Congratulations to the Cumberland County Public Library for winning the 2012 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.

Selected by a nationwide nominating process, Cumberland County Public Library is one of only five libraries in the United States to win the award this year.

Here are a few of the projects and initiatives that contributed to their successful nomination.

In response to the rise in unemployment, the library created programming to help people get back to work. It offers classes, as well as one-on-one instruction, to help individuals cultivate essential job-searching skills. Additionally, the library hosts employment fairs that provide hundreds of job seekers opportunities to meet potential employers.

The library houses and curates a collection of taped interviews created during Fayetteville’s “Heroes Homecoming Project,” which focused on Vietnam veterans and their stories. It is preserving this unique collection and making it available for future generations.

Cumberland County librarians arranged a special screening of the documentary, “The Story of the Pea Island Lifesavers,” detailing the lives of the only all-black lifesaving station in the United States.

A few more programs include Librari-Con, an annual anime and manga mini-convention that reaches out to teens across the state. Sensory Story Time is a special program designed to meet the needs of children affected by autism and other disabilities. The library hosts a speaker series titled “Parents and Teens, Let’s Talk About It” to help families discuss sensitive topics and combat bullying. It hosts an annual storytelling festival that honors our rich narrative traditions.

“The library is a connective thread, weaving different groups into the tapestry of the Fayetteville community,” said Jody Risacher, library director.

Congratulations to Risacher and her outstanding staff. Their efforts bring prestige to the libraries of North Carolina.

The Cumberland County Public Library employs 159 full-time staff and 65 part-time staff with an annual budget of $9.5 million.

Catie Roche is the director of the Robeson County Public Library. You can reach her at croche@robesoncountylibrary.org. She is reading “Diary of a Mad Fad Girl,” by Stephanie McAfee.