King received the Michigan Library Awards' Lifetime Achievement Award.

Kevin King is head of community engagement at the Kalamazoo Public Library and a member of the School of Information Sciences' Advisory Board. 

King received his master of library and information science in 1997 and has spent most of his career with the Kalamazoo Public Library where he has held positions including Head of Branch and Circulation Services, Lead Librarian for the Oshtemo Branch and Bookmobile Services, and Lead Librarian for Teen Services

King has been a member of the Michigan Library Association for more than 20 years and was recognized in 2020 with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Michigan Library Awards.

The Michigan Library Awards are given annually and are considered the state’s highest honors within the library community. The awards celebrate the excellence, accomplishments, dedication and service of library staff, trustees and supporters in the Michigan library community.

Three of the leading statewide library advocacy and service organizations - the Michigan Library Association (MLA), the Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME), and the Michigan Academic Library Association (MiALA) collaborated to choose a diverse group of recipients.

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a deserving librarian for their distinguished service to the library profession over the course of their career. Throughout their career, winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award have sustained a strong and consistent body of work, demonstrated leadership in their community and in the profession – mentoring and empowering library staff, providing innovative service to their community and enhancing the image and visibility of the library.

“Kevin King is one of my absolute heroes,” said National Book Award Winner Jacqueline Woodson. “The work that he has done to bring the community and library together … the programming he’s designed and his passion for both young people and their literature deserves all the praise! He deserves to be recognized for the way he has changed both Kalamazoo and the world.”