Martha Simpson, Children’s Department Head Cited by CT Library Association
by Tom Holehan
Public Relations & Programming
Stratford Public Library
The Connecticut Library Association has selected Head of Children’s Services, Martha Simpson, as the 2021 recipient of the Faith Hektoen Award. The award is presented annually to a librarian who has developed an outstanding program or project that has made a significant impact on library service for children in Connecticut.
Simpson was nominated for her work in bringing the Healing Library Kit program to life in Stratford and also for her agility in creating an online version of the program to address the needs of children and families during the pandemic. The reach of the program was significantly expanded with the availability of online kits reaching users nationwide.
The Healing Library program provided an opportunity for the Library to collaborate with both Stratford Parents’ Place and Stratford Community Services. Simpson was also proactive in spreading the word to local nursery schools and daycare providers.
According to Library Director Sheri Szymanski, Simpson will receive her award during the Connecticut Library Association Conference (CLA) to be held virtually later this year. She added, “We are pleased that the CLA recognized what we have known for many years, that Martha Simpson is an invaluable resource to our Library and the greater Stratford community. We congratulate her on this great honor”.
For more information about the Healing Library kit program, visit: http://stratfordlibrary.org/healing-library/.
