Melissa K.R. Hozik, Adult Programing Librarian, East Brunswick Public Library, wins 2026 RUSA Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award
“As a programming librarian for over a decade, I strive to bring events and projects that will engage different members of our community. Whether it is helping them learn about our impacts on the environment; tapping creativity that may have been dormant since childhood; or welcoming everyone inside our library’s doors, using programming to connect adults remains an important part of public librarianship. I look forward to continuing this important work in keeping the library an important third space in my community. Thank you to the RUSA Achievement Awards and Grants Committee for this honor.” – Melissa K.R. Hozik
“RUSA proudly congratulates Melissa Hozik as the 2026 Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award recipient. Melissa’s decade-long commitment to innovative, inclusive adult programming at East Brunswick Public Library exemplifies the excellence this award honors. RUSA celebrates her achievements and the lasting impact she brings to the profession.” – Award Committee statement
Melissa Hozik’s body of work at the East Brunswick Public Library directly advances RUSA’s mission by demonstrating the transformative potential of adult library services when practiced with creativity, rigor, and sustained community investment.
Her flagship Option Green Lecture Series, launched in 2017, has grown to more than fifty programs addressing environmental literacy and civic responsibility, earning three Environmental Achievement Awards from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions. In 2020, the series was selected for the American Library Association’s Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change initiative, extending her programming model across a cohort of seven public libraries. Her WeCycle recycling series received additional recognition through a 2026 New Jersey Library Association Innovative Program Award nomination.
Melissa’s programming consistently prioritizes underserved populations. Her Memory Café for individuals experiencing early-stage dementia, her support for the East Brunswick Astronomy Club, her Repair Café series, and her Welcoming Week initiatives collectively demonstrate her ability to position the library as a genuine civic hub serving adults across lines of age, background, and ability. In 2024 alone, she coordinated 138 programs drawing 3,740 attendees, and her contributions supported East Brunswick Public Library’s recognition as a 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Services finalist. Through sustained award-winning programming and active professional leadership, Melissa Hozik represents adult services librarianship at its highest level, and her recognition affirms RUSA’s commitment to practitioners who elevate the profession through measurable, community-centered impact.
The Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award, sponsored by NoveList consists of $1,250 monetary prize and a citation.
The RUSA Achievement Awards and Grants selection committee was chaired by Rachel Drake.
“Congratulations to Melissa K.R. Hozik, on being selected as the recipient of the 2026 Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award. Her innovative programming not only educates and inspires, it creates a sense of community and connection that is greatly needed today. Melissa’s work embodies the meaning of the library as a safe and welcoming third place, particularly for individuals who are often disenfranchised. We are thrilled that your creativity and commitment to your community is being recognized by this prestigious award.” – Danielle V. Borasky, Vice President, NoveList, a division of EBSCO