Ken Robison Announced as First Recipient of Montana Library Association's Alma Smith Jacobs Award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
On behalf of the Montana Library Association and the Great Falls Public Library, we are excited to announce Ken Robison as the first recipient of the Montana Library Association’s Alma Smith Jacobs Award–to honor Library efforts in the area of equity, diversity and inclusion.
The award’s purpose is to recognize a library, an individual or a group whose efforts have had an outstanding positive impact in improving equity, diversity and inclusion in Library services for Montana. Nominations may be made by any library board, individual library, librarian, trustee, MLA member, or the Montana State Library Commission.
Ken Robison is a leading Montana historian and has spent years highlighting and documenting the life and accomplishments of Alma Smith Jacobs. He features her in his book Cascade County and Great Falls; he was instrumental in her nomination and inclusion in the Gallery of Outstanding Montanans now being honored in the Montana capital; and he was a leader in prominently honoring Alma Smith Jacobs by naming the Great Falls Public Library plaza in her honor and in painting a landmark mural of her on the side of the Library building.
Mr. Robison was a founding member of the Alma Smith Jacobs Foundation that partners with the Great Falls Public Library each year to hold their Black Heritage Evening—an annual celebration of the culture and heritage of the African-American community of Great Falls.
Mr. Robison is a tireless advocate and community leader. He recently petitioned the Great Falls Public Library to change its name to honor Alma Smith Jacobs. His petition sparked a month’s long effort by the Library Board to gather community input in efforts to make the Library more welcoming and inclusive. Although the Board decided not to change the name of the Library, it made a commitment to “create a space inside the facility to honor Alma Smith Jacobs by telling her story and to ‘refresh’ that space annually in an event celebrating Alma’s achievements and/or the achievements of other historically marginalized women or people of color.”
Mr. Robison’s efforts helped to shift the awareness of the Library staff and Board. He has moved both to examine their practices and to live up to being “the House that Alma Built.” His efforts also inspired the Montana Library Association to join the Great Falls Public Library in honoring Alma Smith Jacobs in the creation of this award.
Join us in congratulating Ken Robison–the altogether fitting inaugural recipient of the Alma Smith Jacobs Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award.