IN DEPTH


Frontline thinking: Action and delivery in a time of crisis


In a year when public library staff have worked on the frontline, made urgent and difficult decisions, Rob Mackinlay finds out more about the inaugural Libraries Connected Awards winners, recognised for innovation and going the extra mile.


THE six winners of the first Libraries Connected Awards were picked from a strong field with judges applauding “so many incredible entries” to an award scheme designed to celebrate achievements, acknowledge excel- lence, and showcase good practice. The awards categories mirror the six


Universal­


­Library­Offers­and­Promises:­ Health and Wellbeing, Reading, Culture and Creativity, Information and Digital, Children’s­Promise­and­Vision­and­Print­ Impaired­People’s­Promise.


Judged by Libraries Connected person- nel working in these areas, its trustees and other­leading­national­figures,­it­recognises­ individuals and teams in public libraries who have had a positive impact on their library service, library users or the local community.­


Libraries Connected said the awards “give us the opportunity to uncover new library champions, to encourage the leaders of the future and to give them the recognition they deserve”.


Here the winners talk about the inspira- tion for their projects and how they met the­needs­of­their­communities.­They­also­ discuss­how­the­Universal­Library­Offers­ and­Promises­have­guided­their­work,­often­ in­difficult­conditions­while­facing­unprece- dented­demand­for­library­services.


Basia Godel, North Yorkshire Libraries Information & Digital Award winner The Black History of Yorkshire and Harrogate project arose naturally because


October-November 2021


Rob Mackinlay (@cilip_reporter2, rob.mackinlay@cilip.org.uk) is Senior Reporter, Information Professional.


of lockdown – meaning we had to host our events digitally – and Black History Month (BHM).­I­think­it’s­easy­to­disregard­racial­ diversity in Harrogate and North Yorkshire because it is not a very racially diverse area compared to other parts of the UK, but that just means this work is so much more im- portant to the minority groups that do live here,­to­ensure­they­are­not­marginalised.­ In my research for BHM I stumbled upon Joe Williams, the speaker for our Black local history event, and his work really illustrates­that­point­the­best.­There­is­such­ a rich and wonderful tapestry of stories and­black­historical­figures­in­the­local­ area, but most of the community doesn’t realise­it.­So,­I­would­say­that­this­definitely­ responded to the needs of our community, but perhaps needs that many weren’t even aware­of.


Before Covid, our focus was predominantly on in-person events and activities, and


INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 31


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