The 2024 Distinguished Service Award, which honors exceptionally meritorious statewide service to libraries and the Pennsylvania Library Association, was given to Melinda Tanner, District Services Manager and Consultant Librarian with the Westmoreland County Federated Library System, on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, in recognition of her service to the Association.
Members and community volunteers who go above and beyond the call of duty to support the work of libraries throughout the state are honored annually by the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA). A committee of association members reviews the nominations submitted in late summer and selects winners for a series of categories.
Melinda has worked directly with over fifty libraries in Westmoreland, Fayette, Greene, and Washington counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and her impact extends far beyond these partnerships. She has given the Pennsylvania Library Association numerous significant contributions.
Among her many notable accomplishments and initiatives is the creation of the association’s Rural and Small Libraries Roundtable, her service on a National Science Foundation project that brought top-notch science programming to libraries, and her teamwork on state library code changes and the creation of the highly successful PA Forward project.
She continues to have a positive influence on the libraries in Westmoreland County and Pennsylvania in her present position as the WCFLS District Consultant. Melinda gladly offers her extensive knowledge of governance challenges, operational strategies, human resources management, and library rules with her peers and colleagues. Her work mentoring other librarians and influencing the careers of many young library professionals are among her most significant achievements.