January 11, 2013 Kenneth Colangelo

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Tunxis Community College librarian Rachel Hyland was one of ten librarians in the country to receive the 2012 Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times “I Love My Librarian” Award on December 18 during a ceremony at The Times Center in New York City.

The annual award recognizes the contributions of exceptional public, school, college, community college and university librarians. Hyland received the honor for changing the way students, faculty and administrators think about information literacy at Tunxis, and her skill for finding relevant, authoritative material to share with the college community.

“I am thrilled to represent community colleges, and specifically Tunxis Community College, in receiving this honor of a lifetime,” said Hyland. “I am grateful for the warmth and generosity of those in the Tunxis community who nominated me and all who support me and our students every day of the year,” she continued. “It is immensely gratifying and humbling to be recognized by my peers.”

Hyland received a plaque and $5,000 cash award, which will be donated to charity, including the Tunxis Community College Foundation’s scholarship fund.

Among her recent accomplishments during her 12-year tenure at Tunxis, Hyland leads information literacy collaboration with faculty, directed design of the Library’s interactive website, and created a library blog. She heads collection development, and has improved the relevancy and vibrancy of the library’s collection by using a “just in time,” “just in case,” and “just for you” philosophy. She also leads a monthly short story lunch group for Tunxis faculty and staff. Hyland holds a master of library science degree from Southern Connecticut State University. She resides in West Hartford.

Full nominations for Hyland are available at http://atyourlibrary.org/ilovemylibrarian.

The award is a collaborative program of Carnegie Corporation of New York, The New York Times and the American Library Association.

Located in Farmington, Tunxis offers over 60 associate’s degrees and certificates, providing critical thinking and problem-solving skills that prepare students for transfer to bachelor’s degree programs and employment in areas with industry need. For more information on programs at Tunxis, call 860.773.1300. Visit the Tunxis website at tunxis.edu.