Madison County Libraries Best Small Library in Nation

Madison County Public Libraries is the Best Small Library in America for 2018. Honored  by Library Journal as the Best Small Library in America 2018, Madison County Public Libraries will receive a cash prize of $5,000   and is featured on the cover of Library Journal’s September 15, 2018 issue, available in print and online. In addition, Madison County Public Libraries representatives will be recognized at the Association for Rural & Small Libraries conference this week in Springfield, Illinois. The Best Small Library in America Award was established in 2005 to identify and highlight the exemplary work of public libraries serving communities with populations under 25,000.

County librarian and MCPL director Melanie Morgan arrived on the scene four years ago, with ten years of experience in big libraries in Florida under her belt. Bringing new creativity and community outreach skills, she has built partnerships and relationships and energized staff to reawaken the library system.

This year 16,000 people attended Madison County Public Libraries programs, with 12,000 of them attending children’s events. Madison County Public Libraries include the main Madison County Library in Marshall and two branches, the Mars Hill library and the newly relocated Hot Springs Library, Madison County Public Libraries’ smallest branch and one of only two libraries located on the Appalachian Trail.

To build a strong school-library connection, Morgan leveraged her experience as a former teacher. Today MCPL partners with Madison County schools to make sure every student is issued an MCPL e-library account, providing access to MCPL ebooks and NC LIVE databases. MCPL also offers two after-school programs in collaboration with the schools to help struggling students: one-on-one tutoring and small group tutoring for students identified by teachers as being at risk of falling below grade level.

With Madison County spread out over 449 square miles, the average bus ride for public school students is 4.5 hours a day. Every day after school, those buses bring all the school children right to Madison County Public Libraries branches. There, they engage in Madison County Public Libraries programs and activities, along with homework help and tutoring and weekly STEAM and Lego after-school clubs. Madison County Public Libraries also offers literacy and high school equivalency instruction that empowers learners through tutoring and workshops packed with essential skills for gaining employment.

Another example of Madison County Public Libraries s community partnership outreach, MCPL’s ELITE (Education Leads into Excellence) Jail Program, operates in partnership with AB Tech Community College. The program connects inmates in the Madison County Jail with high school equivalency (HSE) preparation classes and one-on-one literacy tutoring. The program is designed to help those most in need; 65 percent of participants graduated with HSE diplomas since it began last year.

“MCPL exemplifies the power and impact of our smallest libraries, engaging the community by understanding its needs and designing facilities, programs and services to meet them,” said Rebecca T. Miller, editorial director of Library Journal and School Library Journal. “Library Director Melanie Morgan, with her small – but mighty – team, offers a model for any library leader looking to positively impact and enrich lives.”