Gale Announces Winners of "Libraries Are Beautiful" Photo Contest in Honor of National Library Week

Winners Represent Big Cities, Small Towns and All Types of Libraries Across the Nation

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Apr 14, 2014, 12:00 ET

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., April 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Gale, part of Cengage Learning and a leading publisher of research and education resources for libraries, schools and businesses, today announced the winners of its "Libraries Are Beautiful – Inside and Out" photo contest. Launched in celebration of National Library Week, taking place this week - April 13-19, the contest showcases libraries that make their communities a more beautiful place—physically or metaphorically. The top five per category were selected by experts in art, architecture and design. From the 25 finalists, winners were chosen by popular vote – and include:

Best in Show – Most Modern Architecture: Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, Memphis, TN – "Double Take"
Most Unique Structure/Art Installation: Wagner Community School Library, Wagner, SD – "Reading in the Shadows"
Greatest Historical Treasure: James J. Hill Reference Library, Saint Paul, MN – "A Passion for Detail"
Most Modern Architecture: James B. Hunt Jr. Library, Raleigh, NC – "The bookBot at NC State University's James B. Hunt Jr. Library"
Coolest Internal Space: Downtown Reno Library, Reno, NV – "The Great Outdoors, Indoors"
Best Curb Appeal: Rangeley Public Library, Rangeley, ME – "Of Stone and Books"

"Libraries truly make their communities a brighter place and improve the lives of those who use them, and that is so clearly demonstrated by the enormous response we received to our contest with more than 800 submissions and nearly 30,000 votes cast," said Nader Qaimari, senior vice president, sales and marketing for Gale. "Advocacy on behalf of libraries is an important pillar for us at Gale and we're so proud to recognize these winning libraries."

Each "Best of Category" winner will take home $500 and the "Best in Show" winner, Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library in Memphis, TN, will take home the $2,500 grand prize. In addition, to celebrate the many wonderful submissions received, Gale will be featuring several photo entries on its corresponding social media channels each week for the next several weeks. To enjoy the wonderful entries received, follow Gale at GaleAcademic, GalePublic and GaleSchool or on our blog - http://blog.gale.com/.

For more information on Gale and its commitment to libraries, please visit www.gale.cengage.com.

About Cengage Learning and Gale
Cengage Learning is a leading educational content, technology and services company, empowering educators and driving learner engagement through personalized services and course-driven digital solutions that bridge from the library to the classroom. Gale, part of Cengage Learning, serves the world's information and education needs through its vast and dynamic content pools, which are used by students and consumers in their libraries, schools and on the Internet. It is best known for the accuracy, breadth and convenience of its data, addressing all types of information needs – from homework help to health questions to business profiles – in a variety of formats. For more information, visit www.cengage.com or www.gale.cengage.com.

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SOURCE Cengage Learning