St. Louis County Library Awarded Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize
February 3, 2025 – Library Journal (LJ) today announced that St. Louis County Library, MO, has been awarded the sixth annual Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize. Developed in partnership between the Gerald M. Kline Family Foundation and LJ, this award recognizes the powerful synergy that results when a library works closely with both its local government and its community.
To honor its exemplary record, the library will receive $250,000 from the Gerald M. Kline Family Foundation and is showcased in LJ’s February 2025 issue, available in print and online.
“I’m pleased to recognize St. Louis County Library, where exceptional results have been achieved with strong support from local government and community,” said Gerald (Jerry) Kline, CEO of the Gerald M. Kline Family Foundation.
“St. Louis County Library’s dedication to its community can’t be denied,” said Lisa Peet, Executive Editor of Library Journal. “By partnering with local government, nonprofits, businesses, and school districts, the library has become a pivotal force in addressing the critical issues surrounding it, such as food insecurity, digital equity, and services for justice-involved individuals, just to name a few. SLCL’s ability to listen and respond to the community’s needs has driven meaningful change that will continue in years to come.”
“We are incredibly honored to receive this prestigious award honoring the work of our fantastic employees,” said Kristen Sorth, SLCL Director & CEO. “St. Louis County Library has transformed library service in our region. We have been standing up for our community, removing barriers, and increasing access to library services before and especially during the pandemic, and we have remained standing. Together with our community partners, we provide essential services such as meals, diapers, technology, tutoring, notaries, and social work services at our branches. Libraries move people forward wherever they are in life—and we see the impact of that work every day.”
SLCL has earned a reputation as a place for community connection, collaboration, and refuge. The Library collaborates with numerous nonprofits, key businesses, school districts, and municipal, county, and state governments at all levels. These strategic partnerships allow effective community responses to issues such as food insecurity, diaper and period supply insecurity, digital equity, services for justice-involved individuals, and mobile health services. Through these valuable collaborations and steadfast efforts, SLCL has played a pivotal role in advancing the community and improving the lives of all its residents making SLCL a vital community asset.
St. Louis County Library is the busiest public library in Missouri. SLCL's mission is to provide resources and services to enrich individual minds, enhance lives and expand perspectives. In 2024, SLCL circulated over 11 million items including books, DVDs, eMedia, video games, periodicals and CDs. The Library District consists of 20 branches, all 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.
Garland County Library, AR; North Bergen Free Public Library, NJ; and Queens Public Library, NY, were named as honorable mentions, and are also profiled in the February issue of Library Journal.
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Founded in 1876, Library Journal is a trade publication serving librarians and library workers. Sharing important news and perspectives that shape the field, surfacing best practices and innovations to invest in, identifying emerging leaders, guiding purchasing decisions, and acting as an advocate for librarians and libraries, Library Journal has been leading the field through the great changes and innovations required to keep libraries strong for nearly 150 years.
The Gerald M. Kline Family Foundation, based in Emeryville, CA, has provided millions of dollars to philanthropic causes since its inception in 1999. One of its focuses is libraries.
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