The Missouri Library Association (MLA) has selected UMKC Libraries as the 2010 Library of the Year. Recognizing Miller Nichols Library’s efforts to provide superior services, MLA will present the award at its annual conference at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7 at the Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, Mo.

MLA applauded Sharon L. Bostick, Dean of Libraries, and the UMKC Libraries staff for their commitment to improving and expanding student spaces and installing the region’s first robotic book retrieval system. Once the robot is fully loaded, it will hold about 80 percent of the library’s collection, freeing up space for student, researcher and community use. By the spring of 2011, the library will feature more areas for individual and group study, collaborative learning areas, a new space for presentations and performances and an expanded cafe.

MLA also commended UMKC Libraries for the following:

• Housing exemplary collections and services in a time of economic stress
• Supporting continuing staff education and involvement in professional associations
• Exemplifying participation in networks, systems and cooperative planning with other libraries
• Supporting staff outreach efforts and being open to new ways of offering services

“As president of the Missouri Library Association, I appreciate the leadership of UMKC librarians in state professional activities,” said Sharon McCaslin, MLA president. “Having served on professional boards with Sharon Bostick, I believe that her support of the library profession is exemplary.”

About the Missouri Library Association:

Established in 1900, the Missouri Library Association exists to facilitate the exchange of information and provide professional education for Missouri’s librarians, career library workers and library trustees and friends.

About UMKC Libraries:

An essential partner in intellectual discovery, knowledge creation and empowerment, UMKC Libraries serves as the hub of learning activities for students, researchers and UMKC’s urban neighbors. Not only the home of books and print materials, the UMKC Libraries also provide access to a wide range of audio-visual media, over 300,000 sound recordings and rare and unique collections of books, photographs, manuscripts and maps. UMKC Libraries also link users to a world of scholarly information available through licensed online databases and journals and a vast network of reciprocal borrowing agreements with libraries around the world.

About the University of Missouri-Kansas City:

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 14,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience. For more information about UMKC, visit http://www.umkc.edu/. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch us on YouTube.