08/25/2026
Mary Lynn Collins to be Honored with the Ruby Layson Award by Frankfort’s Interfaith Council at the Community Picnic, Sunday, August 30, 4 pm, Upper Cove Spring Archery Park Pavilion, Cedar Cove Road, Frankfort!
Please join us for the annual Frankfort Interfaith Council Community Picnic on Sunday, August 30, at 4 pm. The gathering will take place in the Upper Cove Spring Archery Park pavilion on Cedar Cove Road in Frankfort. Please bring a dish to share and join us in an afternoon of food and fellowship. The public is warmly invited--please share this invitation.
Our honored guest this year will be Ms. Mary Lynn Collins, who will be recognized as the recipient of the Interfaith Council’s 2026 Ruby Layson Award for promoting the interfaith qualities of justice, compassion and human kindness. Layson, a charter member of the interfaith council, died of cancer on June 10, 2017. She was a retired journalist, educator, environmental activist, world traveler and tireless worker for peace and equality.
The Ruby Layson Award recognizes individuals who affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equity and compassion in human relations; the right of conscience and the democratic process; and the vision of a world community grounded in peace, liberty, and justice for all. “Mary Lynn embodies these principles not in theory, but in daily practice,” said Rich Green, Interfaith Council member who nominated her for the award. “Her steadfast commitment to justice, education, and human dignity makes her an outstanding candidate for this honor.
Ms. Collins has worked as an advocate for libraries at the local, state and national level. She helped reactivate the Friends of Paul Sawyier Public Library more than 20 years ago and served as president in its early years. She also has been co-manager of the library’s Lilian Lindsey Bookstore since it opened in 2006.
Collins served on the PSPL board of trustees from 2007-2025 (some years on the advisory board and other years on the voting board) and served as president of the board from 2010-2013. She was a founding member of the Friends of Kentucky Libraries in 2009 and served as the statewide president for three years. She also served on that Kentucky Public Library Association’s library advocacy committee for several years.
She is featured in educator, public speaker and author Steve Flairty’s book, “Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes: Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things” published in 2015. In the book, Flairty said, “Mary Lynn Collins, in her retirement years, is a fierce and unpaid advocate for Kentucky’s libraries. She knows that a well-read and educated populace will give the commonwealth its best chance for a bright future. To reach that goal, it will take servant leadership. Mary Lynn leads the charge, and she hopes for more recruits to follow.”
Collins has worked in some capacity for the Thorn Hill Education Center for more than 25 years – first as a volunteer reading tutor; and then as a member of the center’s advisory committee when it was still under the management of Franklin County Public Schools.
“When the decision was made that the center would operate independently from the school system, those of us on the advisory committee knew the change would require additional funds to be successful,” Collins said. “I proposed a spelling bee, and Spellapalooza was established. We just completed the 15th spelling bee and raised over $20,000 this year.”
Like Ruby Layson, Mary Lynn’s civic engagement is broad and deeply rooted. Her presence is steady, principled and often accompanied by a strong circle of friends and supporters. She is an exemplary citizen volunteer – uplifting the immigrant and refugee community in Frankfort and consistently working toward a more just and compassionate society.
A native of London, Kentucky and an honors graduate of Kentucky State University, Collins has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration. She is a member of the KSU Frankfort Alumni Chapter and serves as the corresponding secretary. She worked 26 years for the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, first as a legislative analyst in the areas of energy and natural resources; and later as staff administrator for the Capital Projects and Bond Oversight Committee.
Mary Lynn was married to Ernest Collins for 48 years until he died in 2018. They have a son and daughter, Chad Collins, of Lexington, and Camille Collins Dean, of Frankfort; and four grandchildren, Hadley, Jack and Leah Collins and Mia Dean.
The local Interfaith Council has members from the Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Baha’i, Quaker, and Unitarian Universalist religions.
Please consider joining us as we continue to explore ways to spread compassion in Frankfort, Kentucky and beyond.
