Melanie Townsend Diggs, an East Baltimore native, has been a librarian for over 20 years, and is the current branch manager of the Pennsylvania Avenue Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland. On April 27, 2015, Townsend Diggs managed her branch of the library through the beginning of the unrest in Baltimore. She was the leading voice in the decision to keep her library branch open during the ensuing days of unrest, leading to her being named the recipient of the 2016 Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity. When asked how the events in Baltimore framed her view of her work, Townsend Diggs stated, "I've been a librarian for more than 20 years, and as difficult and scary as this week has been, I love the fact that it has shown people that we're here. Sometimes people don't realize all we do as librarians. We're the light in the community, the pathway to resources, we provide access to a world of possibilities. Situations like this shed light on a profession that often gets overlooked."