Paulette Quinn, historian and past president of the local library volunteer organization, the Friends of Marcellus Free Library, has been recognized by the state’s oldest library association for her more than 17 years of active service and support for the Marcellus Free Library.

This summer, the Friends of Libraries Section of the New York Library Association awarded Quinn the FLS Daniel W. Casey Library Advocacy Award.

Given annually since 1993, the Casey Award honors a volunteer member or a group from the library community whose efforts have contributed to the growth of libraries or Friends of the Library organizations.

In its announcement, the Friends of Libraries Section described Quinn as an outstanding volunteer with the right blend of communication skills, creative thinking, advocacy, and commitment to her community to inspire and lead volunteers supporting the library.

Quinn has had many notable achievements as a Friend of the Marcellus Free Library.

For 16 years, she has held several leadership positions on the group’s board of directors including vice president, president, corresponding secretary, membership chair, book nook chair, advocacy chair, policy and procedures co-chair, and historian committee chair.

She was instrumental in the growth of the Friends’ Book Nook, the library’s in-house used book store.

Between 2008 and 2019 the Book Nook and book sales generated more than $100,000 of income for the library.

In recognition of Quinn’s accomplishment, the Book Nook was renamed the Paulette Quinn Book Nook.

Quinn was also responsible for growing friends membership from 65 members in 2010 to 169 in 2019. In 2016, Quinn put in many additional hours to help incorporate the Friends of Marcellus Free Library as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization.

Quinn was honored at the Friends of Marcellus Free Library’s Oct. 16 meeting.

A division of the New York Library Association, The Friends of Libraries Section creates a network to connect and inspire friends groups to support the New York library community through professional development opportunities, advocacy, and recognition of outstanding library civic leaders.

In 2022, the New York Library Association and the American Library Association recognized the Friends of Libraries Section for more than three decades of volunteer service to the library community.

Learn more about the FLS Daniel W. Casey Library Advocacy Award and the Friends of Libraries Section at nyla.org/friends.