Carbondale librarian named Illinois Librarian of the Year

CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) - The director of the Carbondale Public Library in southern Illinois has been named the state's Librarian of the Year.

The (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan reports that Diana Sussman earned the honored from the Illinois Library Association. Sussman has been with the Carbondale library for seven years. She says in her time as director she's seen funding for social service agencies decrease, bringing more disadvantaged people to the library. To address the problem the library now has a social worker on staff and offers an internship for a Southern Illinois University social work master's degree student.

Sussman previously was director of the Southern Illinois Talking Book Center, which serves the blind among others. She will receive the award Oct. 10 in Tinley Park at the association's annual conference.

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Information from: Southern Illinoisan, http://www.southernillinoisan.com