The Carrollton Public Library has received the 2024 Achievement of Library Excellence Award from the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association (TMLDA,) an affiliate of the Texas Municipal League.

Of the 542 public libraries in Texas, only 102 received this award in 2024, putting the Carrollton Public Library in the top 19 percent of all public libraries in the state.

To successfully receive the Achievement of Library Excellence Award, the library must exhibit excellence by providing services to underserved and special populations, marketing in innovative ways, pursuing collaborative efforts, offering enhanced services through unique or expanded programming, providing literacy support, providing for digital inclusion, supporting workforce development, promoting cultural, topical, and educational programming, comprehensively training staff, and offering other unique services to their community.

“The Carrollton Public Library is honored to receive the Achievement of Library Excellence Award for the first time,” Jonathan Scheu, Carrollton Public Library Director, said. “This award recognition allows us to showcase new and enhanced offerings we worked to implement in 2024, and we’re excited to continue a high standard of service into 2025.”

The Carrollton Public Library demonstrated distinction through its many programs and services, including enhancing accessibility and promoting community engagement. The Library added new items to the World Language Collections, increasing circulation of this collection by 58%, and continued regular bilingual story times in English and Spanish. Signature events, such as C-Con in the spring and Enchanted Library in the fall, welcomed more than 1,000 individuals to the Library for these special offerings and encourage them to visit again.

Patrons were able to experience the expertise of many community partners at the Library, including a Forensics Program for tweens and teens with the Carrollton Police Department, story time visits and educational programs with Carrollton Fire Rescue, job fairs and classes with Metrocrest Services, free mentoring and educational workshops for small businesses and entrepreneurs with SCORE Small Business, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance with United Way of Denton County, and many more.

In 2024, the Library also fostered a strong sense of digital inclusion by continuing to adapt services for the modern day. Staff provided in-person technical support through a Tech Aid program and conducted computer classes to improve digital literacy for all demographics. The Library extended Wi-Fi connectivity throughout both facilities as well as the parking areas and facilitated more than 1,700 checkouts of mobile hotspots to enhance users’ internet access.

To learn more about the Library’s programs and services, and sign up for a free Library card, visit cityofcarrollton.com/library.