Public Libraries Section | Awards & Scholarships

Public Library Building Awards

PLS offers annual building awards alternating between renovation work and new construction.

Conference Scholarship Awards

Awards to encourage public librarians (professional degree not required) now in the field, or students in library school, to participate in NYLA or PLS activities.

Innovative Program Award

The PLS Innovative Program Award recognizes and honors innovative, impactful programs produced in public libraries that are new to the library’s community, fulfill an identified need in the community, and have a measurable, positive impact on the target audience.

L. Marion Moshier/Asa Wynkoop Award for Distinguished Librarianship (odd years)

L. Marion Moshier/Asa Wynkoop Award for Distinguished Librarianship honors a librarian who has given outstanding service to a community of a population of 7,500 or less. It is given in odd years and a professional degree is not required.

PLS Developing Leaders Program

The Public Libraries Section believes in supporting public librarians, and their pursuit to lead in the field of public librarianship. For this reason, we award a full scholarship to the Developing Leaders Program to PLS members. On your application to the program, simply select 'yes' under question 10, "Please consider me for available scholarships."

Requests for PLS Programming Support

New York Library Association roundtables and affiliates are eligible to submit a request for conference programming support from PLS. This support is intended to help finance bringing speakers to the annual NYLA conference, or other public library conferences in New York State.