She was honored and recognized for excellence service at the annual UPRLC conference Sept. 18 in Iron Mountain.

“I was shocked,” Gathu said. “It’s a huge honor — it covers such a wide area, including the entire U.P., along with some library districts just below the bridge.”

The community is invited to celebrate her award during an open house from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the library, 237 Superior Ave. in Crystal Falls. Cake and coffee will be served.

Nominees are evaluated based on service and innovation, strengthening regional identity, community impact and cultural preservation.

Evelyn Gathu

Gathu, who started at the Crystal Falls Library in April 2019, was the founder of the U.P. Notable Books List/Book Club and has remained actively involved with the program.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the fall 2020, she proposed the idea to bring the authors of the U.P. Publisher and Author Association’s first-ever U.P. Notable Books List into Zoom conversations with readers across the U.P.

“As a result of Gathu’s work, the significance of the award has increased, as has the readership of Notable Books,” said author Sue Harrison of Pickford. “The success of the book club is largely due to her creative genius. As a result, the presence and importance of Upper Peninsula Literature have blossomed in Michigan’s reading community.”

The program is now in its sixth year.

The collaboration has not only created an online community of readers of U.P. literature but has preserved an important cultural legacy for generations.

More than 50 of the author’s discussions have been professionally edited and preserved on YouTube by Brandy Thomas of Gwinn, Mich., for readers to access from around the globe.

She has served as the host for all six seasons of the show and has helped readers connect with the authors.

Gathu is excited that this year the U.P. Notable Books Book Club has expanded its selection committee.

“It is my hope that with more readers, we can provide a curated list of even more diverse and robust Notable Books each year that truly represent our unique Upper Peninsula culture,” she said.

Nikki Mitchell of Ishpeming noted that Gathu goes the extra mile to knit communities together. “Bridging the gap between U.P. authors and readers has always been something that Evelyn excels at, and something I wish more libraries in our area would do,” Mitchell said.

In addition to the U.P. Notable Book Club, she brings U.P. authors to the Crystal Falls Library.

“The Authorpalooza event is always a smashing success and not only helps local authors with book sales, but stems great conversations between the authors, readers, and even budding writers,” Mitchell said.

Gathu also does publicity for the club and organizes the authors for each event that takes place at the Crystal Falls Library.

In many cases, for the U.P Notable Classic Books — more than 10 years out of print — she has brought in the author’s surviving family members to appear.

In addition, Gathu has also organized the Summer Reading Programs since 2021, Global Explorers Story Times, Library Club, Terrific Tales for Tweens, Summer Scares Book Clubs for Middle Schoolers, Young Adults, and Adults and Adult Book Club at the library.

The UPRLC annual awards are more than just internal recognition — they are a vital way of sustaining morale, strengthening networks, and demonstrating the essential role of libraries in the cultural and educational fabric of the U.P.

The UPPAA noted her project as “a singular cultural resource.” They stated Gathu was awarded Librarian of the Year for her “unstinting dedication to bringing people together as a community where isolation from like-minded readers would otherwise be daunting. Without her guidance and commitment, the project could never have begun and flourished.”

For more information about the U.P. Notable Book List, U.P. Book Review and UPPAA, go online to www.UPNotable.com.

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Terri Castelaz can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85241, or tcastelaz@ironmountaindailynews.com.