NORTH BRUNSWICK – Sharon Rawlins, Youth Services consultant for the New Jersey State Library, was named Librarian of the Year by the New Jersey Library Association at its annual conference in Atlantic City on May 30.
Librarians from across New Jersey recognize Rawlins as the go-to person at the State Library for advice and guidance on programs for youth, according to information provided by the New Jersey State Library. She served as head of Youth Services for the library for the Blind & Handicapped, now known as the NJ State Library’s Talking Book and Braille Center (TBBC).
She is an active member of the NJ Library Association (NJLA); works on the annual Youth Services Forum; and is heavily involved in the Collaborative Summer Library Reading Program at the national and state level, having served as president of the organization and coordinator of the New Jersey’s statewide Summer Reading Program, according to the statement.
The North Brunswick resident grew up in Piscataway. After graduating from Piscataway High, she earned her degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Her love of reading led her to consider becoming a librarian, so in 1985 she began her new career at the Metuchen Public Library’s Circulation Desk, according to the statement. In 1991 she received her Master’s in Library Science from Rutgers University. After seven years in Metuchen, she went on to work another 14 years at the Piscataway Public Library with adults and teens, before joining the staff of TBBC.
Rawlins has been a member of Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA) for 23 years. She has served on the American Library Association’s Michael Printz Committee; on the ALA Committee on Literacy; and served as chair of the Association of Specialized & Cooperative Library Agencies’ Youth Services Consultants Discussion Group. She has served on numerous other committees, including the American Library Association’s Margaret A. Edwards and Best Books for Young Adults Award committees; supports the NJ Center for the Book at the annual National Book Festival; plays an active role on the Garden State Book Awards committee; and has given presentations on youth literature for the NJLA, the NJ Association of School Media Specialists, The NJ Education Association, and the NJ Department of Education, according to the statement.