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CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL OXGANGS LIBRARY, SAUGHTON LIBRARY (HMP EDINBURGH) & MOBILE LIBRARY SERVICES
THE SHORTLIST
Southwark Libraries LONDON
Cornwall Libraries
SOUTH-WEST ENGLAND
Hull Libraries NORTH ENGLAND
Neath Port Talbot Library Service WALES
Twin Towns Library ISLAND OF IRELAND
Warwickshire Libraries MIDLANDS
West Sussex Library Service
EAST AND SOUTH-EAST ENGLAND
TRADE AWARDS Library of the Year
The 2026 Library of the Year award is given for a project in a little-seen but very important part of the library sector: prisons. In the last quarter of 2025, Edinburgh’s Oxgangs and Mobile Library teamed up with
Saughton Library at HMP Edinburgh to run a Secret Santa-style programme that brought gift- wrapped books to individuals in custody. At a particularly lonely time of year for many, it was a simple but effective act of kindness that aimed to inspire similar empathy and compassion in the recipients. Nearly 150 people signed up to receive books, which were chosen by staff based on the prisoners’ genre preferences and delivered by the “Library Elf”, along with cards and handmade bookmarks. For Saughton, it fed into efforts to raise literacy levels and prison library footfall, while for Edinburgh’s library service it was a natural extension of its outreach activity, supporting community health and delivering books to the household. “Prison libraries’ activity isn’t necessarily seen but it’s hugely impactful,” said the judges.
“This was a really innovative programme to combat loneliness and exclusion and promote wellbeing through books.”
The eight libraries and services on this shortlist were the regional and country winners of this award. Each of the five English regional winners receives an additional prize of £1,000 from the government to support the National Year of Reading. This award is run with the kind help of The Reading Agency.
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LESLIE BARRIE/WIKIMEDIA
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