Wadleigh librarian Paul McIntosh (C) with some of his students at
recent awards ceremony
Paul McIntosh, the library media specialist at a Harlem public school, was honored this week as one of 10 top librarians nationally in the Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times "I Love My Librarian Award."
"Winning this award is meaningful to me because I've always felt that 
education is the best way to achieve social equality and to get a true understanding of the human experience," said McIntosh, who works at the Wadleigh Secondary School for The Performing and Visual Arts. "My goal is to stimulate students to think in ways that they normally do not, to inspire them to be thinkers, and to give them books and experiences that allow them to fulfill their destiny as humans. I find this work deeply gratifying."
Born and raised in Augusta, Georgia, McIntosh has worked at schools and libraries across the country. In addition to promoting literacy and helping students develop their writing skills, he has also prepared them for public performances. His students have appeared at City College's Langston Hughes Festival, Bryant Park's "Poem in Your Pocket Day," and the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe.
Outside of Wadleigh, McIntosh founded The Countee Cullen Book/Theater Club and The Kuumba Kids, a reading and theater club for youth. He has also compiled two anthologies of stories and poems written by New York authors and poets.
Wadleigh social studies teacher, Anthony Klug, nominated McIntosh for the award.
"He has created a space where students are empowered, inspired, and enlightened," said Klug, who has worked with McIntosh for five years. "He goes above and beyond everyday to give students all that they need to learn, especially those teens who come from challenging backgrounds."
McIntosh's work has been recognized many times. Prior to this honor, he received an E.I. Pratt Fellowship Award, a Ford Foundation Award, a Bronx Historical Society Achievement Award, and a citation from the New York City Council.
This week, McIntosh was honored at a ceremony in New York and he will receive a prize of $5,000.
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