NKU Honors Two Librarians with Trailblazer Award in Paducah
For immediate release…
Tuesday – Oct. 28, 2014
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Two Kentucky librarians will receive the Northern Kentucky University Trailblazer Award for Leadership in Library Informatics Oct. 30 at the Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center in Paducah at 5:30 p.m. as part of the 2014 #RoadToNKU Commonwealth Tour.
Tara Copeland Irvan and Judy Waldrop are both graduates of NKU’s library informatics program and both work at the Marshall County Public Library in Benton, Kentucky.
Tara is a recent NKU graduate and works in the technical services area of the Marshall County Public Library. She pursued her Bachelor of Library Informatics because of all the future possibilities it could make possible in her future at the library. She now feels she is better educated to face the many changes the library world is going through and will go through, to meet the needs of the public. She will not be able to attend the reception.
Judy has worked at the Marshall County Public Library for more than 12 years. She started as a volunteer and moved up to a full-time position.
She graduated from NKU in 2013.
“I was hesitant at first to pursue the library informatics degree because of my age,” Judy said. “But as the information that people seek is no longer just limited to books, I knew that I needed to be better equipped in all information areas so that as the library progresses forward, I could move with it. So with the full support of my family and employer I decided to take advantage of a great opportunity.”
Once Judy received her degree in library informatics, she was promoted to Head of Technical Services.
The pair will join several area mathematics teachers who will also be honored with the NKU Trailblazer Award for persistence in making a difference in the mathematics skills of our children.
“The Trailblazer Award is recognition of those citizens throughout the state who are changing lives through new and innovative education programs,” NKU President Geoffrey S. Mearns said. “With improved math skills and added library capacity, Kentucky's children will be better prepared to meet the demands of this century.”
The event is open to the public and will include an opportunity for high school students and adults interested in completing their degree to meet with university admissions representatives. RSVPs can be made at http://roadto.nku.edu/.
The #RoadToNKU is a tour of community engagement activities throughout the Commonwealth. This trip to Paducah is the fifth of eight stops through Dec. 4.
