Broward County Library earns top Florida recognition after a year of wide public impact and innovation
Broward County, Florida – Recognition arrived from several directions at once for Broward County Library this year, but together the honors tell one larger story: a library system that has grown by staying visible, active and deeply connected to the people it serves.
The Florida Library Association named Broward County Library its 2026 Library of the Year, while also recognizing the system with the 2026 Intellectual Freedom Award and the 2026 Communications Excellence Award. A fourth honor reached beyond the library itself.
The Westside Gazette, nominated by Broward County Library, was selected as the 2026 Library Media/Business Partner of the Year.
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For library leaders, the sweep reflects years of steady work rather than a single standout moment. Broward County Library Director Allison Grubbs said the awards point to the staff’s commitment to innovation, intellectual freedom, and a broad mix of informational, educational and recreational services for residents across the county.
“Winning Library of the Year and these prestigious honors is a testament to our staff’s dedication to innovation, intellectual freedom, and to providing Broward County residents with a full range of outstanding informational, educational, and recreational library services and resources,” says Broward County Library Director Allison Grubbs.
That reach is hard to miss. During fiscal year 2025, the system’s 37 branches were open a combined 90,000 hours and welcomed more than five million visitors. It also added 100,000 new library cards, pushing total membership to 1.4 million cardholders, or roughly 70 percent of Broward County’s population.
The scale matters, but so does the way the system has tied its growth to access, equity, training and community partnerships.
One of the honored efforts, the Black History Saturday School Communiversity Series, helped secure the Intellectual Freedom Award.
Created and hosted by the African American Research Library and Cultural Center, the free monthly classes are open to all and designed as a multi-generational space where Black history can be shared, explored and preserved without barriers.
Another winning project, Freegal Quest, earned the Communications Excellence Award after a three-month campaign built around Broward County Library’s free music streaming service.
Using print, digital outreach, social media, programs and staff ambassadors known as “Freegal Wizards,” the effort led to a 154 percent jump in new users and a 33 percent increase in songs streamed.
The Westside Gazette’s recognition also carried historical weight. Since the early 1970s, the newspaper has promoted library services, events and fundraising work. More recently, publisher Bobby Henry Sr. donated 50 years of back issues so the library can digitize, archive and preserve them for public access.
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The awards will be presented May 6 at the 2026 Florida Library Association Conference in Orlando. Later this year, Broward County Library also plans to mark the occasion with a commemorative Library of the Year card for the public.
