Donna Adams Honored With MLA 2019 Heart of a Champion Award

For Immediate Release: October 17, 2019                                                                     
Contact: Deborah E. Mikula (517) 394-2774 ext. 224

LANSING – The Michigan Library Association (MLA) is pleased to announce Donna Adams has been named the 2019 Heart of a Champion, sponsored by the Walter H. Kaiser Fund. Adams received the award during the MLA 2019 Annual Conference Awards Luncheon on October 17 in Novi.

As Board President for the Forsyth Township Public Library in Gwinn, Adams has worked tirelessly to promote her library. From cooking for a fundraiser, publishing a cookbook, creating and building cabinetry, finding free shelving from a university across the state and coordinating volunteers to pick up, transport, deliver and assemble the shelving (during a snow storm!), to organizing a library millage campaign that was instrumental to funding a new library building, Adams leads the way with grace and a humble spirit. Adams’s diligence, leadership and service to her library and community truly epitomizes the Heart of a Champion.

“Donna Adams is a driving force in the Forsyth Township community. From advocating for and finding funding to build a brand new building to working on the library board, Donna leads the way,” said Lisa Mulvenna, member of the MLA 2019 Annual Conference Work Group and Awards Subcommittee. “She is constantly sharing both her time and talents with her library community.”

The Heart of a Champion Award recognizes a library supporter who has shown an exceptional commitment to libraries and/or the library profession. Award recipients show their support through continued advocacy, supporting or providing funding for the local library, and continued support of Michigan Library Association activities.

The Michigan Library Association (MLA) is Michigan's oldest and largest library association. Guided by the belief that free access to information is the cornerstone of a free society, MLA has advocated for libraries on behalf of the state's residents for more than 125 years. MLA's membership is comprised of more than 1,600 individual and organizational members from public, academic, school and special libraries. MLA defends the right to read, advocates for adequate library funding, clarifies library governance issues, promotes librarian education and works for free access to information for all residents. For more information visit milibraries.org.