2025 Librarian of the Year announced in Poland

The Polish Librarians’ Association (Stowarzyszenie Bibliotekarzy Polskich) has selected Natalia Gromow, head of the Gdynia City Public Library, as the winner of its 16th Librarian of the Year competition for 2025.

“On behalf of the entire staff of the Gdynia Library,” a library representative wrote, “we congratulate Gromow and, knowing how hard she works every day, hope that she continues to be energized by her passion, maintaining the same spirit and determination in all her excellent library initiatives.”

The team also emphasized that Gromov first won at the provincial level and later received an award in the national competition as well.

The Polish Librarians’ Association underlined that Gromov was acknowledged for her innovative administration and her role in advancing the field to shape the modern image of the library profession. The library director is developing it as a “public good” and a space where people can not only borrow books but also spend their free time, pursue their interests, and build social connections.

Among the reasons for the award, the jury highlighted several specific initiatives  implemented in 2025. In particular, Gromov launched the year-long Library Leadership Academy program for branch managers, secured funding to increase staff salaries, and obtained a record budget for new books — nearly 885,000 PLN, including 277,000 PLN raised from external sources. In addition, the Gdynia Library joined the Universal Design of Culture project and received a grant for its implementation.

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The association also highlighted Gromov’s work with the local community. She secured the organizational and financial resources required for the 90th anniversary of the Gdynia Library, during which the library’s team organized a series of promotional campaigns, a city-wide game, and a reading contest.

The winner was chosen from 16 finalists who had previously progressed from the competition’s district round. Only the second time in the competition’s history, the final list consisted exclusively of female librarians. Based on their profiles, the 16 district committees compiled their rankings, after which the overall results were determined by the Awards and Honors Committee.

The Polish Librarians’ Association has been holding the Librarian of the Year competition since 2011. It consists of two stages and aims not only to recognize individual professionals but also to raise the profile of the library profession in the public sphere.

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Images: Library Facebook page