The Carnegie Corporation of New York/"New York Times" I Love My Librar­ian Award publicizes librarians' abilities to improve their communities, and by highlighting the achievements of the winners, inspire other librarians to boost their own performance. Since the award's creation in 2008, it has helped the public to better understand the role of libraries and librarians by focusing on the winning librarians and the mosaic of challenges and joys they face as well as the personal and professional attributes that distinguish effective librarians.