In an underserved district with high poverty and no nearby bookstores, Highbridge School librarian Roseanna Guliasno has made it her mission to ensure students and their families have access to books and more. From securing donations for school materials to distributing clothes and groceries in a local park during the COVID-19 pandemic, she has soared above the call of duty for her community.

Splitting her time between the school’s two libraries as well as a full teaching schedule of elementary students, Gulisano has worked to procure funding for a variety of student needs, from books reflecting their lives that students keep to build their own home libraries, to groceries and coats for families struggling to afford meals and stay warm in the winter, to library technology and furnishings that encourage reading and use of the library space. Additionally, she hosts family reading nights in the community, where families can take home books as well as sign up for public library cards with the New York Public Library, which Gulisano liaises with on behalf of the school.

Gulisano was selected from more than 1,500 nominations from library users nationwide for the 2023 award. As part of her award, she will receive a $5,000 cash prize as well as complimentary registration and a travel stipend to attend ALA's LibLearnX event in New Orleans.

The I Love My Librarian Award is sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, with additional support from the New York Public Library. Since 2008, library users have shared more than 23,000 nominations detailing how librarians have gone above and beyond to promote literacy, expand access to technology, and support diversity and inclusion in their communities.