Shugana Williams, librarian at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston Campus, received the I Love My Librarian Award, administered by the American Library Association, on Thursday, December 3 in New York City.

She was selected for the award in recognition of her outstanding public service to the community and ongoing commitment to transforming lives through education and lifelong learning. Williams was one of only 10 librarians within the United States recognized this year for this esteemed honor.

Williams has been recognized for her ability to engage students with programs and services that support individual opportunity and community progress.

When working with students, she strives to make learning fun and accessible. She provides invaluable assistance on subjects such as data collection, digitization and archival processing. She was recognized for her archival expertise and now conducts workshops across three states.

Williams facilitated the highly praised “Six Degrees West” exhibit and lecture, which exposed students to a different understanding of the Muslim world. The program, attended by students, faculty and local residents, opened up dialogues and made new connections between people of different faiths.

Williams received a $5,000 prize at an award ceremony and reception held in New York City, hosted by Carnegie Corporation of New York, which generously sponsors the award. The New York Public Library and The New York Times are co-sponsors of the award.

As part of the award process, library users nationwide are invited to nominate their favorite librarians working in public, school, college, community college and university libraries. This year more than 1,300 library patrons submitted detailed stories showing how their librarian had an impact on their communities and lives by connecting people with the information access and critical resources they need to succeed in today’s digital age.

This year’s award recipients include four academic librarians, three public librarians and three school librarians. Click here to read a complete list of the 2015 I Love My Librarian Award recipients.