Sullivan Award Goes to Kathleen Reif

Kathleen Reif, director of St. Mary’s County Library, Leonardtown, MD, is the 2013 recipient of the Peggy Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Services to Children. The Sullivan Award, administered by the American Library Association (ALA), is presented annually to an individual in a library administrator role who has shown exceptional understanding and support of public library service to children. The award will be presented at the ALA President’s Program, Sunday, June 30, at the Annual Conference in Chicago.

Among the lauds from her nomination packet, this statement of support came from Reif’s staff—“We have witnessed and can attest to her unwavering commitment to early literacy and her relentless drive to improve and promote it here and elsewhere.” Accomplishments include Reif’s development of the Maryland Association of Public Library Administrators (MAPLA) Birth to Four Task Force in 1998, which led to a statewide campaign titled “It’s Never Too Early.” She also created St. Mary’s County Library’s Words on Wheels (WoW!) Van Service, which visits childcare providers and centers and distributes WoW! Bags containing books, music, and Every Child Ready to Read learning and activity sheets.

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