Winners Represent Big Cities, Small Towns and All Types of Libraries Across the Nation
Farmington Hills, Mich., April 14, 2014 — Gale, part of Cengage Learning and a leading publisher of research and education resources for libraries, schools and businesses, today announced the winners of its “Libraries Are Beautiful – Inside and Out” photo contest. Launched in celebration of National Library Week, taking place this week – April 13-19, the contest showcases libraries that make their communities a more beautiful place—physically or metaphorically. The top five per category were selected by experts in art, architecture and design. From the 25 finalists, winners were chosen by popular vote – and include:
- Best in Show – Most Modern Architecture: Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, Memphis, TN – “Double Take”
- Most Unique Structure/Art Installation: Wagner Community School Library, Wagner, SD – “Reading in the Shadows”
- Greatest Historical Treasure: James J. Hill Reference Library, Saint Paul, MN – “A Passion for Detail”
- Most Modern Architecture: James B. Hunt Jr. Library, Raleigh, NC – “The bookBot at NC State University’s James B. Hunt Jr. Library”
- Coolest Internal Space: Downtown Reno Library, Reno, NV – “The Great Outdoors, Indoors”
- Best Curb Appeal: Rangeley Public Library, Rangeley, ME – “Of Stone and Books”
“Libraries truly make their communities a brighter place and improve the lives of those who use them, and that is so clearly demonstrated by the enormous response we received to our contest with more than 800 submissions and nearly 30,000 votes cast,” said Nader Qaimari, senior vice president, sales and marketing for Gale. “Advocacy on behalf of libraries is an important pillar for us at Gale and we’re so proud to recognize these winning libraries.”
Each “Best of Category” winner will take home $500 and the “Best in Show” winner, Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library in Memphis, TN, will take home the $2,500 grand prize. In addition, to celebrate the many wonderful submissions received, Gale will be featuring several photo entries on its corresponding social media channels each week for the next several weeks. To enjoy the wonderful entries received, follow Gale at GaleAcademic, GalePublic and GaleSchool or on our blog – http://blog.gale.com/.
For more information on Gale and its commitment to libraries, please visit www.gale.cengage.com.