A School of Information alumnus Joseph Dellosa (M.S. ‘23) and current Information master’s student Jazmin Jimenez were awarded Florida Library Association (FLA) Awards earlier this year.
FLA awards honor different individuals, organizations, and additional library supporters who extend help to their library system. Dellosa and Jimenez were both awarded The Betty Davis Miller Youth Services Award which recognizes an individual or group for their outstanding program creation which offers direct service to youth through a measurable impact.
Dellosa said, “I’m really grateful to all the teachers who gave us the opportunity to share stories with their students and who were so amazing to work with during the program series’ run.” Jimenez added, “This award solidifies the concept of a small and simple idea that can expand and create meaningful and lasting effects. I hope to continue making programs that are equally as impactful and continue to deserve this award beyond this point as well.”
“Storytimes Together” was a series of virtual storytimes created and presented by Dellosa of the South Bay Library and Jimenez of the Pahokee Library in which elementary school classes from all across Palm Beach County were invited to gather together through Zoom to take part in themed read-alouds of picture books.
During the pandemic, Jimenez’s library system, like so many others, was closed to in-person programming. Through these difficulties, she found an opportunity to explore digital programming when staff members were no longer able to bring families and children together to read for fun.
“We conducted ‘Storytimes Together’ to connect schools from all around our county. I think the feeling of togetherness that we were seeking impacted the youth in our community as well as reading stories that were different from what is commonly seen in schools,” said Jimenez.
As staffers at the smallest two branches in their library system, Dellosa and Jimenez did not have access to some of the more advanced technology and equipment at the library system’s flagship locations. The secret ingredients of “Storytimes Together” were not a big budget or expensive marketing strategy, but rather skillful relationship building, a passion for sharing children’s literature, and high-quality storytimes that engaged students and generated strong word-of-mouth among teachers.
When reflecting on this award and its power in the classroom setting, Jimenez said, “It was heartwarming to know teachers were seeking the next Storytime Together and continued contact even after our last Storytime Together.”
Emphasizing the excitement that can result from diving into literature, both Dellosa and Jimenez developed a strong professional partnership through these achievements, “I’m especially proud that this program series was recognized. Jazmin and I ran a program series out of our branches that reached students in every corner of the county. I’m also really proud of Jazmin, who’s one of the most talented library staffers I’ve ever had the privilege to work with, and whose dedication to serving the young people in our community is unparalleled,” said Dellosa.