Candice Hardy, a School of Library and Information Studies alum, has been selected as an honoree of the I Love My Librarian award by I Love Libraries, an initiative of the American Library Association.
Hardy was awarded with a cash award during an award ceremony at American Library Association’s LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience. The I Love My Librarian award is a community-nominated award that seeks to award librarians who do outstanding, interesting and compelling work in their libraries and outer communities. Ten librarians from across the US were selected from 1300 nominations, each with their own story.
“Reviewing the sentiments from the faculty, staff, students and community of which I serve moved me to tears, while motivating me to cultivate change in my community through librarianship. This honor is a testament of my belief that libraries are more than literature on shelves, we are a third place for many, a brave space for self-expression and a fountain of knowledge,” said Hardy.
Hardy is the director of the Miles College C. A. Kirkendoll Learning Resources Center in Fairfield, Alabama. She received her undergraduate degree at Miles and graduated with a master’s from UA’s School of Library and Information Studies in 2019. Miles College, a historically Black college, is known for its pivotal role in providing African Americans with college-level education since 1898 in a variety of high-impact fields. For instance, in 1974, they opened an evening law school to address the imbalance of white to Black lawyers in Alabama.
Hardy reflects Miles College’s history of empowerment with her public service acts and her efforts to inspire students. Ahead of the 2024 general election, she organized a campuswide voter activation day that helped students to engage with civic leaders, organizations and the voting process. In the same year, she helped coordinate an exhibition space on the first floor of the Learning Resources Center. The inaugural exhibition, “Roots and Renaissance: An African American Journey through Art,” featured over 25 pieces by local Black artists curated by the Fairfield Black Art Collective.
“I’m delighted that Candice has received this prestigious honor. As a student in the UA Master’s in Library and Information Studies program, she was extremely conscientious and deeply concerned about addressing the informational needs of everyone in her library community,” said Dr. Jamie Naidoo. “It is powerful to see her apply what she learned to her current position, welcoming students and meeting the diverse literacy needs of patrons at her campus. We are proud to have Candice as a graduate of UA SLIS!”
Under Hardy’s Leadership, the learning resources center has become a hub for students, offering a breadth of programming and events such as a career readiness closet and activities like film screenings, panel discussions and author visits. For example, the center hosted a screening and discussion of a documentary about the Clotilda—the last known shop to bring enslaved Africans to America—as an important piece of African American history. Through her programs, Hardy is educating and empowering her student body on social, political and intellectual levels.
“Libraries will continue to be viable sources of light to our communities,” said Hardy. “Special thanks to professors like Dr. Naidoo, Dr. Yates and my employers for enhancing my skills to exceed boundaries.”
The I Love My Librarian award is funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, with additional support from the New York Public Library, and is administered by the American Library Association.
Learn more about the I Love My Librarian award and the other honorees at the American Library Association’s website.