The Micki Nevett Sparkler Award recipient Joyce Laiosa said she is honored to be given an award that remembers her personal friend Micki Nevett, the Westmere Elementary School librarian who died in late December at the age of 52.
Micki Nevett was a kind, dear and generous spirit. I feel lucky to have been touched by her magic wand, said Laiosa, the Voorheesville Public Library youth services librarian. `She was an inspiration to so many librarians in the Capital District because she was an enthusiastic reader trying to get the right book into a child’s hand. I am honored to have received this award — Micki’s award.` Laiosa was given the award in May at the Children’s Literature Connection of New York membership banquet at the Glen Sanders Mansion.
Nevett helped to create the Children’s Literature Connection, which brought authors, illustrators and other individuals who loved children’s literature together as well as help to bring children the joys of reading as a librarian in the Guilderland School District.
The award consisted of a $1,000 personal prize for Laiosa and $1,000 donation to the library of her choice. Laiosa has planned on giving the donation to the Voorheesville Public Library with hopes that the money is used in the children’s area or in collection development in hopes that it will help young people into the library.
Mary Fellows, the manager of youth services for the Upper Hudson Library System, said that Laiosa is `exceptionally deserving of an award for a ‘sparkler.’ She is both a diamond of great value for the community of Voorheesville in her work at the library, and a shining star among those of us who are her colleagues!`
The Children’s Literature Connection, the organization that Nevett helped found, was looking for an individual who is `an individual in our community who is a true champion of children’s literature ` a ‘sparkler’ ` someone who excites and inspires others through sharing her or his own great love for reading.` The fact that the award winner was a close friend of Nevett makes it even more special as the CLC moves on with the award in coming years to help forward the relationship between children and reading.“
