July 7, 2020
West Vancouver, B.C. – The West Vancouver Memorial Library Youth Department was awarded the BC Library Association’s Young Adult and Children’s Services Award (YAACS Award).
The YAACS Award recognizes exceptional service by librarians, library technicians, teacher-librarians, and others who have, as individuals or teams, demonstrated exceptional dedication in children’s and youth library services.
The West Vancouver Memorial Library (WVML) Youth Department is a small but mighty team of four staff: Shannon Ozirny, Youth Department Head; Roseanne Hinmueller, Youth Librarian; Lise Nielsen, Youth Librarian; Patricia Lesku, Digital Access Librarian. Together they are a highly innovative and collaborative team making a significant difference in the community.
The WVML Youth Department established a unique partnership with West Vancouver Schools to create a seamless learning environment where students can move from school to library and back again with support for their learning in either environment. The WVML Youth Department collaborates across departments to create innovative tech-related projects. Staff go beyond basic skill building programs and work to integrate philosophical considerations about why something is important in a participant’s life, and what value it really brings.
Just one great program among several is “Tell Your Story,” an ebook publishing program for students in Grades 5 – 8 to create, edit, design and publish their original work as circulating ebooks.