Is there a staff member at the Wood County District Public Library who always goes the extra mile for you and your family when you visit the library? Say thank you to library staff by nominating one for the John M. Gibson Award. Any WCDPL employee (with the exceptions of the library director, deputy director, and any previous Gibson Award winner) may be nominated for the 2026 Gibson Award.

Nomination forms are available at the main library in Bowling Green, at the Walbridge Library, and on the Bookmobile. Nominations may also be submitted online starting on Monday, June 15. All nominations are due by Wednesday, July 24 at 5:00 p.m. You can only nominate one staff member for this award.

John M. Gibson Award History

The John M. Gibson Award was initiated by the library’s Board of Trustees in 2005 to recognize excellence in customer service by WCDPL staff. Since then it has been presented annually by the Trustees, who select the recipient from nominations submitted by both library users and WCDPL staff members themselves. 

Pictured from left: Trustees Heidi Nees-Carver, Ellen Dalton (Vice President), 2025 John M. Gibson Award Winner Ali Hultz, Trustees Mike Sibbersen, Brian Paskvan, and Greg Esposito.

The award was named after the late John M. Gibson in honor of his contributions to the library and his integral role in the library’s 2003 renovation. The award recipient and all nominees will be recognized by the Library Board of Trustees when the award is presented on Friday, August 21.

Past recipients of the Gibson Award are: Mandy Hackley ('05); Mary Callahan Boone ('06); AJ Heilman & Donna Mertz ('07); Deb Born ('08); Kristin Wetzel ('09); Linda Conrad ('10) Maria Simon ('11); Nancy Weiland ('12); Katherine Lawn ('13); Anne Render ('14); Matt Mehling ('15); Victoria (Vicki) Forgette Scanlan ('16);Tara Bahnsen ('17); JJ Hofner ('18); Kevin Puffer ('19); The Children's Place ('20); Angie Babcock ('22); Daniel Hergert ('23); Lauren Canaday Johnson ('24), and Ali Hultz ('25).