PRESS RELEASE

Arizona State Librarian honored for career of leadership, commitment

Library Association honors GladysAnn Wells with Rosenzweig Distinguished Service Award

PHOENIX – In recognition of a career spent advancing the cause of libraries across Arizona, State Librarian GladysAnn Wells received the Rosenzweig Distinguished Service Award today during an annual conference of the Arizona Library Association.

The Service Award is bestowed each year upon a single individual who has exhibited superior leadership over the past decade in the promotion of libraries and library services, support of the Arizona Library Association, mentoring and development of staff and overall contributions to the future of librarianship and information science.

“The Arizona Library Association has certainly chosen a worthy recipient of this award in GladysAnn Wells,” said Secretary of State Ken Bennett. “GladysAnn has been tireless in her advocacy on behalf of libraries and her devotion to furthering and improving library services for the public.”

The Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records is a division of the Secretary of State’s Office.

Wells has been State Librarian and director of the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records since 1997. In that role, she oversees a staff of 115 and guides the State Library’s work to preserve and protect public records and historical information, the operation of a research and law library, programs for community libraries and services for the visually and physically-disabled, such as the Braille and Talking Book Library.

“GladysAnn’s wealth of knowledge and experience, coupled with her willingness to serve, makes her an invaluable asset to our profession,” said Cynthia Landrum, president of the Arizona Library Association. “I count it as both an honor and a privilege to recognize her with the Rosenzweig Distinguished Service Award.”

Among Wells’ accomplishments as State Librarian, she has:

• Overseen and assisted with the receipt of more than $64 million in grants for Arizona cultural institutions.
• Achieved federal support to improve computer and broadband access at public libraries, helping transform these institutions into places where Arizonans can find jobs, further their education and seek job training.
• Guided nationally-recognized programs to address the new challenges of public records preservation in an increasingly-digital world.
• Celebrated childhood literacy and lifelong learning through revitalization of the Arizona Center for the Book and other efforts.