Evansville Public Library Team Member Receives National Award for Writers
Stop what you're doing for just a moment, and give a big round of applause, or maybe a golf clap depending on your situation, for Lesa Holstine from the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library. Lesa is the EVPL Collections & Technical Services Manager - she is also a very talented writer, as is evidenced by the announcement that she is the recipient of the Mystery Writers of America 2022 Raven Award. The Raven Award is the highest honor an individual may receive in the field of mystery writing and recognizes outstanding achievement in the field beyond creative writing.
Who Is This 'Mysterious' Woman?
Take one look at Lesa's impressive resume and you'll agree that she is the perfect candidate for this award.
- Lesa has been with the EVPL for the past nine years but has nearly 50 years of experience working in public libraries (since she was 16 years old).
- She has written the award-winning blog Lesa's Book Critiques for 18 years.
- In 2018, she was named Library Journal’s Reviewer of the Year.
- In 2011, she received the Arizona Library Association Outstanding Library Service Award and the David S. Thompson Special Service Memorial Award.
EVPL CEO-Director, Scott Kinney, says, “Lesa’s library and writing experience, passion for mystery, and commitment to curating our robust collection makes her an exceptional resource to EVPL and our community.”
As someone who writes on a daily basis - albeit on a much, much smaller scale - I can tell you that it is not easy. Sounds like I might need to reach out to Lesa and get her opinion on some of my work - she clearly knows what she's talking about (she was the Reviewer of the Year for crying out loud.