“It takes a community to make a great library.”

That was the message conveyed by the director of the Niles District Library to the few dozen people who attended Friday’s celebration of the library receiving the State Librarian’s Excellence Award for 2015.

Nancy Studebaker, who was not present at the ceremony because she was in Novi, Michigan, accepting the award, thanked community members for their support of the library, their participation in library events and their countless volunteer hours.

“This award belongs to the community,” she said via a pre-recorded video played on a television screen in the library’s sun lit rotunda.

Studebaker also thanked her hardworking staff and former library board president Rucilla Coulston, who was board president when Studebaker joined the library 14 years ago.

“I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be a part of this community if it weren’t for her,” Studebaker said.

Current Board President Martin Klubeck talked about the eagerness of library staff to find and retrieve books for patrons without being asked.

“The library staff does it because they love you,” he said. “They care about you, your families, the community — it is like second nature.”

Several people spoke up when Klubeck asked the audience to share a story about their library experiences.

One woman said her daughter, who has lived in several states and has seen many libraries, told her that she has never been to a better or more loving library than the Niles District Library.

Another woman said she loves that the library provides several coffee stations, while another person praised the library’s integral role in the community-wide summer camp called Summer My Way.

Another person credited a library class for helping her get over the loss of a family member, while another person said she goes to the library’s computer lab to learn how to use features on her smart phone.

Only one library receives the State Librarian’s Excellence Award each year, which is awarded to a library that provides superior service, is cost effective, delivers on promises and fulfills its commitment to high standards of customer service.

In addition to receiving a trophy, the library also gets $2,000 in privately donated

Also Friday at the library:

• The Four Flags Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for the library’s newly remodeled teen area.

• The Niles Noon Optimist Club and the library dedicated a new feature in the children’s section called the, “Willis Wall of Wonder.”

The area, which is outfitted in a jungle theme, includes two flat-screen televisions that display nature videos and webcam feeds of zoos and other animal life for children to enjoy.

The wall is dedicated in the honor of the late John Willis, an avid reader and longtime member of the Niles Noon Optimist Club.