– Additional awards received for marketing and intellectual freedom –
BROWARD COUNTY, FL – Broward County Library (BCL) received three awards from the Florida Library Association (FLA), including the 2026 FLA Library of the Year. Additional honors include the 2026 FLA Intellectual Freedom Award and the 2026 FLA Communications Excellence Award. Additionally, the Westside Gazette newspaper, nominated by Broward County Library, received the FLA Library Media/Business Partner of the Year Award.
“Winning Library of the Year and these prestigious honors is a testament to our staff’s dedication to innovation, intellectual freedom, and to providing Broward County residents with a full range of outstanding informational, educational, and recreational library services and resources,” says Broward County Library Director Allison Grubbs.
Broward County Library – Library of the Year Award
Broward County Library is an award-winning library system that connects with the community through innovative, enriching partnerships, programs, and initiatives; promotes inclusion, equity, and freedom of access to information; provides cutting-edge technology and training; and encourages staff development by offering employees a range of educational opportunities. In FY25, BCL’s 37 branches were open 90,000 hours and welcomed over five million visitors. BCL also registered 100,000 new library cards for a total of 1.4 million library cardholders, reaching approximately 70% of the county’s population.
Watch the library’s video Annual Report to learn more.
Black History Saturday School Communiversity Series – Intellectual Freedom Award
Black History Saturday School Communiversity Series is a multi-generational initiative created and hosted by Broward County’s African American Research Library and Cultural Center that provides, free monthly Black History classes that are open to all. Black History Saturday School embodies the core tenets of intellectual freedom by providing an open platform where diverse histories are preserved and disseminated freely.
Freegal Quest – Communications Excellence Award
Broward County Library’s Freegal Quest was a three-month marketing campaign designed to increase customer awareness and usage of Freegal, a free streaming music service offered by Broward County Library. It used a multi-channel approach with print, social media and digital marketing, programming, outreach, and the use of staff as brand ambassadors or “Freegal Wizards.” The results were a 154% increase in new users and a 33% increase in number of songs streamed.
- The Westside Gazette – Outstanding Library Media or Business Partner Award
Since the early 1970s, the Westside Gazette, the region’s oldest Black-owned newspaper, has been a cheerleader and champion of Broward County Library, consistently publicizing its services and events and promoting fundraising efforts. Under the leadership of publisher Bobby Henry, Sr., the Gazette recently donated 50 years of historic back issues for BCL to digitize, archive and make accessible to the public. The project was featured in the February 2026 issue of the BCL Magazine and in an accompanying video.
The awards will be presented at the upcoming 2026 Florida Library Association Conference on May 6 in Orlando, Florida. In celebration of this honor, Broward County Library will release a commemorative “Library of the Year” library card that will be available to the public later this year.
About Broward County Libraries
Broward County Libraries Division, named 2026, 2020 and 2015 Library of the Year by the Florida Library Association, was founded in 1974 and is one of the largest and busiest library systems in Florida. Broward County Libraries Division’s 37 locations provide convenient access to a full range of innovative and cost-effective services that satisfy the changing needs of the people of Broward County for information, education and recreation. Visit our website, Broward.org/Library, or follow Libraries on Facebook and X.
*The Libraries Division is a service of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.
(954) 357-5520
LibraryMarketing@Broward.org
