A few months ago The Block Island Times announced that the Island Free Library had been nominated by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse for a national medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. And then the waiting began.On Tuesday, March 28, Library Director Kristin Baumann announced, near the end of a Tourism Council Meeting, that the library had indeed, been made a finalist for the award – one of 15 libraries and 15 museums in the country. With tears of joy, and the room bursting into applause, she said that she and her staff had been keeping this news a tight secret for the past 10 days.National Medal winners will be announced in late May. Representatives from winning institutions will be honored for their extraordinary contributions during an in-person National Medals Ceremony this summer. The West Warwick Public Library has also been named a finalist, and for the third time.In a press release issued by the Institute, Baumann is quoted as saying: “We are proud of the role we play in the Block Island community. We were innovative and responsive to the challenges of 2020, and we
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