(Safford, AZ) – The Library of Congress announced the Safford City-Graham County Library is one of their Literacy Award honorees for 2024. The Safford Library was recognized as an Emerging Strategies honoree for their Early Literacy Concert Series. For twelve years the Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program has recognized organizations in the United States and abroad that provide exemplary, innovative, sustainable, and replicable strategies to promote literacy and reading.
“I see this as an award honoring our library staff. It speaks to their dedication and commitment to our community each day and their goal of striving to provide innovative, thought-provoking cultural opportunities,” said Library Director Victoria Silva.
In her announcement on Monday, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced that 24 organizations were recognized by the Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program. They named four winning organizations for their outstanding contribution to expanding literacy and promoting reading, fifteen honoree organizations for their implementation of successful practices in literacy promotion, and five additional literacy initiative honorees, including the Safford Library, whose programs are in their early stages of development and demonstrate significant promise in their approach to literacy.
The Early Literacy Concert Series began in 2021 as a vehicle to build literacy, school readiness skills, and teacher training through music. Since then, it has grown into a three-day artist residency in Graham and Greenlee counties serving over 2000 children ages zero through second grade, their caregivers, and teachers through interactive concerts and trainings.
“The early literacy concert series is a testament to the power of partnerships in the community. By collaborating with local organizations, we gain access to additional expertise, allowing us to cater to a wider range of interests and needs,” shared Assistant Library Director Lesley Talley.
Library leadership submitted the application last spring, knowing the wait would be over five months. “We felt good about our application, but you just never know who else is applying for these kinds of things on a global level,” said Early Literacy Coordinator Elizabeth Henley. “To say we were thrilled when we found out the good news is an understatement,” she added.
To celebrate this year’s winners and honorees, the Library of Congress will convene the award recipients for a symposium and recognition event at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. at the end of October. Assistant Library Director Lesley Talley and Early Literacy Coordinator Elizabeth Henley will represent the library at the event.
In addition to this prestigious recognition, the Safford City-Graham County library will also receive a cash prize which will be put toward costs for next spring’s Early Literacy Concert Series. Additional information on this year’s recipients and previous winners, as well as an interactive program map, are available at www.loc.gov/literacy.
