Ghada Elturk, outreach librarian at the Boulder (Colo.) Public Library, was honored at ALA Annual Conference as the 2013 recipient of the ALA Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT) Distinguished Librarian Award. She is donating her award to the American Indian Library Association, Asian/Pacific American Library Association, the Black Caucus of ALA, REFORMA – the National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, as well as EMIERT, all organizations which she has served as a longstanding and active member.

CHICAGO — Ghada Elturk, outreach librarian at the Boulder (Colo.) Public Library, was honored at ALA Annual Conference as the 2013 recipient of the ALA Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT) Distinguished Librarian Award. Given biennially, the award recognizes a librarian for outstanding achievement and leadership in serving the community by significant collection building and outreach services and developing creative multicultural materials and programs.

As the outreach librarian for Boulder Public Library (BPL) Elturk takes leadership roles in numerous multicultural activities in Boulder. Her many accomplishments at BPL include the design and implementation of its community and cultural outreach program; implementing a wide variety of conversations programs (English, Spanish, Afghan, Arabic); establishing and implementing Cesar Chavez Day in Boulder; establishing diversity literature discussion groups (Arabic, Latino, poetry workshops for youth); and implementing diverse film festivals.

“Ms. Elturk is appreciated by peoples of all cultures in Boulder as they realize what she has done to get them to the library by offering access to all types of materials in their particular cultural, multicultural programs, and other library services,” said EMIERT Chair Tess Tobin. “She is a bridge-builder in a diverse society.”

Elturk received a monetary award of $500 from EMIERT as part of the award, which she is donating to the American Indian Library Association, Asian/Pacific American Library Association, the Black Caucus of ALA, REFORMA – the National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, as well as EMIERT, all organizations which she has served as a longstanding and active member.

For more information, please visit www.ala.org/emiert.

Celebrating its 35th year anniversary, the Ethnic and Multicultural Information and Exchange Round Table (EMIERT) serves as a source of information for recommended ethnic and multilingual collections, services and programs.