The Board of Trustees of the Howland Public Library is delighted to announce that Jennifer Kurtz has been selected as the recipient of the first Helen Savoit Award for Library Advocacy.
      
Jennifer is the Assistant Director of the Beacon Community Center, an elected member of the Beacon City School District Board of Education, and an active member of the Glenham PTO.  Jennifer Kurtz and her family have lived in the Town of Fishkill for over 10 years.

Jennifer serves on the Main Street Corridor Committee for Beacon and the Beacon of Hope Committee.  She was involved with the 2008 Taste of Beacon, and is a member of BACA, the Beacon Arts Community Association.  She has worked for Arbolino Insurance and is licensed for property & casualty and life & health insurance.       

Jennifer Kurtz was nominated for the award by HPL Adult Services Librarian Alison Herrero because of her role as a bridge between the Beacon Community Center and the Howland Public Library.  Jennifer chose HPL to host a "Celebrating Seniors" event, bringing a large group of BCC Seniors to the library. She encouraged HPL to bring our "Wii" gaming system to the BCC to demonstrate the bowling game to seniors. She included  HPL on the BCC "Senior Council", providing an opportunity to discuss library programs face-to-face with a variety of "movers and shakers" in Beacon and surrounding communities.

Jennifer also promotes the Howland Public Library. In May of 2008, at the "Taste of Beacon", she offered HPL a booth, which gave us a wonderful opportunity to distribute library information and talk with community members. She includes HPL in her posted seasonal program offerings, regularly posts our events fliers, and mentions our programs to BCC seniors.

Jennifer's efforts have been a catalyst to increased usage of our Howland Public Library programs. BCC seniors are now coming to our library to receive one-on-one computer help, join our knitting group and our Wii bowling program, and participate in other events.  Jennifer is a wonderful library advocate and deserving of the Helen Savoit Award.

The Helen Savoit Award was established in memory of Mrs. Savoit.  Many people remember Helen Savoit as a teacher in the Beacon City School District where she taught for over 25 years. A Town of Fishkill resident, Helen Savoit served on the Howland Public Library Board of Trustees from September 12, 1984 to June 19, 1995, and on the Mid-Hudson Library System Board of Trustees from 1988 to 1997.  As MHLS President, Mrs. Savoit represented all public libraries in the Mid-Hudson region.

In recent years, Mrs. Savoit, a life-long library user, volunteered in Beacon Reads, the bookstore to benefit the library, located at 309 Main Street.  For many years, she also facilitated a popular afternoon club that has been re-named the Helen Savoit Book Club in her honor. 

Helen Savoit's death on May 25, 2008 was a personal loss to the Howland Public Library and a great loss to all libraries in the region.  The Savoit family requested that donations in Helen's memory be sent to the Howland Public Library. The library has established this award in her name in recognition of her efforts on behalf of the Howland Public Library and all libraries, and in recognition that the need for people willing to speak up on behalf of public libraries lives on.

Jennifer Kurtz will be presented with the Helen Savoit Award for Library Advocacy at the Howland Cultural Center on March 27, 2009.  Tickets are $25.00; proceeds to benefit the Helen Savoit Award for Library Advocacy.  For information about the event, call the Howland Public Library at 831-1134 or EMAIL US.  Space is limited.