Hartford Librarian Homa Naficy Earns National Public Service Honor

Homa Naficy, executive director of The American Place at the Hartford Public Library has been selected as a winner of this year’s I Love My Librarian Award, presented by the American Library Association (ALA).

Recognized for her leadership in her community and commitment transforming lives, she is one of only 10 librarians in the country to receive this national honor. The I Love My Librarian Award encourages library users to recognize the accomplishments of exceptional public, school, college, community college, or university librarians.

“Homa is the consummate librarian – passionate about connecting people with the services and information they need to succeed. Her efforts in Hartford are legendary; she has touched the lives of thousands of people and barely takes a breath before embarking on the next project or program that will undoubtedly help thousands more. We are proud to have Homa as part of the HPL family – we love our Librarian!” said HPL President and CEO Bridget Quinn-Carey.

She has developed a partnership with Hartford’s United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office and received accreditation by the Bureau of Immigration Affairs to provide legal services to immigrants, the first library in the nation to receive that designation.

Through her efforts, the library has made its mark as a cradle of opportunity and a springboard of upward mobility, offering programs that help in the acquisition of English language skills, preparation for employment in the health care and food service industries, completion of GED or high school credentials and the attainment of U.S. citizenship.

The ALA noted that ‘in an area where 40 percent of residents do not have access to broadband internet services, the library bridges the digital divide with the Crossroads-to-Connectivity project, which allows participants to borrow a laptop and mobile Wi-Fi device for an extended time period and receive training in how to use the equipment.”

Officials also noted that Naficy has reached out to the community, partnering with Hartford Public Schools on an online, interactive curriculum that builds students’ linguistic and academic skills through assignments that foster the concept of belonging – to one’s school, neighborhood and community.

Born in Paris, a native of Iran, and now an American citizen, Chief Adult Learning Officer, Homa Naficy began her library career as a reference librarian at Newark Public Library. Before joining the staff of Hartford Public Library, she served as a reference librarian at Yonkers Public Library and later as librarian for Adult Services and Outreach for the Westchester Library System. Naficy is a past recipient of the Connecticut Immigrant of the Year Award, and in 2013 she was chosen a Champion of Change by The White House. She holds a Master’s of Library Science from Rutgers University.

The American Library Association (ALA) receives I Love My Librarian Award nominations from the general public that showcase the lasting contributions of dynamic librarians working in public, school, college, community college and university libraries. This year library users nationwide submitted 1,974 detailing how their favorite librarians have gone above and beyond to improve community members’ lives.

Since the award’s inception in 2008, ALA has selected up to 10 librarians from a pool of hundreds of nominations. A total of 120 librarians have won the award to date.

This year’s award winners will each receive a $5,000 cash prize, a plaque and a travel stipend to attend the I Love My Librarian Award ceremony in Philadelphia on Jan. 25, 2020, during ALA’s Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits. The event will be streamed via Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/AmericanLibraryAssociation/ .

Carnegie Corporation of New York generously sponsors the I Love My Librarian Award. The New York Public Library and the New York Times are award co-sponsors. Information regarding previous award winners, can be found on the I Love My Librarian website at http://www.ilovelibraries.org/lovemylibrarian.

Now celebrating its 126th year, Hartford Public Library remains at the forefront of redefining the urban library experience in the 21st Century. With seven locations throughout the city, the library provides education, intellectual enrichment and cultural development for thousands of children, youth and adults every year.

Hartford Public Library has also gained local and national recognition for its wide range of new initiatives and partnerships designed to meet the needs of a diverse and dynamic city and region, including immigration services, employment assistance and youth leadership training. The library’s website is  www.hplct.org.