By SALINA POST
Lori Berezovsky of the Salina Public Library is the recipient of the 2024 John Philip Excellence in Outreach Award.
The award is given to an individual in recognition of their outstanding contributions and prominent leadership to the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services. The 2024 award is sponsored by LDV Custom Specialty Vehicles.
"Lori is an advocate for access to library services through outreach. Her commitment to serving seniors and homebound patrons has been a boon to our community," said Salina Public Library Assistant Director Amy Adams.
Lori has been engaged in outreach services for 28 of the 30 years while at Salina Public Library, Salina, Kansas. Armed with a van and a lot of ideas, she strengthened outreach services in Salina and built relationships and trust between the library and community members.
In addition, she served local community organizations, such as the Salina Adult Education Center and the Volunteer Connection. She presents at state library conferences on outreach and community engagement and is persistent in sharing about ABOS.
Lori strengthened ABOS on an international level by promoting ABOS through international communications and connecting with international bookmobile drivers. After two years of virtual conferences, Lori led the Board and the Conference Planning Committee in organizing the first in-person conference in Scottsdale, AZ which saw the highest conference attendance in ABOS history.
As Past President, Lori served on the Strategic Planning, the Conference Planning, and the Nominations Committees and continues to serve in various roles.
The John Philip Excellence in Outreach Award was presented in Indianapolis, Indiana on October 16, 2024 during the 2024 Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services Annual Conference.