Grants Pass, April 25, 2025 — The Oregon Library Association (OLA) honored Josephine Community Library Director Kate Lasky as its 2025 Librarian of the Year today at the awards banquet which culminated its annual conference in Eugene.
Helping to present the award to Lasky was Curry Public Library Director Jeremy Skinner, who was instrumental in Lasky’s nomination for the honor and has served with Lasky on OLA statewide committees. In his nomination letter of support, Skinner said, “For many librarians in Oregon, Kate Lasky is a caring friend, a cheerleader, and an inspiration. It is not clear how she makes time for all of this, but she is the first person to reach out and offer encouragement when she learns any of us are in need. She is a role model, demonstrating the impact that one individual can have when they are deeply committed to both personal and professional development in the service of others.”
Also helping to present the award and representing the local community were Josephine Community Library Foundation Executive Director Rebecca Stoltz and Grants Pass Friends of the Library Co-chair Jennifer Roberts.
“Whether she’s standing up to county commissioners, defending the freedom to read, or helping a teen advisory board brainstorm their next big idea,” said Stoltz, “Kate’s north star is always the same: equitable access to knowledge, opportunity, and community.”
“This award is about more than me,” said Lasky. “It’s about the people who never give up on their library, even when things get hard. We’ve been through a lot this year, but we kept showing up for each other. That’s what libraries do. They bring people together; they hold communities together. I’m proud to be part of that story.”
The awards banquet also featured the Library Supporter of the Year, OLA Anti-Racism Recognition Award, and Library Employee of the Year, as well as honors for school librarians. In fact, also from Josephine County, Eva Pieper of Grants Pass School District 7 was honored with the Intellectual Freedom Champion award.
Oregon Library Association is a statewide organization whose mission is to provide advocacy, education, leadership, and collaboration to continually strengthen Oregon’s libraries and the communities they serve.