On Aug. 11, the Southwest Florida Library Network (SWFLN) held their Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony.  This was a day full of connection, celebration, and recognition of the incredible library staff serving all of  Southwest Florida and the local region as well as learning all about SWFLN, what they’ve accomplished and what their future plans are as they continue to support their member libraries. 

Pictured left to right are: Maria Antunez, Shirley Reynolds, Library Director Natasha Hayes, Diana Osborne and Melva Wood. [Photo courtesy Clewiston Public Library]

Hendry County Library Cooperative was thrilled to have two outstanding employees recognized and awarded for their dedication to serving our communities.  Both recipients work at the Clewiston Public Library where they’ve given their all to their patrons for decades all while ensuring to deliver the highest level of customer service.  

Shirley Reynolds (Photo courtesy Clewiston Public Library]

Shirley Reynolds - Outstanding Library Employee Award
Honoring a dedicated, reliable, and versatile staff member who is the steady foundation of their library’s daily success. This award recognizes an individual who consistently goes above and beyond in service to both patrons and colleagues. Known as the “go-to” person, they handle a wide range of responsibilities with professionalism, teamwork, and grace—even during challenging moments. With a strong commitment to customer service, a positive attitude, and unwavering dependability, they are truly the backbone of their library.  

Since 1999, Shirley Reynolds has been an instrumental and invaluable employee in making the Clewiston Public Library a success. For more than two decades, Shirley has consistently demonstrated an extraordinary level of dedication, dependability, and commitment to both the library and the community she serves.  From daily supervisory clerical duties, circulation tasks, building maintenance to serving on the City of Clewiston’s Safety Committee and much more, Shirley continually exceeds all expectations of her employer and community.  

Over the past three years, the Hendry County Library Cooperative has undergone significant changes to its integrated library system (ILS). To say that the logistics were complex would be a major understatement. Shirley managed and coordinated this overhaul all while continuing to manage her numerous existing responsibilities, which included cataloging and maintenance of over 110,000 bibliographic records, financial reconciliation, front desk management, building maintenance, and much more.  Imagine being the only staff member that bears the responsibility of physically touching every item that can be found at all three library locations in Hendry County? 

Another strength that shines through Shirley’s daily actions is her unwavering dedication to the library facility itself. For years, the library experienced persistent roof leaks, and Shirley routinely inspected the building, reported issues to Facility Services, and, in the meantime, took immediate action to prevent further damage to the floors, walls, furniture, and electronics. Her willingness to respond outside of normal working hours demonstrates just how seriously she takes her responsibility to the library. It is very evident that Shirley takes immense pride in the condition of the facility and treats the building as though it were her own. Her actions reflect a level of ownership, responsibility, and dedication

These examples may sound simple, but they perfectly illustrate who Shirley is. She never hesitates to step up. She does not ask whether something is technically her responsibility. If there is a problem, she finds a way to solve it.

Shirley is extremely dependable, kind, hardworking, and committed. She has spent more than 25 years serving the Clewiston Public Library, and her contributions extend far beyond any single job description. She is the person staff can count on when systems change, when a building needs attention, when an unexpected problem arises, or when someone simply needs an extra hand.

Her institutional knowledge, work ethic, willingness to learn, and unwavering dedication have made her an essential part of the Hendry County Library Cooperative. She consistently puts the library, its staff, and its patrons first.

We are truly blessed to have Shirley Reynolds as part of our library family. Her years of service, quiet determination, and willingness to do whatever is necessary to keep the library clearly demonstrates why she is deserving of an honor such as this.

Diana Osborne [Courtesy photo]

Diana Osborne - Community Engagement Award
Honoring a staff member whose outreach, collaboration and community connections have significantly strengthened the library’s role in public life. This award celebrates an individual who actively builds relationships and engages the community through impactful initiatives—whether through events, partnerships, social media, or outreach programs. Their efforts foster meaningful connections, raise the library’s visibility, and create lasting, measurable benefits for the community. They exemplify how libraries thrive when they meet people where they are—both in spirit and in action.

Diana has worked at the library for over 11 years, and in all that time, I have yet to hear a negative comment from a patron after meeting or working with her. She is truly loved by the community. In fact, she has touched the lives of families so deeply that even after two families moved out of our area, they continue to drive 45 minutes just to attend her programs. That level of dedication and connection with patrons speaks volumes about the impact she has made.

One of the things that sets Diana apart is her unwavering dedication to her job and to ensuring that knowledge, literacy, and meaningful programming are available to everyone. Diana does not limit herself to an 8-to-5 schedule. She has a genuine “whatever gets the job done” mindset. Her creativity and dedication can be seen throughout the library. If you have ever visited and admired the decorations throughout the building, much of what you see is the result of Diana's vision and hard work. From elaborate summer reading program themes to holiday decorations and special events, she develops imaginative ideas and brings them to life in ways that continually amaze our patrons and staff.

Diana has been instrumental in developing the library's most engaging programs as the Program Coordinator, including STEAM activities, robotics programs, virtual reality sessions, and much more. She is beloved by children and parents alike, and patrons regularly ask for her when they visit the library. Her commitment to accessibility also extends beyond traditional in-person programming. Diana has created virtual sessions for individuals and families who cannot make it to town, as well as passive programming that allows children and adults of all ages to participate independently and at their own convenience.  She is also responsible for creating and managing the library's manga and graphic novel collections, which have grown significantly in popularity and demand.

Diana has created and hosted 1,156 programs that attracted 9,387 patron visits this past fiscal year.  That number alone is remarkable, but it only tells part of the story. Behind every program is Diana's time, creativity, planning, preparation, networking, purchasing, decorating, teaching, and commitment to making sure patrons have a meaningful experience.

The innovative programs Diana has brought to our rural community would not have been possible without the use of SWFLN's Bits and Bytes to Borrow program. Within the last year, Diana checked out 95 items from this collection. These high- and low-tech kits were delivered monthly and provided valuable resources for the programs she developed. 

Diana is, without question, an extraordinary asset to our library and the community we serve. She exemplifies what it means to be dedicated to public service, and she is well deserving of this recognition and honor!