Librarian Mia Gittlen became one of ten annual recipients of the I Love My Librarian Award, presented by the American Librarian Association (ALA). The award, consisting of a $5,000 cash prize and an opportunity to travel to the 2026 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition in late June, honors “exceptional librarians from academic, public, and school libraries who were nominated by community members for their expertise, dedication, and profound impact on the people in their communities,” according to the ALA.
As an honoree, she received a document collating the names of every individual who nominated her for the award, Gittlen said.
Over 100 people (nominated her)—and many of them are here from Milpitas: students, teachers, staff members, and parents,” Gittlen said. “And in addition to that, many of them are connected to me from other schools that I’ve worked at, or other connections that I have as a school librarian.”
Though she sees the award as a “huge honor,” she does not think of herself as better at her job or more deserving of the award than other librarians she knows, Gittlen added.
“I hope that it just spotlights all of the fantastic work that’s happening in librarianship across the country, not just in school libraries, but beyond,” Gittlen said. “It is a tough time for school libraries in particular, but libraries in general, with the rise of book bans and laws about what can be available for young people to read, but also the kinds of things that are impacting funding and the kinds of cuts that we’re seeing.”
Furthermore, Gittlen adds, as generative AI gains traction and skills such as media literacy become indispensable, librarianship becomes more important than ever.
“Mr. Wohlman and I have had multiple conversations about the vision and having a multi-year plan for what (our library) could look like,” Gittlen said. “And it is about updating the collection and having great books available, but it’s so much more than that.”
The MHS library will eventually become a “library of things” in addition to being a library of books, Gittlen added.
“So the first step is that we’ve acquired a couple of podcasting microphones, and I have some more STEAM equipment,” Gittlen said. “I also want to make games available for checkout—just to have the kinds of resources that really encourage creativity, critical thinking, and all kinds of opportunities available here.”
But a pressing issue is that California ranks worst of all 50 states in terms of the ratio between students and school libraries or students and school librarians, Gittlen said.
“I, like many school librarians that are part of my professional learning community, are rebuilding school library programs. That means that somebody had the foresight to bring back and reopen these spaces when they were shuttered,” Gittlen said.
However, at the same time that school library programs are being revitalized, many library workers’ positions have been cut, Gittlen added.
“(This) means the closure for many school libraries, or just a lack of staffing or a lack of financial support, and that’s something that I really am committed to changing,” Gittlen said. “All of our students are going to go on and interact with people from across the country, and we don’t want our students to be at an unfair disadvantage by not having this resource throughout their education.”
Expanding on the lack of financial support for school libraries, the most difficult aspect of reopening the library was funding, Gittlen said.
“It’s my understanding that the budget that I have as a department is a fraction of what once was the library budget,” Gittlen said. “And because this was closed and unstaffed for many years, I see the need to really fill in gaps in terms of the physical collection of books.”
Nonetheless, she has been “really lucky” to secure some grant funding for the library, Gittlen added.
“(The funding) has really helped tremendously—from the Milpitas Community Education Foundation, but also our PTSA here at MHS,” Gittlen said. “Some private donors have donated money too—the Friends of the Milpitas High School Library—and (we’ve received) some other grants from outside of school or outside of our community.”
Still, despite the merits of grant funding, it is not a sustainable way to maintain a school library in the long run, Gittlen said.
“There’s still a lot more work to do to really, fully, have the library that our students could really utilize,” Gittlen said. “(We need) more of a dedicated fund, which—in these times where the district is experiencing budget cuts—I know is a tough situation.”
To her, the I Love My Librarian Award is a motivator, Gittlen added.
“It is a sign that I’m on the right track to keep doing what I’m doing, and to continue to strive for more,” Gittlen said.
