New London ― When Executive Director Madhu Gupta of the Public Library of New London learned Tuesday she’d been named the state’s top librarian by the Connecticut Library Association, her first reaction was incredulity.

“For the first five minutes after, I just thought, ‘This can’t be happening,’” she said on Friday from inside the Huntington Street facility. “When I was nominated, I didn’t expect anything; you kind of forget about it and get back to work. Because there’s so many librarians out there doing good work.”

The surprise that came with being named CLA’s 2024 Outstanding Librarian quickly shifted into finding ways to spread the credit to her Board of Trustees, her staff and the wider community.

“Those are the people that make my job easier,” Gupta said. “This is my passion, but it’s a team effort.”

While most annual CLA awards are presented in a specific category ― volunteerism, public service, programming ― the “outstanding” award recognizes the overall excellence and career accomplishments of a Connecticut librarian, said Alessandra Casiello, CLA’s conference coordinator.

Casiello said said the top awardees, nominated by staff and peers, are chosen based on their record of service with statewide leadership, encouragement of community support and success in their particular field of expertise.

Winners are chosen by a committee made up of six CLA regional representatives, though Gupta, Region Six’s rep, recused herself from voting after her nomination.

Gupta, who joined the New London library 11 years ago and was named director in 2018, previously worked at the Groton and Connecticut College libraries.

Gupta said she’s particularly proud of two recent local library initiatives: the creation of a dedicated teen activity room in the lower level of the facility and the formation of a digital navigator program, which are workers dedicated to helping patrons with everything from kick-starting an iPad to filling out an online job resume.

Meghan Soucier, the library’s first digital navigator, was in the audience when her boss was presented with the award at the Mystic Marriott Hotel and Spa on Tuesday. In addition to overseeing the day-to-day running of a busy library, she said Gupta also puts a premium on community outreach.

“She’s the glue that holds this place together,” Soucier said on Friday.

Gupta said keeping a library relevant requires constant reinvention based on community feedback.

“Are there enough Wi-fI hotspots here? Or do we need to adjust computer use time so people can quickly print out ferry tickets?” she asked. “We’re always looking for ideas on ways to provide more resources.”

j.penney@theday.com