Rep. David Price honors NCSU Libraries on Congressional floor

U.S. Representative David Price presents Vice Provost & Director of Libraries Susan Nutter with a signed copy of the June 10, 2016 Congressional Record.

The Libraries have been getting a lot of attention in the nation’s capitol lately, after having been awarded the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Medal for Museum and Library Service this spring.

First Lady Michelle Obama presented the award in person to Vice Provost & Director of Libraries Susan K. Nutter and Associate Professor of Film Studies Dr. Marsha Gordon at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in early June. Then Representative David Price, who wrote a letter of support for the Libraries’ IMLS nomination, recognized the Libraries’ accomplishment on the Congressional floor.

Price recently presented Nutter with a signed copy of the June 10, 2016 Congressional Record that includes the transcript of that recognition. NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson was also in attendance.

“The North Carolina State University Library system has transformed how libraries involve the community to understand, learn, and participate in a myriad of educational activities,” Price said on the House floor. “The system strengthens North Carolina’s K-12 education pipeline, increases the public’s literacy, and prepares tomorrow’s researchers with college- and workforce-ready skills.

“This library was one of the first to leap into the digital age,” Price continued, “and has been a terrific example for other academic research libraries around the world. Their creative recruitment tactics for librarians and the crowdsourcing of ideas from student committees have made this library an invaluable asset to our state.”

The IMLS award is the nation’s highest honor for extraordinary public service, recognizing institutions that are valuable community anchors. NCSU Libraries is the first academic library to receive the award in a decade. The Libraries received a medal, a $5,000 award, national recognition, and a visit from StoryCorps, a nonprofit that will capture stories from the NC State community and preserve them at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.