John Paul leads by example, going above and beyond to deliver information and resources to the prison population he serves. His nominator, a person who is incarcerated at ECI, notes that John Paul consistently puts his patrons’ welfare first, even purchasing materials with his own funds if they are unavailable using the library’s resources.

Over the course of his tenure at ECI, John Paul has started or helped start several programs on behalf of his patrons, including creative writing, typing and summer reading programs and a book discussion group in conjunction with Salisbury University that rewards participants with a certificate of completion. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the library space closed to patrons, John Paul pivoted library services to a “Bookmobile” model, delivering books and information requests to and from people in ECI three times a week.

John Paul was honored during the 2022 I Love My Librarian virtual award ceremony. Listen to his remarks below!