News from CILIP

Life-changing Learning

New award will show what’s being achieved

CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, the UK’s largest library and information professional body, has teamed up with learndirect, the UK’s largest e-learning network, to run the Achieve Award for e-learning.

The Achieve Award is for learners aged 16+ who have changed their life for the better by learning computer skills in a library or information centre (academic, public or workplace). The award is a great opportunity for libraries to promote their contribution to lifelong learning with users, decision makers and the media.

Frances Hendrix, a member of the Ufi/learndirect board and fellow of CILIP, is one of the judges. She says: “Libraries and learndirect are a natural partnership, delivering supported e-learning into the heart of local communities and helping people access digital skills and services. The Achieve Award aims to reward those people changing their own lives through learning, and to recognise the library information centres that are helping them to do so.”

The judges will choose six regional winners who will be invited to attend a special awards ceremony in London in January 2004, together with representatives from the libraries that supported them. The winners will receive learndirect learning vouchers along with their award. An overall winner, chosen from the six finalists, will also receive £500 worth of travel vouchers and a laptop computer. The staff member who supports the overall winner will get the chance to enhance their own learning through a free CILIP training course of their choice.

Last time’s national winner was Sharon Ellis, aged 32, from Wath-upon-Dearne. “Winning the award was a real turning point for me,” says Sharon. “There were so many things I hadn’t done until I won. I used to have anxiety attacks going anywhere new, and was terrified of having to go to London to get my prize. I’d never even been on a train until that day, let alone to a big awards ceremony!

“I ended up having a lovely day, and meeting Gary Lineker was a dream come true. I have the picture of him handing me the award on my wall, and when I feel like I can’t do something, or I’m not good enough, I look at it and I know that I can do anything. Now I never give up, I just work harder.”

Libraries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were invited to take part by displaying posters, bookmarks and entry forms and by encouraging users to enter the prize.

Contacts:

Louisa Myatt Marketing Manager, CILIP

Tel: 020 7255 0650

Email: louisa.myatt@cilip.org.uk

Darshana Dholakia PR Executive, Ufi/learndirect

Tel: 0114 291 5680

Fax: 0114 291 5602

Email: ddholakia@ufi.com