Nashua librarian wins state award

NASHUA – Sophie Northway Smith, a reference librarian at the Nashua Public Library, received the READS Award of Excellence at the fall conference of the Reference and Adult Services Section of the New Hampshire Library Association. The award is given annually to recognize outstanding contributions of an individual who has been instrumental in improving library services to adults. Smith was recognized at the Oct. 26 event for her work on three projects that improved access and services to underserved populations in Nashua: revamping of three collections of foreign language materials, developing a collection of fiction for adult language learners and initiating a drop-in computer help program. Smith oversaw the recent move of the library’s Spanish, Chinese and Hindi books to a more visible spot in the library and the purchase of new, appealing and timely items for these shelves. Their use more than doubled as a result of her work. In addition, last year Smith created a collection of reading materials for adults either learning to read for the first time or learning to read English. She met with students and teachers at the Adult Learning Center to determine how best to serve their needs.