Pasadena Public Library Wins CLA PRExcellence Award

Pasadena, CA - Pasadena Public Library is pleased to announce it is the recipient of the 2025 California Library Association (CLA) PRExcellence Award in the Event or Campaign category. This distinction was awarded for the "Celebrating 140 Years - Past. Present. Future" campaign and announced on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025.

The PRExcellence Awards honor the top efforts of California libraries in promoting and communicating their message. Four entry categories are recognized: Print, Electronic, Event or Campaign, and Wildcard.

Up to three awards are given within each of these categories: first place winners at each of three library budget levels: under $10M, $10M-$30M, and $30M and above. A Best in Show award is also given and will be presented at this year's CLA Conference. PRExcellence award recipients are honored and showcased during the annual CLA conference.

In 2024, Pasadena Public Library celebrated its 140th anniversary. To commemorate this momentous occasion, the library launched a year-long marketing campaign that would span all 10 library locations, touch every community in the city, and serve as a vital reminder of the importance of Central Library's role in the library system during a pivotal time in the Central Library Earthquake Retrofit and Redesign project. The campaign consisted of five parts: 10 programs, a year-long reading challenge, a call for self-submitted stories stating why you love the library, a celebratory video highlighting our past, present and future, and 140th Anniversary-branded merchandise giveaways.

The goal of this campaign was to foster the community's enthusiasm for the library, renew a sense of belonging by emphasizing how the library is built for and by the people who patronize it, and cement the library as a crucial part of our society.

Our celebratory video, a months-long project narrated by our library director and featuring staff from each site, can be viewed on YouTube . The campaign engaged the community directly, resulting in 48 story submissions from patrons eager to share their experiences. Additionally, 1,500 copies of our commemorative memory book - The People of PPL - were distributed to capture and share stories inspired by this milestone.

"We are honored to be recognized by the California Library Association and grateful to the people of Pasadena who have supported the City's libraries for 140 years and made them welcoming places for everyone to gather, learn, and celebrate the diversity of voices that make us a great City," said Library Director Tim McDonald.

For archival information from the "Celebrating 140 Years - Past. Present. Future." campaign visit, CityOfPasadena.net/Library/140th-Anniversary-Celebration/ .