Hendrick Hudson Free Library Wins Joseph Shubert Award

The Joseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award is given annually to recognize the achievements of small, medium and large libraries and library consortia in New York State. Named after the late Joseph F. Shubert, former State Librarian, the Award honors libraries or library consortia that have taken significant steps within the past two years to improve the quality of library service to users.
The New York State Regents Advisory Council is pleased to sponsor theJoseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award. The award includes a gift of $1,000 supplied by the Friends of the New York State Library. Other notable projects may also be recognized and honored for their achievements.

2016 Award

The New York State Regents Advisory Council on Libraries is pleased to announce that the 2016 Joseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award has been awarded to the Hendrick Hudson Free Library for their being the first library in Westchester County to be certified as a Green Business.
In mid-2013, the Hendrick Hudson Free Library began what would be a year and a half process to become the first library in Westchester County to achieve Green Business Certification. Westchester Green Business-Certified (WGBC) is the region’s only green business certification program that provides the tools, training, and expertise for organizations to become true green business leaders within their industries. Certification is achieved through visionary leadership, organizational commitment and the successful integration of environmental sustainability into all areas of operation. The Library was part of the pilot group of businesses (both for profit and not for profit) who undertook the challenge and they received their certification January 21, 2015. Participation in the WGBC allowed them to be a model for the community and it gave them the opportunity to showcase what they were already doing right while helping to find ways they could do more and advance the need for sustainable thinking as something that everyone must incorporate into their daily lives.
Now that they have completed the official certification process, the Hendrick Hudson Free Library continues to collect relevant data on energy, waste, purchasing and submit it yearly to WGBC. The Library has received recognition for its achievements in leadership and education in the field of environmental conservation and efficiency from the Westchester Business Council, their local public officials, as well as their County Executive.
The award will be officially presented in November at the New York Library Association Conference in Saratoga Springs. As the 2016 Shubert Award winner, the Hendrick Hudson Free Library will receive $1,000, which is graciously donated by the Friends of the New York State Library, and a plaque.
Members of the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries 2016 Shubert Award Committee are Steven Manning, Claudia Depkin and Ann Thornton. The Committee was uniformly enthusiastic in its decision to honor the Hendrick Hudson Free Library submission as an excellent example of the “spirit of the Shubert award.”