THIS WEEK SHORTLISTED


Montrose Library Angus, Scotland


The Lead Story Library of the Year


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ore than 13,000 people visited ANGUSalive’s Montrose Library in the


two months after it reopened following refurbishment. The library opened with a flourish of activities and events in September 2018, after almost 11 months in a small temporary space. It welcomed 663 members and issued 8,493 items in the first two months in its new premises. Author Stuart MacBride cut the ribbon on opening day, saying how pleased he was to be at the open- ing of a library instead of standing with a placard protesting about their closures. “Fantastic” figures followed


the library’s reopening, with a monthly average of 3,000 issues and 5,800 visitors (up from 2,513) to the new library in its eight months. The library has regular events too, including Knit &


131%


Increase in visitor numbers in the eight months after re-opening in new premises


Knitter and Bookbug Babies. Librarian Arlene Henderson


says: “My team and I are incredibly proud of our library and of what we have achieved in the past year for our community. We rose to the challenge of moving into our new library with excitement and the reaction and feedback from all our users has been fantastic. Everyone loves the new, brighter space; it’s a much-loved old build- ing that has been brought right up to date and we hope it will serve generations of the Montrose community for years to come.” 


38


Writers were given free membership through its Emerging Writers Programme


6,700


Membership of The London Library


We rose to the challenge of moving into our new library with excitement and the feedback from users has been fantastic


Arlene Henderson, Librarian


increasing the age limit by two years for a young person’s half-price member- ship, and bringing under-30s into the group of trustees on placement to ensure younger members’ views are heard; offering cheaper remote or associate memberships to reflect that many


SHORTLISTED


The London Library St James, London


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embership is on the rise at The London Library, a unique institution first established on the initiative of


writer Thomas Carlyle in 1841, and the largest independent lending library in the world. The library, situated in elegant St James Square, levies substantial subscription fees to its members (standard full membership costs £510 per annum), which limits its


12th July 2019


user base; but it has been included in The Bookseller’s shortlist both for its celebrated collection of one million books and periodi- cals—almost all available for borrowing, as well as to browse within the building—and the special expertise of its library staff, which include a Bibliographic Services team and a Collection Care team to handle maintenance and conservation. Under director Philip Marshall, who joined in 2017, there has been a drive to make the library as accessible and widely known as possible: introducing an author events programme, open to non-members and featuring the likes of Jessie Burton, Candice Cart-Williams and Hallie Rubenhold;


users live outside London and rely more on the library’s online resources; and schools memberships, giving pupil groups access to the library. This year the library also launched its Emerging Writers’ Programme to support aspiring unpublished writers, with 38 candidates (pictured) given a year’s free library membership plus a programme of networking and writer support. Overall library membership now numbers 6,700 members, with many new joiners in their twenties. Marshall says: “We’ve always had as our goal the sharing of knowledge and ideas, supporting writers and readers, and nurturing creativit—both for people going on a personal journey of discovery, and for a wider public good. When people come for research, to seek knowledge or build creative work that will be published, that affects the lives of many. There are one million books here that you can browse and borrow. Members tell us frequently they can’t find the books anywhere else.”


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