Randy Sherard has championed public libraries for more than 25 years.

Last month, the Mississippi Library Association made it official with an award for his years of volunteer service.

Sherard, the board’s attorney and ex-officio member of the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library Advisory Board, was the recipient of the 2012 Library Champion Award at the association’s annual conference, Oct. 26 in Natchez.

The award, first given in 2011, recognizes people, businesses or community organizations for substantial involvement and advocacy with Mississippi’s libraries.

“It was a surprise, for sure,” Sherard said. “We always attempt to serve the needs of the public. And people have gone digital now. We have 11 public access computers for research purposes.”

Sherard, 67, an attorney and professional engineer, has been associated with the library’s advisory board since 1986, when the library was separated from the Jackson Metropolitan Library System. He was board president until 1993, when he was appointed as the Board of Supervisors’ attorney.

“He has been the guiding force in policymaking and legal issues for the Board of Trustees and tirelessly supported it in its mission and lent his assistance to solve a wide variety of issues,” read a statement from the MLA.

Since 1993, Sherard has volunteered as head of the MLA’s Trustee Section to organize conference programs and has served six times as a Mississippi delegate to the American Library Association’s National Library Legislative Day in Washington, D.C.

“He’s been an ally for a long time,” library director Deb Mitchell said. “He’s played a big part since the ’80s. He’s done a great job for the library and we’re pleased he won it.”

The Veto Street library opened in 1979 and is owned and maintained by the county. Previously, it was housed at Monroe and Crawford streets.

Recipients are those who do not work for a Mississippi library, the School of Library Science and Information Science at the University of Southern Mississippi or for the Mississippi Library Commission. Last year’s winners, state Reps. Cecil Brown and Billy McCoy, were recognized for outstanding advocacy in support of maintaining state funding for libraries, the MLA said.