CILIP | Winner of Libraries Change Lives award 2007 announced.

Winner of Libraries Change Lives award 2007 announced

A UK-wide project developing the role of public libraries in supporting
refugees and asylum seekers to promote social inclusion and build
self-esteem has won the 2007 CILIP/LiS Libraries Change Lives Award. The
winner was announced by Roger McGough, OBE, on 18 April 2007 at the
Library + information Show (LiS), Hall 18, NEC, Birmingham.

'Welcome to your library' is a project that aims to increase
opportunities for active engagement and participation by refugees and asylum
seekers in public library service planning and delivery. It provides a
crucial role and lifeline for many asylum seekers and refugees, who are
amongst the most excluded, vulnerable and disadvantaged people in our
communities. Two of the participating library services (Leicester and the
London Borough of Camden) have successfully developed work experience
and volunteering opportunities for refugees.

The project is funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and co-ordinated
through the London Libraries Development Agency. It began as a pilot in
2003 in five London boroughs (Brent, Camden, Enfield, Merton and Newham)
and in 2005 extended nationally. The library services in the national
phase are LB Hillingdon (with Healthy Hillingdon), Leicester, Liverpool,
LB Southwark and Tyne and Wear (a consortium comprising Newcastle,
Gateshead, North and South Tyneside and Sunderland councils).

Camden library service is offering 12 week structured work placements
for refugees of 15 hours per week, contributing to refugee integration,
a core theme of Camden's social inclusion strategy. The scheme has been
successful in building self-esteem, contact with the wider community
and developing an understanding of workplace rules and regulations,
enabling refugees to access basic skills including developing CVs and
attending computer sessions in library learning centres. The programme also
provides a daily routine to follow whilst balancing home and work life.

In Leicester Central library, 22 refugees have taken part and 13 have
gone on to find jobs. The project has been proved successful on the
evidence of the number of refugees who have found work and the feedback the
library service has received from participants and partner
organisations. Currently over 40 refugees in these two local authorities have
participated and over half have subsequently found jobs, with other positive
impacts on participants, on communities and on the library service.
(Website for the project as a whole: www.welcometoyourlibrary.org.uk. To
view films of the project finalists, visit
www.myspace.com/librarieschangelives).

Helen Carpenter, Project Co-ordinator, Welcome To Your Library,
comments on winning this year's award:

"By successfully engaging refugees and asylum seekers in public library
service planning and delivery, Welcome To Your Library is at the
cutting edge of public library practice, reinforcing libraries' key role as
place shapers in 21st century communities. Sharing good practice is key.
The Libraries Change Lives award is recognition not only of the success
of the refugee work placement and volunteering schemes in Camden and
Leicester, but also of the work by all the library services involved in
the project across the country and that of numerous partners."

Nigel Thomas, Chair of the judges committee and member of the
supporting Community Services Group of CILIP comments on this year's award.

"The LCL award highlights excellent practice by libraries, who work in
partnership in tackling social exclusion issues on the front line. The
panel of judges felt that this project showed how libraries could
change the lives of refugees and asylum seekers who came to this country
seeking help and support. We found that the project challenged prejudices
and perceptions and enabled its target group to gain a real foothold in
building a new life. We are delighted that it has been recognised."

This is the 15th year of the national award that recognises innovative
and exciting work in libraries and their communities. The award was
established in 1992 to acknowledge and reward libraries and information
services working with disadvantaged groups to combat inequality,
including the unemployed, homeless, persons with disabilities and ethnic
minorities.

Since its inception, the award has had a significant impact on the
world of libraries and their local communities across the UK. Previous
winners include Bookstart; the Government-backed scheme that was first
piloted by Birmingham Libraries and now reaches 3 million babies and their
parents across the UK. The project has also been recognised as making a
significant difference to literacy and numeracy levels in primary
schools. Another scheme, the Big Book Share, winner of the Libraries Change
Lives Award in 2002 has been successful in helping fathers in prison to
keep contact with their children through reading to them on tapes.

Evelyn Kilmurry, one of this year's judges and leader of Sighthill
Libraries youth work project, says of winning the award in 2006, "Winning
last year's Libraries Change Lives Award has given everyone who has been
involved in the initiative, including the staff team, local community
and young people themselves, a huge boost in what has been an incredibly
rewarding and positive year. The project has benefited from
unprecedented media interest, increased levels of funding and has opened up a new
world of exciting partnership opportunities for future continued
success. Above all else, winning has allowed us to take a step back from our
every day work in community libraries to appreciate that what we do
really does change people's lives."

Twenty-six library-based projects were entered for the 2007 award. The
winning project receives a trophy and £5,000 prize money. The two
runners-up both receive a cheque for £2,000. This year's judges are: Nigel
Thomas (Chair) from Leicestershire Libraries, Evelyn Kilmurry from
Edinburgh Libraries, Carole Wolstenholme from East Lancashire Libraries,
Linda Constable from Bournemouth Libraries and Katherine Allen, Event
Director for LiS. The award is sponsored by the Library + information Show.
The event is organised and administered by CILIP: the Chartered
Institute of Library and Information Professionals and its Community Service
Group.

Two other shortlisted library projects were:

* Read Yourself Well- East Ayrshire Library, Registration and
Information Services

* LARGE (Leeds Always Reading Group for Everyone) - Leeds School
Library Service

Updated: 19 April 2007