Galloway, N.J. — Stockton University’s Richard E. Bjork Library was one of only 34 higher education facilities across the country to receive a 2025 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) award on Wednesday, Jan. 22 by Insight into Diversity magazine.

The annual award honors academic library programs, policies and initiatives that encourage and support inclusive excellence and belonging across their campus and surrounding community.

Insight into Diversity is the nation’s largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education and is a leader in recognizing inclusive excellence in higher education through its awards.

“This achievement is a testament to our commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all,” said Cheyenne Riehl, Stockton’s student success librarian. “This award reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire library team and our shared vision of serving as a resource and advocate for all members of the Stockton community.”

Riehl said equity and inclusivity are ingrained in the library’s daily practices. For the award, Stockton submitted specific examples of how library staff support underrepresented communities, authors and researchers. Highlights included the efforts of the library’s outreach team, particularly their monthly cultural and heritage celebration displays, Riehl said.

“These thoughtfully curated exhibits, presented both physically and digitally, shine a spotlight on underrepresented authors, works and topics, further promoting awareness and diversity within our collections and programming,” she said.

Lenore Pearlstein, the owner and publisher of Insight into Diversity magazine, said many academic libraries aren’t recognized for their dedication to diversity, inclusion and access.

“We are proud to honor these college and university libraries as role models for other institutions of higher education,” she said.

Each award winner will be featured in the March 2025 issue of Insight into Diversity magazine.

Stockton’s library is undergoing a massive, two-year renovation financed by a $19.5 million state bond. The renovation will transform the three-story, 100,000 square-foot space in the middle of the Galloway campus into a library learning commons that will be a place for students to gather for meetings, participate in experiential learning opportunities, and work with archival materials and primary sources. Construction is expected to be completed by June 2026 with the renovated library opening in fall 2026.

“Certainly, we are humbled to receive this award, and we will be looking forward to organizing and holding more diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging programs in our new updated library spaces,” said Dean of the Library Patricia Thatcher.

— Story by Mark Melhorn