The Portage Lake District Library has won the June B. Mendel Award for Excellence in Rural Library Service from the Library of Michigan.
Library Director Dillion Geshel, broke down what the award means.
The award, which has been given out bi-annually, since 2016 marks the 1st time an Upper Peninsula library has won.
The award also honors the partnership with the Hancock Public School Library, which has seen circulation of library materials more than doubled, library card sign ups have more than tripled, and thousands more patrons have visited, since PLDL started managing it in November of 2018.
Hancock Public Schools Superintendent Steve Patchin said “Thanks to the PLDL leadership, our school public library is a key intellectual resource in helping our rural community keep pace with the advances in technology and knowledge as the physical and cyber worlds merge.“