Nicolle Ingui Davies has been named the 2016 Library Journal Librarian of the Year, marking the first time a Colorado librarian has been recognized for the honor. Davies became the Executive Director for Arapahoe Library District in 2012. A District which runs eight libraries and recently received a budgetary increase of $6 million, bringing the total annual budget to $30 million. She began teaching at MCE for the Library and Information Science Program in 2015; Davies taught the Public Libraries course and is scheduled to do so again in the near future.
After becoming ALD’s Executive Director, Davies worked with the library board and staff to create a strategic plan and rebrand the library’s operations by establishing four pillars – deliver very important patron experiences, surprise and delight, make every experience matter, and strive for simplicity – to move ALD from “nice to essential” as a community resource and to ensure memorable experiences for every patron.
In addition to prioritizing high-quality patron interactions, Davies’ transformation of Arapahoe Libraries into essential community centers has included access to technology. Under her leadership, ALD is a local leader by taking on the costs, risks, and rewards of adopting and providing access to products in early development – sharing technology that is in its beta phase has proven to be extremely popular with patrons. Notable products ALD has procured include Google Glass, Go Pro camera, and 3-D printers.
MCE extends its congratulations to Nicolle and the Arapahoe Library District in obtaining national recognition for providing exemplary community leadership and resources. Read the full article here.
