CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
7 Ridgmount St, London WC1E 7AE.
Tel: 020 7255 0500
Textphone: 020 7255 0505
Fax: 020 7255 0501
Email: Mailto:[log in to unmask]
News from CILIP
20 February 2007
For immediate release (Please copy to online discussion lists)
Shortlist for the 2007 CILIP / LiS Libraries Change Lives Award Announced
Three schemes are in the running for the 2007 CILIP/LiS Libraries Change Lives Award:
* A bibliotherapy project in East Ayrshire providing alternative treatment for people with depression and mild mental health problems
* A scheme in Leeds providing loans of large print fiction books for partially sighted children in the classroom so that they can read books alongside their peers in mainstream schools
* A UK-wide project developing the role of public libraries in supporting refugees and asylum seekers to promote social inclusion and build self esteem, where two library services (in Leicester and in the London Borough of Camden) have set up work placements for refugees.
The winner of the award will be announced by Roger McGough, OBE, on 18 April 2007 at the Library + information Show (LiS), Hall 18, NEC, Birmingham.
The three shortlisted library projects are:
* Read Yourself Well- East Ayrshire Library, Registration and Information Services
* Large (Leeds Always Reading Group for Everyone) - Leeds School Library Service
* Welcome to your library - London Libraries Development Agency
Nigel Thomas, Chair of the judges committee and member of the supporting Community Services Group of CILIP comments on this year's shortlist:
"As ever, it has been a difficult but pleasurable task in choosing three outstanding projects. This year has seen a significant development in that, as a panel of judges, we have noted how well all the projects have done in providing evidence of the impact that their work is having on the communities that they serve. It is more important than ever for library services to demonstrate their value: to potential funders, to governing institutions, but most importantly to the customers they serve. All of this year's projects have been exemplary in this respect. We'll be looking forward to meeting the shortlisted three."
This is the 15th year of the national award that recognises innovative and exciting work in libraries and their communities. The award was established in 1992 to acknowledge and reward libraries and information services working with disadvantaged groups to combat inequality, including the unemployed, homeless, persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities.
Since its inception, the award has had a significant impact on the world of libraries and their local communities across the UK. Previous winners include Bookstart; the Government-backed scheme that was first piloted by Birmingham Libraries and now reaches 3 million babies and their parents across the UK. The project has also been recognised as making a
significant difference to literacy and numeracy levels in primary schools. Another scheme, the Big Book Share, winner of the Libraries Change Lives Award in 2002, has been successful in helping fathers in prison to keep in contact with their children through reading to them on tapes.
Evelyn Kilmurry, one of this year's judges and leader of Sighthill Libraries youth work project, says of winning the award in 2006, "Winning last year's Libraries Change Lives Award has given everyone who has been involved in the initiative, including the staff team, local community and young people themselves, a huge boost in what has been an incredibly rewarding and positive year. The project has benefited from unprecedented media interest, increased levels of funding and has opened up a new world of exciting partnership opportunities for future continued success. Above all else, winning has allowed us to take a step back from our every day work in community libraries to appreciate that what we do really does change people's lives."
Twenty-six library-based projects were entered for the 2007 award. These were shortlisted in January and the winner will be announced at the Library + information Show (LiS) in Birmingham on 18 April. The winning project receives a trophy and £5,000 prize money. The two runners-up both receive a cheque for £2,000. This year's judges are: Nigel Thomas (Chair) from Leicestershire Libraries, Evelyn Kilmurry from Edinburgh Libraries, Carole Wolstenholme from East Lancashire Libraries, Linda Constable from Bournemouth Libraries and Katherine Allen, Event Director for LiS. The award is sponsored by the Library + information Show. The event is organised and administered by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals and its Community Service Group.
The Library + information Show (LiS) takes place at the NEC Birmingham on 18 and 19 April 2006. Now in its 18th year, it caters for all sectors of the library profession, bringing the library and information world together to share key industry developments, the latest technology, exchange ideas and debate current issues. For more information please visit: www.lishow.co.uk.
Contact: Philippa Perry at Philippa Perry Associates
Tel: 020 8996 1737 Email: Mailto:[log in to unmask]
Mark Taylor at CILIP
Tel: 020 7255 0650 Email: Mailto:[log in to unmask]
Notes to Editors:
For case studies or to speak to any of the people involved in the projects, please contact: Philippa Perry (details above).
1. Details of the shortlisted projects:
READ YOURSELF WELL
East Ayrshire Library, Registration and Information Service
Contact: Dawn Vallance - Information Officer - 01563 554 323
Email: Mailto:[log in to unmask]
East Ayrshire Library and Information Service have set up a project called 'Read Yourself Well', a Bibliotherapy scheme that provides an alternative non-drug or complimentary treatment to help people think differently about psychological problems. Recent research has shown that 10% of appointments with GPs involve some degree of mental health difficulties. The scheme employs a full-time Bibliotherapist, who arranges three confidential meetings with clients to discuss their problems and recommends books and self-help materials from a list specially chosen for their quality by health care professionals, carers and people who use the service. This alternative, drug-free form of therapy has proven hugely successful in supporting and educating people with mild mental health problems. Testimonials and feedback has shown the project has a huge impact on clients enabling them to move forward and enrich their quality of life.
The project has received Ethics Committee approval allowing in-depth research into the outcomes of Bibliotherapy and will be evaluated by Professor John MacDonald of Paisley University.
The Bibliotherapy scheme is split between the library service, where the Bibliotherapist works with individual clients to promote the use of self-help material to improve the client's mental health, and Leisure Development where the Bibliotherapist works with the Community Health Improvement Partnership and 'Lifestyle referral' teams. While working in Leisure Development, the Bibliotherapist sees a range of clients who require support to improve their general health - the Bibliotherapist signposts clients to a range of services, e.g. walking groups, gym and exercise classes as well as Bibliotherapy.
Early intervention is crucial in supporting and treating those with mental health problems and this scheme has provided a successful alternative and drug-free source of treatment.
WELCOME TO YOUR LIBRARY
Contact: Helen Carpenter, Project Co-ordinator
Email: Mailto:[log in to unmask]
Telephone: 020 7641 5266
'Welcome To Your Library' is a project to increase opportunities for active engagement and participation by refugees and asylum seekers in public library service planning and delivery. By doing so, it aims to improve access to, and the quality of services for everyone. Two of the participating library services (Leicester and the London Borough of Camden) are successfully developing work experience and volunteering opportunities for refugees.
The project is funded by the Paul Hamlin Foundation, and co-ordinated through the London Libraries Development Agency. It began as a pilot in 2003 in five London boroughs (Brent, Camden, Enfield, Merton and Newham) and in 2005 extended nationally. The library services in the national phase are LB Hillingdon (with Healthy Hillingdon), Leicester, Liverpool, LB Southwark and Tyne and Wear (a consortium comprising Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside and Sunderland councils).
Camden library service is offering 12 week structured work placements for refugees of 15 hours per week, contributing to refugee integration, a core theme of Camden's social inclusion strategy. The scheme has been successful in building self esteem, contact with the wide community, and developing an understanding of workplace rules and regulations, enabling refugees to access basic skills including developing CVs and attending computer sessions in library learning centres. The programme also provides a daily routine to follow whilst balancing home and work life. 'Welcome To Your Library' provides a crucial role and lifeline for many asylum seekers and refugees, who are amongst the most excluded, vulnerable and disadvantaged people in our communities.
In Leicester Central Library, 22 refugees have taken part and 13 have gone on to find jobs. The project has been proved successful on the evidence of the number of refugees who have found work and the feedback the library service has received from participants and partner organisations. Currently over 40 refugees have participated in these two local authorities and over half have subsequently found jobs, with other positive impacts on participants, on communities and on the library service.
(Website for the project as a whole: www.welcometoyourlibrary.org.uk/)
LARGE
Leeds School Library Service
Contact: Margaret Drinkwater
Telephone: 0113 2144531
Email: Mailto:[log in to unmask]
The LARGE (Leeds Always Reading Group for Everyone) service provides loans of fiction books in large print format for visually impaired children who are educated alongside their sighted peers in mainstream schools in Leeds. The main aim of the project is to enable children who are visually impaired to read fiction books themselves. Where their vision is more limited stories in audio format are provided. This contributes to the raising of reading levels and also increases their enjoyment of reading books and listening to stories.
Children are identified by the Visually Impaired Team of the Local Education Authority, Education Leeds, and each child receives a box of resources once a term. Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils receive a catalogue of books in large print format, from which they can select the ones they want to read. The service that started in September 2005 was initially focused on pupils in Key Stage 2, but was extended to include children in Key Stage 1 and 3 as well. There are currently 42 children in 33 schools using the service. In January 2007390 items were loaned to them. Books in font sizes N18 and N24 are produced by the National Blind Children's Society and often magnification may also be used if the child is particularly visually impaired. Books produced in the larger font (N24) are particularly expensive and therefore a limited amount of titles are available but the demand for this size of book is growing and provision of these books needs to be made.
The service has been going for a relatively short time, but feedback from teachers shows that through the provision of LARGE and the fact that children have access to books with large font, there has been a significant rise in confidence and reading ability, and the enjoyment that children receive from the books. The large print books also help promote social inclusion for the visually impaired child, so that they no longer feel so isolated amongst their peers, allowing them the opportunity to read along as a classroom group with their sighted peers. Social Inclusion is vital in healthy child development and this scheme is successfully helping to deliver this.
2. CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers, with around 22,000 members working in all sectors, including business and industry, science and technology, further and higher education, schools, local and central government, the health service, the voluntary sector, national and public libraries. For more information about CILIP, please go to www.cilip.org.uk/.
3. VNU Exhibitions Europe: is a B2B information provider specialising in producing highly focused trade exhibitions for the information technology, telecommunications and information industries.
For more information, please visit: www.vnuexhibitions.co.uk.
For information about LiS and VNU Exhibitions, contact: Jane Lewis at VNU on 020 7316 9532. Email: Mailto:[log in to unmask]
- Ends -
|
