The Universal Reading Foundation has joined the group of winners of the Library of Congress Literacy Award 2024 Successful Practices. The distinction awarded in September of this year was received by Maria Deskur, president of the Universal Reading Foundation, during a symposium in Washington.
The director of the United States Library of Congress, Carla Hayden, recognized the winners of the 2024 Literacy Award for their outstanding achievements in promoting reading and the love of reading at the National Library in Washington, D.C. On October 31, representatives of 24 organizations, including the Warsaw-based Universal Reading Foundation, participated in the Library of Congress Literacy Awards Annual Symposium and Recognition.
The event brought together this year’s winners and honorees, members of the Literacy Awards Advisory Board, and Library of Congress staff. In addition to the awards ceremony, attendees exchanged ideas on implementing various literacy initiatives.
“The purpose of today is twofold,” said Carla Hayden. “The first is to celebrate your outstanding achievements, and the second is to inspire each other by making meaningful connections and increasing our collective impact in promoting literacy.”
During the event, participants had a unique opportunity to establish contact with other awarded organizations from different parts of the world, working for the benefit of reading. The meeting allowed for the presentation of FPC's own activities and learning about the mission and achievements of others, exchange of experiences and reflections on pro-reading projects.
"The symposium organized by the Library of Congress was undoubtedly a wonderful event. We are very happy that as the Universal Reading Foundation we could participate in it. In today's world of very fast communication, dominated by digital culture and online activities, live meetings take on even greater value. The opportunity to exchange ideas, ask colleagues from the industry about important details of their work is invaluable. All this in the scenery of the largest library in the world - it was an exceptional experience," says Maria Deskur, president of the FPC.
The Library of Congress Literacy Awards have been held for 12 years and are used to select organizations that have demonstrated an extraordinary contribution to increasing reading. The Universal Reading Foundation is the first organization from Poland to receive this distinction. It has been recognized for its effective work on behalf of groups and communities that are at risk of exclusion for various reasons.
This award "recognizes achievements in the field of reading promotion and the development of innovative methods and practices in this field," wrote Carla Hayden, Director of the Library of Congress in a congratulatory letter to the Foundation.
The Library of Congress Literacy Awards program is administered by the Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives Office, a unit of the Center for Learning, Literacy, and Engagement at the Library of Congress, and sponsored by David M. Rubenstein and the Kislak Family Foundation. More information about the awards and the next application cycle can be found at www.loc.gov/literacy.
You can also read more about the Library of Congress Award given to the Universal Reading Foundation here: FPC is the first Polish organization to receive the Library of Congress Literacy Award 2024 – Fundacja Powszechnego Czytania
