Geauga County Public Library Director Deborah F. O’Connor has been doubly honored by her colleagues and community associates with two prestigious awards reflecting a distinguished career devoted to expanding library services.
Ohio Library Council Hall of Fame Award
The Hall of Fame Award is indicative of a career that includes statewide and regional influence of significant and long-standing contributions to the librarian profession and the community at large. Mrs. O’Connor has served on numerous library and civic boards. She was OLA Member President in 1995; she served on the NOLA Board of Trustees several years and was President in 1999; she chaired the OLC Government Relations Committee in 1996; she received the Lifetime Friend of NEO Award in 2015 in recognition of her many years as an advocate, supporter and promoter of our regional library system.
In Geauga County, she helped establish Leadership Geauga in 1995 and later served its president and board; she won the Emerald Leader Award in 2008; she chaired the United Way Services Board and campaign numerous times; she was corresponding secretary and entertainment chair of the Geauga County Maple Festival in 1990 – 1991; she served on the Healing Fund Board with United Way after the Chardon High School shooting in 2012. This partial list barely touches the dozens of organizations she has positively influenced.
Geauga County Library Foundation Chapman Award
The Chapman Award is given to an individual whose deeds have promoted the enjoyment and value of books and reading and whose involvement has directly benefitted the Geauga County community. No one has lived up to this standard better than she.
While she was Assistant Director, she presented the idea of a foundation to foster new library programs and services by providing support to GCPL. The Geauga County Library Foundation was chartered in 1989. Since then, with the support of the Geauga County Library Foundation, Mrs. O’Connor has initiated numerous early literacy programs to enhance and encourage a lifetime love of reading for children. She has dedicated a lifetime to promoting the value of books and libraries. Her unshakable conviction is that the essential, fundamental role of public libraries is to provide its patrons of all ages with the best, most up-to-date materials in all available formats.
During her tenure, Debbie has worked successfully to make literacy, learning, and love of reading a priority. As a result of her vision and leadership, Geauga County boasts the highest per capita circulation of books and materials in the Ohio. She has assembled a library staff that is proficient in providing services that range from locating materials from anywhere in the country to teaching patrons how to operate their eDevices.
“I am deeply moved and gratified to be honored with these awards,” says Mrs. O’Connor. “Libraries are my passion. The winners of past Chapman Awards have demonstrated exceptional dedication to libraries. I’m honored to be among them. And, early in my career, I aspired to be worthy of “hall of fame” status one day. That that day has come is poignant. I am privileged to have been able to share my vision of building libraries that benefit all citizens. It’s a little hard to walk away from my life’s work, but this is a time of change, and I’m excited to see what the next chapter holds for Geauga County Public Library.”