Fortunately, Derbyshire County Council Sam Whitehouse.


planning and work to transform it into the­space­it­is­today.­We­were­interrupted­ on more than one occasion by Covid and our initial schedule was always changing due­to­the­pandemic.­But­we­were­deter- mined to keep going and we’re excited to see what other opportunities Cinema in the­Library­opens­up­in­the­future.


Helen Cunningham, Derbyshire Libraries Visual and Print Impaired People’s Promise Award winner


The project developed as a direct result of wanting to meet the needs of the Buxton Library Listening Group during lockdown.­Initially,­library­staff­kept­in­ phone contact with vulnerable clients, including­the­Listening­Groups.­During­ these calls, a couple of members won- dered­about­meeting­up­using­Skype­or­ Zoom and the seed was sown! Most­of­our­obstacles­were­technological.­


The­group­preferred­to­use­Zoom­or­Skype­ but we didn’t have access to Zoom and initial­testing­of­Skype­revealed­incom- patibility issues between the Business and Home­versions.


was­starting­to­roll­out­MS­Teams­and­I’d­ volunteered to be a Digital Champion, enabling early access to online training and a supportive network where I could learn to­set­up­meetings.­Make­It­Click­was­also­ an­invaluable­resource. I­got­to­understand­how­MS­Teams­ worked, while the group became familiar with­Borrowbox­for­e-audio.­I­provided­ telephone support, explaining how to down- load­the­app­and­books.­We­then­moved­on­ to­setting­up­Teams.­They­all­used­different­ types of devices so it was a challenge talking through instructions and trying to under- stand what they were experiencing at their end.­It­greatly­increased­my­awareness­ of the importance of designing apps and websites­with­accessibility­in­mind. I set up individual test meetings to check everyone­could­use­the­technology.­There­ were delays and problems, and it often took numerous attempts before succeed- ing.­We­all­needed­a­lot­of­patience! The group’s willingness to persevere and


learn­new­skills­was­truly­inspiring.­We­were­ all­proud­of­ourselves­when­we­finally­held­ our­first­online­meeting.­The­knowledge­ gained from the project was then applied to set up another online countywide reader group­based­around­our­e-book­service. It’s­a­great­morale­booster­to­library­staff­ to have an award, especially as it’s not always easy to showcase all the wonderful work libraries do to support their commu- nities­and­enhance­people’s­lives.­It­will­ encourage us to develop more projects, and provides­confidence­to­potential­partners­ and funders that libraries can deliver suc- cessful­projects.


Shaun Doyle, North Yorkshire Libraries Children’s Promise Award winner Since­starting­in­libraries­five­years­ago,­ I’ve always been amazed at the passion and range of skillsets people have, either locally or nationally; senior management or­library­assistants.­Anecdotally,­I­felt­that­ we as a national service could do better to promote our strengths while also learning from­one­another.­


I’m exceptionally lucky to be a library assistant within North Yorkshire as the senior management encourage innovation and leadership at all levels, not just the top! Universal­offers­are­at­the­core­of­


Helen Cunningham. 34 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL


everything I’ve done because they represent a­library­service­I­want­for­the­future:­an­ inclusive service that builds community cohesion, provides life-changing opportu- nities and can be a home-from-home for everyone.­That’s­why­I­set­up­the­Young­ Adult Library Team, which is made up of younger­members­of­library­staff,­none­of­ whom­have­a­management­role.­The­team­ has the freedom to suggest ways in which the­service­can­reach­out­more­effectively­ to­young­people.


October-November 2021


The­project­has­taught­me­a­huge­amount:­


Having a great work culture is so crucial, particularly letting people experiment and allowing leadership opportunities at any level.­If­I­was­in­­another­organisation­with­ weaker leadership, I wouldn’t have achieved a­quarter­of­what­I­have.­


l You can achieve anything with the right attitude,­support­and­work­ethic.­Libraries­ are the ‘Rooms of Requirements’ and we are­their­architects.­Where­there­is­a­need­ in our communities, it is the duty of all of us,­regardless­of­rank,­to­meet­them.­With­ that, share any idea you have that can make­a­positive­difference!


l You do not need to be an expert to deliver on an idea, you can learn as you go and grow­so­much­as­a­person­in­the­process.


l If others without management experi- ence want to manage a team, then books are really useful, but having the passion goes a long way into building the passion in others!


Awards­like­these­make­a­huge­difference.­


Of­course­it’s­nice­to­have­a­certificate,­ but the importance comes from gaining inspiration­from­others.­There­are­so­many­ great­libraries,­ideas­and­staff­across­the­ world, but many would go unnoticed if they­weren’t­publicly­recognised.­From­ my nomination alone, I really hope library assistants elsewhere will see that it’s possi- ble­to­do­cool­stuff!­Every­single­one­of­us­ has­endless­potential,­just­let’s­find­ways­ to release it and demonstrate why libraries are so awesome! IP


Shaun Doyle.


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