LMS Honored with Prestigious Library of Congress Literacy Award

Literacy Mid-South has been named one of 24 organizations to receive a 2025 Library of Congress Literacy Award, earning the distinction as the only organization based in Tennessee recognized this year. LMS received the Kislak Family Foundation Recognition Award, which includes $100,000 in general operating support to further its mission of equipping the community to pursue opportunities by facilitating literacy across the lifespan.

This award, reserved for an organization that has achieved outsized impact relative to their size, highlights Literacy Mid-South’s reputation as a “small but mighty” organization driving change in the Mid-South. For more than 50 years, Literacy Mid-South has worked to break down barriers to literacy, reaching learners of all ages. Each year, LMS distributes more than 100,000 books, convenes community partners to strengthen systems of support, and provides direct literacy interventions through initiatives such as Tutor901, which now serves more than 1,000 students in 10 schools. 

“This award is a testament to the dedication of our staff, the vision of our board, and the generosity of our partners and supporters,” said John Nichols, Interim CEO. “For five decades, LMS has been committed to building a stronger Memphis/Shelby County through literacy. To be recognized by the Library of Congress as one of the leading organizations in the country affirms the impact of our work and the importance of continuing this mission.”

Since 2013, the Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program, with support from philanthropist David M. Rubenstein and the Kislak Family Foundation, has awarded more than $4.3 million to over 220 organizations in 42 countries. In 2025, 24 organizations were honored for their exemplary, innovative, and sustainable contributions to advancing literacy and reading worldwide.

As part of the recognition, Literacy Mid-South will join this year’s honorees for a symposium and celebration hosted by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., this October.

For more information on the Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program, visit www.loc.gov/literacy.