Santa Clara Co. Libraries Win Awards For Innovation

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — Libraries in Santa Clara County won two major awards for creating innovative programs this year, the Santa Clara County Library District announced Thursday.

The first award was for the district's "Lending Mindfulness" program, in which the district became the first public library in the country to offer the mindfulness app Headspace to patrons. It was selected out of 260 wellness-related submissions by the Urban Libraries Council, which represents 150 North American libraries.

500 people are enrolled in the program, the district said in a release.

The second award was given by the California State Association of Counties for Rise Up, a partnership between the Gilroy Library and county agencies including the District Attorney's office and the Department of Child and Family Services.

The Rise Up program aims to help parents of youth who have been involved in the criminal justice system avoid negative behaviors like gang activity, the district said. The Santa Clara County district was chosen as the urban library winner in a justice-focused category.

“We will take these honors as validation of our approach to expand the types of services we offer to our patrons," County Librarian Nancy Howe said.