, Rochester Public Schools

Minnesota Academic Innovators Award 

• Aubree Tillett and Lacie McMillan, University of Minnesota Twin Cities

President’s Award

• Ann Kaste, Minitex

Above & Beyond Award 

• Beth Peterson-Lee, Houston Public Library
• Erica Forsythe, Waseca-Le Sueur Regional Library System

William G. Asp Distinguished Career Award 

• Gail Nordstrom, Viking Library System

These award recipients represent the best of Minnesota's library community, demonstrating innovation in education, tireless advocacy for intellectual freedom, creative outreach to underserved populations, and decades of distinguished service. From developing K-12 computer science pathways to supporting student veterans, from protecting students' rights to read to bringing mobile libraries to rural communities, these professionals exemplify the transformative power of libraries in Minnesota communities. 

"These awards recognize the extraordinary individuals who are shaping the future of libraries in Minnesota," said Executive Director, Tammy Schoenberg. "Their dedication to equity, innovation, and service makes a lasting difference in the lives of students and community members across our state." 

Congratulations to all the winners!

Mandy Bellm, School Media Innovator of the Year

Immanda (Mandy) Bellm, the K-12 Library Media Content Lead at Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), has been named the School Media Innovator of the Year.  This award honors a licensed school librarian, or technology integrationist who has made innovation and the development of new ideas and teaching philosophy using school library, maker, or technological practices and ideas.

The struggle to keep school librarians in the schools started long ago.  By 2022, Minneapolis only had 16 out of over 90 sites staffed with full-time librarians.  A successful advocacy campaign to the School Board and leadership resulted in the district posting 57 half-time positions in Spring of 2023, and that of a new Content Lead, a position that had gone unfilled for a year. 

Mandy took on the role of Content Lead and led her team from being a department on the verge of collapse, to one of growth. In 14 months, she

• Obtained more resources to focus on literacy by winning two Library Services Technology Acts grants in sy2324 and sy2425 within 12 months. 

• Expanded MPS’ library media standards beyond those of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and Information & Technology Educators of Minnesota (ITEM) to include Library Use key standards for student learning.  

• Implemented an Order Management System (OMS) to purchase materials. 

• Supported the work to diversify and genrefy (to sort a library collection so that books of the same genre are shelved together) collections.

• Advocated for MPS systems around Instructional Technology and Curriculum.

• Organized a peer-to-peer professional learning community (PLC) that focused on library standards and library department goals.  

• Collaborated with her staff to develop their professional development (PD) sessions.  

• Through PDs and the PLC she ensured newly hired (Tier 1-4) and tenured teachers had multiple opportunities to participate in professional development that met state licensing requirements

In her nomination, her peers shared, “We were a department that was on the brink of losing all librarians in the district.  Instead of folding, we rallied to advocate for new positions, refocused our attention on literacy, and completely lucked out on hiring an exceptional librarian at the helm.  This year’s winner is a rare find and she is exceptional.  Our department is grateful for her, and I sincerely hope this award is bestowed upon her.” 

ARLD would like to announce Kayleen Jones from the University of Minnesota-Duluth as the recipient of ARLD’s 2024 Innovation Award!

Kayleen Jones partnered with UMD Education faculty to create an Antiracist Literary Advisory Board, or A-LAB. This initiative has profoundly transformed the Children’s Literature Collection at UMD, which dates back to 1895, by integrating a crucial antiracist perspective into its curation and management. Under Kayleen's guidance, A-LAB has not only reviewed and rejuvenated the collection with contemporary and representative titles but has also become a vibrant community that empowers BIPOC teacher candidates and promotes student involvement in library decision-making processes.

A-LAB’s achievements include the critical review of over 308 books, the enrichment of the collection with 53 new inclusive titles, and the initiation of student-led events that amplify the impact of their work within and beyond the university. Congratulations to Kayleen on this well-deserved recognition of her outstanding commitment to innovation, quality, and community engagement in education.