Awards
Help us celebrate diversity in libraries and information
Diversity Awards 2007
The winners of these two categories were presented with a certificate at the Umbrella Awards Dinner on 29th June 2007.
Personal Achievement Award
Winner: Joanne Harvey – Service Development Manager: Reader Development at Brighton and Hove
The winner of this year’s Personal Achievement Award is Joanne Harvey, Service Development Manager Reader Development at Brighton and Hove.
One of Joanne’s major achievements at Brighton and Hove was, to set up, co ordinate and develop nine reading groups within the libraries; as well as providing stock, support and advice for further private reading groups.
One of the reading groups was LGBT, which meets once a month in Hove. This group proved very popular and made a significant impact.
Not only it was a chance for LGBT members to get together and discuss books; but it also acts as a social arena for those new individuals in Brighton to meet other members of the LGBT community. This can be seen as an example of the promotion of diversity.
Joanne’s major success was the changes of library policy to support LGBT, which is very significant and demonstrates her commitment.
Highly Commended: Judith Preece – University of East London
The Highly Commended Award in Personal Achievement goes to Judith Preece from University of East London for the project Black History Month, Black Histories and hidden mysteries of African heritage at UEL.
The main purpose of this project was to raise the profile for black culture through exhibitions and various events because at UEL there are over 20,000 students from 120 different countries. Indeed 60% of their students come from minority ethnic groups and their mission statement indicates that they are proud of their diversity.
UEL organised wholly inclusive events such as poetry workshop which involves local school children, involving BME Library staff, BME academic staff, their local community, local school children and of course their own students and staff.
The celebration of BHM created tremendous staff development, staff morale and motivation within the service.
UEL also wanted to improve services for diverse community in future by delivering diversity training to all their staff.
Organisational Change Award
Winner: L. B. Camden
Project – Refugee work placement in libraries
The winner of this year’s Organisational Change Award goes to London Borough of Camden for their project “Refugee work placement in libraries”.
The main aim of this project was to help refugee to gain valuable experience, which should make it easier for them to find a job, to develop their CV and transferable skills.
The benefit of this scheme is double folded. To the refugee, firstly it helped to build up self-esteem and secondly to develop understanding of workplace rules and regulations that may differ vastly from origin countries. Thirdly the development of skills to be appropriate to any employer and finally the ability to compete in the job market.
For the employer, this was true in case of libraries, that the work experience can bring the following benefits: firstly new ideas, cultural diversity, and fresh enthusiasm and partnership.
Secondly extra resources and additional skills to tackle projects and finally encouragement for other staff to be more open to other cultures and learn from others, in this sense the library becomes more representative of the local workforce.
Highly Commended: Hertfordshire libraries, Heritage and Arts
Project – Community language stock survey
The Highly Commended Award in the Organisational Change Award goes to Hertfordshire Libraries, Heritage and Arts for their community language stock survey project.
This project identifies priorities and meets the needs of Hertfordshire’s multicultural communities.
This survey has the following three objectives:
1. To develop a rolling programme of stock surveys to assess the stability, quality and relevance of current community language stock in relation to the requirements of local minority ethnic communities.
2. To assess whether the recommendations from CILLA (Co operative of Indic Language Library Authority) community language stock selection service were meeting user’s needs and preference.
3. To consult with local minority ethnic user’s as a part of on going commitment to community engagement and as a part of good equality practice and compliance with the equalities standard for local government.
This project is a fine example of good and responsive service that has benefited from being carried through thoroughly, with proper contact made base approach.
About the Awards
"Our profession has a crucial role to play in breaking down the barriers that prevent all citizens from accessing the information and the resources that they need," says Kal Dale, Chair of CILIP's Diversity Group.
"Library and information services also have a responsibility to provide and promote career opportunities and development for all their staff. But while a great deal of important work is done in the promotion of diversity through library services up and down the country much of it is unseen and therefore unacknowledged."
The Diversity Awards aim to change this fact by recognizing outstanding achievement in the promotion of diversity through library and information services and to highlight examples of good practice in this area to the rest of the profession.
Awards are made in two categories: Organisational Change and Personal Achievement.
Gulshan Iqbal, Chair of the Diversity Awards Judges said "I hope the entries for the 2007 Diversity Awards will reflect the good practice which we all know takes place within the profession. The group would like to recognise outstanding achievement by both individuals and by organisations."
The winners were announced at a special Awards dinner, taking place at CILIP's Umbrella Conference at the de Havilland campus of the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield from 28 - 30 June 2007.
Updated: 03 July 2008