Friday, December 13, 2024: The Mary Riley Styles Public Library Foundation has presented Catherine Wilson with the 2024 Chet De Long Award for Outstanding Service to the Library. The award is given to a library employee who exemplifies the civic life of Chet De Long, who served on the Library Board of Trustees for more than 25 years, volunteered up to 300 hours at the library each year, helped establish the Library Foundation, and much more. The award includes a cash prize of $1,000.
About Catherine Wilson
The 2024 awardee, Catherine Wilson, has been a loyal and exemplary library employee since 2009. Catherine is an invaluable resource in the Falls Church History Room and has organized much of the donated historical collections. She has enhanced her knowledge of local history by volunteering for the Arlington History Room and the National Archives. Catherine can be counted on to find a historical document or artifact when no one else can! Catherine has grown a comprehensive travel guide collection as well as shaped and ministered to much of the rest of the library’s non-fiction collection. She also hosts two well-attended book clubs. Her co-workers describe her as positive, friendly, flexible, and very hospitable. She can be counted on to help with a tricky reference question, a difficult patron encounter, or a scheduling issue. The Foundation is sad to hear that Catherine will be retiring in January, but excited to honor her and her service to the library with this award!
PHOTO: De Long Award Presentation at City Council Meeting on December 9, 2024 (photo credit: Sophie Kachur)
Previous De Long Award Winners:
- 2023: Cathy Breen
- 2022: Beth Meadows
- 2021: Claudia Gutierrez
- 2020: Eric Albrecht
Presentation of the Award
PHOTO: MRSPL Foundation Vice-Chair Andrew Painter presenting the 2024 Chet De Long Award to Catherine Wilson at the December 9, 2024, City Council meeting. (photo credit: Sophie Kachur)
LEFT TO RIGHT: Aimee Morgan (Foundation Chair), Andrew Painter (Foundation Vice Chair), Megan Dotzler (Library Director), and Catherine Wilson.
WATCH VIDEO of the De Long Award presentation (starts at 5:22 in the Council Meeting video)
Andrew Painter's Remarks to Council
INTRODUCTION
My name is Andrew Painter, and I am vice chair of the Mary Riley Styles Public Library Foundation. On behalf of the foundation, it is a pleasure to be here this evening to help present this year’s Chet De Long Award for Outstanding Service to the Library. I am joined by Aimiee Morgan, our Board chair, and Library Director Meghan Dotzler.
ABOUT THE AWARD
The award is given to a library employee or volunteer who exemplifies the civic efforts of Chet De Long, who served on the Library Board of Trustees for more than 25 years; volunteered up to 300 hours at the library each year; Advocated for the library renovations, including advocating for the 2016 bond referendum; And helped establish the Library Foundation.
THE FOUNDATION
Our foundation was founded 26 years ago; it was founded by Chet De Long and Carol around their kitchen table. Former vice chair Don Camp was there, too, stuffing envelopes and getting the foundation off and running. Today, our foundation has an endowment approaching three quarters of a million dollar. And we would urge everyone to support our foundation so we can continue to support the library for many years to come.
LIBRARY, GENERALLY
When we looked at the nominees for this year’s recipient, we as a board stepped back and thought more broadly about the library’s overall function and how it contributes to a sense of community.
- It’s not just a static building full of books with the doors open. There is so much more the library does
- It’s about the connections that have been made with people who come into the library. The forging of relationships.
- To provide knowledge to everyone and is accessible to everyone.
All of these things translate into people. Libraries are very “people heavy”. You need people—employees and volunteers—to staff the services
2024 RECIPIENT: CATHERINE WILSON
Our 2022 recipient, Beth Meadows, is here this evening.
The 2024 Chet De Long award goes to Catherine Wilson. Catherine Wilson has been a loyal and exemplary Mary Riley Styles Public Library employee since 2009 –that is 15 years. She is an invaluable resource in the Falls Church History Room and has organized much of the donated historical collections. She has a special affinity for local history. And has even enhanced her knowledge of local history by volunteering for both the Arlington History Room and the National Archives. Catherine can be counted on to find a historical document or artifact when no one else can! She also stepped in to work extra hours while there was a vacancy in the library director’s position. She has also curated a comprehensive travel guide collection as well as shaped much of the library’s non-fiction collection. Catherine also hosts two well-attended book clubs and goes to great length, even on her own time, to prepare and makes the book club meetings that much more enjoyable and interesting.
She is a go-to person for problem solving, and has a great knowledge of library reference resources and is always ready to assist when staff need guidance about unfamiliar library resources and procedures. But more important than all that: Her co-workers describe her as positive, friendly, flexible, and very hospitable. She is collegial, thoughtful, helpful, and a pleasure to work alongside. Catherine is a prime example of the long-standing and dedicated service celebrated by this award, and we are excited to present it to her tonight.
We are sad to hear that Catherine will be retiring in January, and we wish her a happy retirement. She will be missed!