MSU Law Alumnus Leads Library Recognized with Prestigious Award

MSU Law graduate Lance Werner, ’01, applied his legal expertise and emphasis on public service to the library industry. Executive Director of the Kent District Library (KDL) since 2011, Mr. Werner and his team have been honored with the prestigious “Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize.”

The recognition, developed in partnership between the Gerald M. Kline Family Foundation and Library Journal, was created in 2019, according to the publication’s website, “to recognize the public library as a vital community asset. When libraries, civic entities, organizations, and the people they serve become close partners, their communities thrive.”

Mr. Werner and the KDL team were the cover story, “The Art of Relationship Building: Kent District Library Wins 2023 Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize,” of the November 1 Library Journal. The magazine pointed to Mr. Werner and KDL’s success at effectively engaging at every level for a better understanding of its community as what earned them the 2023 Community Impact Prize.

“From its earliest days as an independent system, Kent District Library (KDL) in West Michigan has prioritized strong customer service. In recent years, however, the library has centered what it calls the KDL Way, a service model emphasizing the values that underly all KDL’s work: innovation and advocacy, but also kindness, empathy, and care. But KDL’s attention to relationships is embedded in everything it does, from working with state legislators to supporting staff success to providing imaginative, well-loved programs and services.”

Kent District Library is a public library system operating 20 branch libraries that serve nearly 440,000 residents of 27 different municipalities throughout Kent County. Prior to KDL, Mr. Werner was Director of Michigan’s Capital Area District Library.