NEWS
Echo refugee library appeal
THE Echo Refugee Library in Athens is look- ing for ideas to help secure more books for its collection to meet the demand for titles in popular languages of the Middle East. Raph Cormack said there is a large demand for book in Arabic, Farsi, Sorani, Kurmanji and others, but the library’s limited budget makes it hard to source good quality books. He said: “We are trying as many ways as possible to get books on our limited budget: largely by convincing publishers or other to donate to the project. I wondered if anyone had any thoughts about ways to make this happen.”
Anyone who can help with either ideas or donations can contact the library at contact@
echo-greece.org or visit
http://echo-greece.org.
Changing World
proposals for ALA THE American Library Association is calling for presentation proposals for its 2021 pre-conference, which is due to take place in Chicago next year. The final date has yet to be decided, but organisers are looking for proposals that meet the theme of Relevance and Effec- tiveness of Libraries in a Changing World. Among the broad topics that the theme will include are: adapting to the Covid world; diversity, inclusion and social justice; social media; technology transforming libraries; and the development of digital libraries. Proposals should be submitted to co-chairs Gloria Creed-Dikeogu (
gloria.creeddikeogu@ot-
tawa.edu) and Barbara Marson (marsonb@ecu. edu) by end-of-business on 5 February 2021.
Coventry clarification
AN image in the October/November issue of Information Professional was incorrectly labelled.
The photograph on p.26 (Library tales from here and there) is wrongly captioned as being the British Library Offices. In fact, the workshop event took place at Coventry Library Service’s Central Library. We apologise for any confusion caused.
Joint winners for new Welsh team award
TWO very different library services have been recognised for their work over the last 12 months by being named joint winners of the Welsh Library Team of the Year Award. NHS Wales Library and Knowledge Ser- vice and Newton Area Library were singled out as worthy winners of the newly created award from CILIP Cymru Wales. The award is designed to recognise outstanding profes- sional achievements by teams working in library and information services in Wales. The Welsh Government’s Deputy Min-
ister of Culture Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, joined CILIP’s Chief Executive Nick Poole for the ceremony and presen- tations. Lord Elis-Thomas said: “Covid-19 has had a major impact on libraries and the communities they serve, but the innovation that libraries in Wales have demonstrated has meant that they have continued to be able to provide information, support and support- ed people’s wellbeing during this difficult time. I’d like to congratulate the winners and of course pay tribute to everyone for the outstanding work this year. Librarians are the heart of the library service and I am continually impressed by the excellent work to make libraries a welcoming place for all.”
Health library and information services faced an unprecedented year, and have proved to be crucial in tackling corona- virus. Susan Prosser from Swansea Bay University Health Board nominated the NHS Wales Library and Knowledge Ser- vice, saying: “The network of 24 libraries based in hospitals has responded to the challenge of the Covid pandemic by supporting healthcare staff and keeping library services and spaces available for users.”
Maureen Jones, of Powys County Council, nominated the Newtown Area Library Team, stating: “Although they have always had a dynamic team, in Covid-19 they delivered many new services, from calling customers over 70 to online quizzes and creative writing and poetry competitions.” She added that “the chal- lenging shift from advising readers to choosing for them was also embraced by the team… and all this while overcoming IT barriers and tremendous uncertainty.” Runner up in the awards was The Welsh Higher Education Library Forum (WHELF) Cataloguing Team, nominated by Alan Hughes from Cardiff University. l
https://bit.ly/3a288eY
Christmas literacy appeal
MORE than 3,000 children will be handed free books this Christmas as part of char- ity UK Reads efforts to promote literacy. Part of the global World Literacy Foundation (WLF), the UK Reads initia- tive will give books to UK children and young people who do not own a book of their own. UK Reads was only launched in November to help children living in deprivation to enjoy reading for plea- sure.
Head of UK and EU for WLF Caroline Burkie said: “Every child, no matter their circumstances should have a book of their own at home so that they can expe- rience the joy of reading and reach their full potential. When a child struggles with reading it impacts upon every aspect of their life and they do not have the same life opportunities as their literate peers.
8 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL
Figures reveal that around 380,000 children do not own a book at home and this Christmas, children living in poverty who were struggling with literacy before Covid-19 hit, will be experiencing the devastating effects of a widened literacy learning gap. Having the opportunity to read books at home alone and with their family is essential to support their devel- opment, wellbeing and future.” As well as donating high-quality used books to children, the charity also aims to provide literacy support to an estimated 380,000 children who are at risk of miss- ing out the joy of reading and the benefits it can bring in later life. A Christmas appeal has been launched to help raise money to support the charity. Donate to the “Give the gift of literacy” appeal at www.
ukreads.org/christmas-appeal-2020.
December 2020
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