Libraries Change Lives
Celebrating the value of libraries to people and communities
About the award
The CILIP/LiS Libraries Change Lives Award is established as one of the leading accolades in the library and information world.
Its aim is to highlight and reward good practice in any innovative library/information related project that:
- Brings people together
- Involves communities
- Encourages reading
- Encourages learning
- Shares information
- Demonstrates imagination and innovation
- Has the potential to be developed and adapted elsewhere
We welcome entries from any sector of the library and information world. They could be reading projects, learning projects, or projects that promote information. They must be shown to have affected people’s lives for the better, whoever those people might be.
The judges will choose three finalists and all receive:
- National recognition
- Enhanced credibility with fund holders and decision makers
- The opportunity to celebrate your success with staff, users and partners
- Prize money to put into your project
- A VIP day at the Library + information Show
The overall winner will receive a trophy and prize money of £5,000. The two other finalists will receive a certificate and prize money of £2,000 each.
The Libraries Change Lives Award is run by CILIP and its Community Services Group, and is sponsored by and presented during the Library + information Show, 23 + 24 April 2008, Hall 11, NEC, Birmingham.
The purpose of the award is to recognise positive achievements and promote outstanding library based initiatives which:
- Celebrate the value of library and information services to the individual
- Enrich the lives of individuals
- Help strengthen local communities
- Add value to the community served
- Contribute to equality of access
- Demonstrate good practice
- Consult and involve the end user
Enter the Award
Entries for the 2008 Award are now closed. Entries for the 2009 Award will open in Septemeber 2008.
The judging process
The judges are representatives from CILIP's Community Services Group and sponsors, the Library + information Show.
They meet early in the new year to decide a shortlist of three projects based on the information submitted. To do this they have a schedule where they allocate points to each criterion. The points are cumulated and each judge draws up a list of potential shortlisted entries. At the meeting the judges compare scores, and then enter into debate about which three projects should be shortlisted. The judges then visit the shortlisted projects (by prior arrangement) during February to decide the winner.
All three shortlisted projects will be invited to attend the presentation ceremony at the Library + information Show on 23 + 24 April 2007 where they will be given the opportunity to share their experiences with an invited audience. The winning project will receive £5,000 to put towards their project and the two runners-up will receive £2,000 each.
The judges' decisions are final. They reserve the right to withhold or withdraw the Award at their own discretion.
Criteria
A project must be:
- UK based
- current and have delivered the service for at least 12 months up to 6 December 2007
- a partnership of two or more groups, one of which is a formal library or information service
The judges will assess the entry looking for the following:
- Compatibility with the purpose of the Award
- Quality of library/information service involvement
- A clearly defined statement of objectives
- Evaluation that shows objectives are being achieved
- A well defined target user group and involvement of individuals from target group
- A clearly defined description of the partners and their roles
- Demonstration of sound financial planning
- Demonstration of good practice
- Demostration of imagination and innovation
- The project’s ability to be adapted and used elsewhere
- How the project changes lives
A word from the sponsors - LiS
"The CILIP/LiS Libraries Change Lives Award has established itself as one of the highlights of the Library + information Show and I am delighted to continue our support of such a prestigious award.
The Library + information Show is Europe’s No. 1 showcase for library technologies, products and services, however the difference between a good library and an outstanding one is generally not the amount of technology on offer nor the built environment. It’s not even the range of content available for users. The big difference is the dedication and commitment of the individuals and teams who drive new ideas and initiatives.
The CILIP/LiS Libraries Change Lives Award honours those individuals and teams whose desires and abilities have overcome difficult conditions and budgetary constraints to touch the lives of the people they serve.
I very much look forward to our continued support of such a worthy award."
Katherine Allen, Event Director, LiS