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Awards Brochure

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Thomas Jefferson

 

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Awards

 

2023 Winners:  

Public Library Employee Excellence Award - Two Winners – Melissa Shenk, Green Sea Floyds Library Branch Manager and Leverne McBeth, Middle Tyger Library Branch Manager

 Outstanding Individual Award – William “Bill” Reynolds, Finance Committee Member and Past President of the Friends of the Aiken Library 

John Landrum Advocacy Award – Mary Jo Dawson, ABBE Library Director 

Outstanding Public Official Award – Representatives Gary Simrill, Murrell Smith, and Todd Rutherford 

Board Recognition - Loretta Wells, Volunteer with the Friends of the Bluffton Library


Friends of SC Libraries Awards 1996-present


John H. Landrum Advocacy Award:  The FOSCL John H. Landrum Advocacy Award was created in 1999 to honor an individual or group, which has excelled in library advocacy.

2000     The A.L.M. Wiggins Family of Hartsville
2001     Liz and Dwight Patterson, Spartanburg
2002     Loa Jane Miller, Friends of the Aynor Branch Library,              Horry County
2003     Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation, Florence County
2004     Todd Stephens, Spartanburg County, & Dwight              McInvaill, Georgetown County
2009     Helen Dean, Newberry County Friends
2009     Sara Briebert, Charleston County Friends
2017     Paula Childers, Florence County Library
2019    George Seago Jr., Friends of the Summerville Library &              Dorchester Library System
2020    Mary Last Friends of the Del Web Library
2021    Andy Flynt, Director of Information Services, nominated             by the Spartanburg County Public Libraries 

2022    Andrew R. "Andy" Gambrell, Friends of the South             Congaree-Pine Ridge Library 

Special Awards:  Outstanding support provided to FOSCL and libraries in a manner different from that described by the other awards.

1998     Rudy Mancke
2001     Charleston County Library Friends
2002     Stetson-Bowles of Bluffton
2005     Debbie Anderson, SCSL
2009     David Warren, Richland County Public Library
2016     Sarah McMaster, retiring this April Fairfield County              Public Library


In addition to the continuation of the John H. Landrum Advocacy Award and Special Awards, after the 2007 reorganization of the FOSCL award program the following awards were established:

Public Library Employee Excellence Award

2008     Myrtis Burr, Chesterfield County Library
2010     Abbie C. Townsen, York County Library
2016     Kim Cantley, Carolina Forest County Library
2016     Terry Cobb, York County Library
2017     Harlie H. O'Connell, Newberry County Library
2019     Sheila Keaise, Colleton County Memorial Library
2020     Carol Clark, South Congaree-Pine Ridge Library
2021     Two Winners - Lois Rhodes, Library Services              Coordinator, nominated by Abbeville County Library              System and Tricia Gordon, Library Manager, nominated              by Friends of the Libraries of Barnwell County
2022    Two Winners - Shirley Spreene, Pelion Branch Library and
             Dina Grant, York County Library

Outstanding Individual Award

2009     Terry Smith, Barnwell County
2010     Karen vanVierssen, York County
2016     Ray McBride, Beaufort County
2016     Pete Stewart, Friends of the Irmo Branch Library
2018     Sharon Purvis, Harvin Clarendon County Library
2019     Dolores Gambrell, Friends of the South Congaree-Pine              Ridge Library
2020     Deb Chevas, Friends of the Beaufort Library
2021     Kathryn Harvey, Principal of Neue South Collective,              nominated by the Spartanburg County Public Libraries
2022     Rosemary Teed, Friends of the Irmo Branch Library

Outstanding Public Official Award

Recognizes outstanding South Carolina elected officials who have been honored by a local Friends' board. Local Friends' Boards may nominate for consideration by FOSCL those individuals whose advocacy, support, and encouragement have been critical to the success of their own local library services.

2018     Senator Vincent Sheheen, Kershaw County
2021     Joint Nomination - Bobby Keisler, Lexington County              Council Representative and McLain R. Toole, South              Carolina House Representative, nominated by the              Friends of South Congaree-Pine Ridge Branch Library

Outstanding Friends Group

2021    Friends of the South Congaree-Pine Ridge Branch             Library
2022    Friends of the McCormick County Library            

Public Service Award:   The FOSCL Public Service Award was created in 1996 to honor an elected official for his/her support of a library (libraries) in South Carolina.

1996     Art Guerry (Lexington County)
1997     Senator J. Verne Smith
1998     Representative Larry Koon
2000     Senator Yancey McGill
2001     Representative Marion Carnell
2004     Kit Smith (Richland County)
             South Carolina House Education Subcommittee/Robert              W. Harrell, Jr., Chair of the House Ways and Means              Committee (special group Public Service Award)
2005     Senator Hugh Leatherman
2006     Councilman Damon Jeter (Richland County Council)
             FOSCL award program was reorganized in 2007 and              this award was closed.

Library Staff Award:  The FOSCL Library Staff Award was created in 1996 to recognize a library employee who has contributed above their normal duties to support a library or libraries in South Carolina.

1996     Harriett Woodham (Richland County Public Library)
1997     JoAda Hiatt (Greer Public Library)
1998     Shirley Hildebran (Fairfield County Public Library)
1999     Sally Culp (Spartanburg County Public Library)
2000     Sarah D. McMaster (Fairfield County Library)
2001     Tucker N. Taylor (Newberry County Library)
2002     Faith A. Line (Sumter County Library)
2003     Dan Mackey (Kershaw County Library)
2004     Mary Jo Dawson (ABBE Regional Library System)
2006     Debbie Turner (York County Library)
             FOSCL award program was reorganized in 2007 and              this award was closed. 

Business Award:  The FOSCL Business Award was created in 1996 to honor a business in any community in South Carolina that has significantly aided a local library and its local Friends group.

1996     M&K Auction (McCormick)
1997     Echerer Painting Company (Irmo)
1998     The Greer Citizen (Greer)
1999     Crawley’s Country Cloggers (Boiling Spring)
2000     “The Boiling Sprngs Sentry” (Boiling Springs)
2002     Johnson & Wales University (Charleston)
2003     Spartanburg Herald-Journal (Spartanburg)
2005     Steve Fincher Photography (Spartanburg)
2006     Piggly-Wiggly (Florence)
             FOSCL award program was reorganized in 2007 and              this award was closed.

Trustee Award:  The FOSCL Trustee Award was created in 1997 to be presented to a public library trustee in South Carolina who has significantly contributed to a local library.

1997     Mary O. Gregory (Pickens County Library)
1998     David M.  Rogers (Greenville County Library)
1999     Ruby Crook (Irmo Library)
2000     Debbie Hill (Greenville County Library)
2001     Lenora Price (Richland County Library)
2002     Theresa Arrington Dunn (Hilton Head Library)
2003     Mim Woodring (Aiken County Library)
2004     J. David Sudduth (Greenville County Library)
2005     Marty S. White (Greenville County Library)
             FOSCL award program was reorganized in 2007 and              this award was closed. 

Outstanding Program Award:  The FOSCL Outstanding Program Award was created in 1999 to recognize a Friends group, which has a successful program or event.

1999     Friends of the Woodruff Library
2000     Friends of the Boiling Springs Library
2001     Friends of the Florence County Library
2002     Friends of the Berkeley County Library
2003     Friends of the Clarendon County Library
2004     Friends of the Greenwood County Library
2004     Friends of the Greenville County Library
2005     Friends of the Florence County Library
             FOSCL award program was reorganized in 1997 and              this award was closed.


2018 Elected Official Award

FOSCL President Marlena White (right) and Kershaw County Library Director Amber Conger (left) presents the 2018 Elected Official Award to Senator Vincent Sheheen.


PO Box 11121, Columbia, SC 29211

Last Updated: January 2, 2024