John M. Gibson Award History

The John M. Gibson Award was initiated by the library’s Board of Trustees in 2005 to recognize excellence in customer service by WCDPL staff. Since then it has been presented annually by the Trustees, who select the recipient from nominations submitted by both library users and WCDPL staff members themselves. Any WCDPL employee (with the exceptions of the library director and deputy director) may be nominated for the Gibson award.

Pictured from left: Trustees Ellen Dalton, Ken Frisch (President); Mike Sibbersen; 2024 Gibson recipient Lauren Canaday Johnson; Trustees Heidi Nees-Carver and Brian Paskvan.

The award was named after the late John M. Gibson in honor of his contributions to the library and his integral role in the library’s 2003 renovation. The award recipient and all nominees will be recognized by the Library Board of Trustees annually during National Library Week.

Past recipients of the Gibson Award are: Mandy Hackley ('05); Mary Callahan Boone ('06); AJ Heilman & Donna Mertz ('07); Deb Born ('08); Kristin Wetzel ('09); Linda Conrad ('10) Maria Simon ('11); Nancy Weiland ('12); Katherine Lawn ('13); Anne Render ('14); Matt Mehling ('15); Victoria (Vicki) Forgette Scanlan ('16);Tara Bahnsen ('17); JJ Hofner ('18); Kevin Puffer ('19); The Children's Place ('20); Angie Babcock ('22); Daniel Hergert ('23); and Lauren Canaday Johnson ('24).