The Association for Rural & Small Libraries Announces the 2026 ARSL Award Recipients

SEATTLE, WA — The Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2026 ARSL Awards. The nominees for these national library awards have set a high standard for our professional communities, and we thank them for their service to rural and small libraries!

Solo Librarian of the Year Award

This award recognizes the ARSL members who wear the most hats of all. The recipient of this award is a solo or nearly-solo library worker (3 or fewer staff) who best demonstrates commitment to their community and to ARSL's organizational values through the work that they do.

2026 Solo Librarian of the Year - Jessie Hoag, Toronto Public Library, Toronto, Kansas
Jessie Hoag receives this award for transforming the Toronto Public Library into a thriving community hub in just three years. She offers more than 100 programs annually to a service population of only 500 people. Her deep commitment to accessibility and intellectual freedom, paired with her willingness to meet patrons wherever they are, has strengthened trust and engagement in her rural Kansas community. Jessie's work proves that a library's impact doesn't have to be limited by its size or staff.

Other nominees for this award include:

  • Melissa Small, Town of Readfield
  • Chelsea Price, Meservey Public Library
  • Raeanne Smith, Scio Memorial Library

Innovative Service Award

This award goes to a library or individual library worker who has employed innovative and creative thinking to devise new ways to serve their community. This could be achieved through the establishment of a new program or service, or by enhancing an existing one.

2026 Innovative Service Award - Kristin Smith, Scottdale Public Library, Scottdale, Pennsylvania
Kristin Smith receives this award for reimagining the Scottdale Public Library as the true heart of her community. She founded multiple programs to unite local nonprofits and businesses to plan creative fundraising events that keep the library vibrant and essential. Her leadership as Chair of ARSL's Governance Committee and her willingness to share her strategies through mentorship and conference presentations have strengthened rural libraries far beyond her own, while ensuring small-town innovation has a voice on the national stage.

Other nominees for this award include:

  • Joy Kyhn, Ravenna Public Library
  • Amanda Doherty, Mt. Pulaski Public Library District
  • Gary Rider, Moundsville - Marshall County Library

Equity Champion Award

This award recognizes a library or individual library worker who has demonstrated a commitment to sustained Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) practices through the work they do. They have identified one or more systemic barriers to access or service within their organization and have taken action to remove them.

2026 Equity Champion Award - Tyler Hahn, Cherokee Public Library, Cherokee, Iowa
Tyler Hahn receives this award for his innovative work closing the rural digital divide at Cherokee Public Library. By building an esports and STEM initiative, he helped connect Iowa youth with peers in Japan, Mexico, India, and beyond. His generous mentorship of colleagues at rural libraries nationwide and his advocacy with policymakers have strengthened equitable access to technology and education while positioning small libraries as essential infrastructure in the national conversation on digital equity.

Other nominees for this award include:

  • Stacy Lane, Laurel Public Library
  • Michael Hull, Southeast Oklahoma Library System

Distinguished Service Award

This award goes to a library or individual library worker who has demonstrated significant, sustained community engagement and impact in alignment with ARSL's Organizational Values. Service may be directly related to library programs, events, or services, or may be tangentially related to library work through contributions to local civic or volunteer organizations as a representative of their library. This award can consider service undertaken for the duration of an individual's career, not only the last calendar year.

2026 Distinguished Service Award - Clare Graham, Malvern-Hot Spring County Library, Malvern, Arkansas
Clare Graham receives this award for her exceptional leadership expanding services across six branches of the Mid-Arkansas Regional Library system. She has broadened existing outreach services and secured grant funding for new ones, developing partnerships with community stakeholders along the way. Her tireless advocacy at the state level and her mentorship of junior staff have strengthened rural library service throughout Hot Spring County while ensuring underserved communities have equitable access to books and programming.

Other nominees for this award include:

  • Denita Thomas, Middle Georgia Regional Library
  • Karen Bowling, Smithfield Public Library
  • Mary Cronin, Cook Memorial Library
  • Cheryl Simpson, Emporia Public Library
  • Anthony Morris, San Juan Island Library

Library Journal's Best Small Library in America

In addition to ARSL's own awards, Library Journal's Best Small Library in America was recognized at our Awards Lunch. Congratulations to the Goshen County Library board and Director Cristine Braddy, whose work was honored with this national distinction. Read more.

For more information about the ARSL Awards, please visit https://www.arsl.org/annual-awards.