St. Louis County Library Wins Award From East-West Gateway Council Of Governments

Press release from the St. Louis County Library:

November 18, 2021

St. Louis County Library is pleased to announce that it has received an Outstanding Local Government Achievement award from the East-West Gateway Council of Governments. The awards were presented at the organization’s 56th Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony, held virtually on November 17, 2021. SLCL was recognized in the category of Exemplary Accomplishment by a Local Government Jurisdiction, Agency or Individual, for St. Louis County Library’s Pandemic Response through Collaboration of Community Resources.

Kristen Sorth, St. Louis County Library Director & CEO said, “St. Louis County Library stepped up and took an active role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with our community partners, we came up with creative ways to support our community during this crisis. We are an organization that likes to start with yes and work back from there.”

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed library service across the country. Throughout the pandemic, St. Louis County Library worked with a variety of community partners to provide critical resources to the region. Efforts included using branch parking lots to distribute over 2 million drive-thru meals with Operation Food Search, providing emergency diapers and period supply kits from the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank, and issuing thousands of Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots to area students to assist with virtual learning through the Digital Equity Initiative. SLCL teamed up with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health to offer free masks, COVID-19 testing, and weekly vaccine clinics at multiple branches. Additionally, St. Louis County Library partnered with several justice-involved organizations to provide a Tap In Center at the Florissant Valley Branch for individuals to get legal assistance and connect with local support services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each year, East-West Gateway Council of Governments presents its Outstanding Local Government Achievement (OLGA) Awards recognizing the extraordinary work of municipal, county, special purpose and school district officials in the St. Louis region. The award is given to acknowledge the highest level of leadership; for projects and partnerships that raise the bar; and for jurisdictions that provide a level of excellence, expertise and service in local government. More information is available at https://www.ewgateway.org/amtg-2021/.

St. Louis County Library is the busiest public library in Missouri. In 2020, SLCL circulated over 10 million items including books, DVDs, eMedia, video games, periodicals and CDs. The Library District consists of 20 branches, 19 of which have undergone significant upgrades as part of the Your Library Renewed campaign. SLCL partners with community organizations around St. Louis to address a wide variety of issues including literacy, food insecurity, and the digital divide. To learn more visit www.slcl.org or call 314-994-3300.

This press release was produced by the St. Louis County Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.