Library of the

Year Honors

The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) named the Middendorf-Kredell Branch of the St. Charles City-County Library District as 2007 Federal Depository Library of the Year. The Federal Depository Library located in O’Fallon, Missouri is in the 2nd Congressional District of Congressman W. Todd Akin. “Although the Federal government document collection is extensive and covers a broad range of topics, your staff made it accessible through a unique ‘user friendly’ web portal, understandable via a logical method of organization, and easy to use by nearly anyone who desired information,” said Rep. W. Todd Akin. “A well-informed electorate is indispensable to the American form of government.” The area served by the Middendorf-Kredell Branch is also part of the 9th Congressional District represented by Kenny Hulshof. “Your service and dedication to the community has been recognized-a distinction you most assuredly deserve. I am certainly proud to represent a portion of the library district in our nation’s capitol.”

Public Printer Robert C. Tapella presented the award to library officials at the annual Fall Federal Depository Library Conference in Washington DC this week. Tapella complimented the library on being one of the first to move to an online environment and provide the public with Government information electronically. “It is an honor to present the library with this award. The Middendorf-Kredell Library has demonstrated great leadership in the ever changing digital age by creating an online forum twelve years ago for the public to access Government information,” said Public Printer Robert C. Tapella. “I’m especially proud of the library’s online program that teaches kids about the Government. Uncle Sam for Kids was one of the first programs of its kind in the nation.”

Government Information for kids, consumers, adults and citizens of all ages is readily available from the St. Charles City-County Library District website at www.youranswerplace.org. Anna Sylvan, Information Resource Manager of Consumer Health and Government Information, created the website (http://www.youranswerplace.org/matls/govdocs/main.htm) which organizes online government information on travel, funding & grants, property for sale, census, laws, legislation, consumer information and lots more to be easily accessible. In addition to Uncle Sam for Kids, the library embraced its responsibility to public service by offering a Community & Market Analysis program that helps businesses interested in relocating to the area. “The Library District not only provides links to government information through its website, it has also added 18,000 electronic records for online government publications to its online library catalog. Now our library customers can search the online catalog by author, title or subject and link directly to the government publications (EDOC) with the information they need on legislation, passports, Medicare, federal auctions, consumer education etc.” stated Sylvan. “This makes access to helpful information very efficient for consumers, business community, students, public policy makers and others. It's a direct line to the knowledge they need to improve their lives and their communities.”

“We’re certainly not the largest depository, so I like to think that our recognition is tied to our strength of getting library services out to the broader community,” said St. Charles City-County Library Director, Carl R. Sandstedt. “We have tried for years to ‘knock’ the walls out of our buildings and push services throughout the area. We are simply much more proactive in the delivery of services than most public libraries.”

St. Charles County Executive, Steve Ehlmann, added his congratulations to the Library District on this prestigious award. “My heartiest congratulations to the St. Charles City-County Library District for receiving Depository Library of the Year recognition by the Government Printing Office. St. Charles County residents, our schools, nonprofit organizations, and public and private enterprises all receive outstanding service from our library district, particularly in the area of access to government information. The St. Charles City-County Library District, Middendorf-Kredell Branch, is much deserving of this award. It is a singular honor for our library district leadership and staff, and a source of pride for the entire community.”

Mayor Patricia M. York, who appoints four of the nine member City-County Library Board, responded to the honor. “My heartiest congratulations to Director Carl Sandstedt for the Middendorf-Kredell Branch of our St. Charles County City-County Library District being named Federal Depository Library of the Year by the Government Printing Office. Very impressive! This honor is a certain indication of your dedication and your commitment to providing public access to government information. The Federal Documents Depository provides an extremely important service, and it is gratifying that one of our libraries has been recognized in this prestigious manner. Please extend my congratulations to the members of your hard-working staff and the Board of Directors with whom you work so well. You should all be extremely proud of your efforts and for receiving the prestigious Federal Depository Library of the Year honor. We are very proud of you!”

Library Board President, Gary Heggs, was also complimentary on the talents and abilities of the staff who organized the information in a way most useful to library customers. “We are very proud of you and your dedicated staff at the Middendorf-Kredell Branch for the recognition they are receiving as Library of the Year from the Government Printing Office. Your Information Resource Manager, Anna Sylvan, and all the people at the St. Charles City-County Library District that contributed to the Federal Documents Depository and made this award possible, should be very proud of their accomplishment.”

The mission of the St. Charles City-County Library District is to serve as the “information utility” for St. Charles County, and the recognition by the GPO as the Library of the Year, certainly indicates that the District is successful in reaching its mission.