Prison Libraries Group

Margaret Watson Award For Best Practice

Open to any para- professional working in a prison library

Awarded to para-professional member of staff who can demonstrate that she/he has been instrumental in developing an example of best practice. The example of best practice can be any ongoing activity or organisational process that the entrant considers to be of exceptional benefit to the prison or enables an aspect of the work of the library to be handled with particular efficiency and effectiveness. It should be demonstrated that this area of best practice can be sustained over time or regularly repeated.

Application should include;

1. 500 -1500 word write up detailing what the area of best practice is, who is involved, the benefits to both staff and prison community, how it works in practice, why and when it as implemented and why they think it constitutes best practice. This write up would be included in the PrLG journal and posted on the website

2. An indication of any staff development that has been required or has occurred as a consequence of the example of best practice, and how the example has contributed to the entrant’s CPD

3. A statement from a member of the prison community who is positively affected by this example of best practice.

4. Details of any problems encountered either setting up, or maintaining the example of best practice, and how they were overcome.

5. Details of the people or agencies within the prison, or external to the prison, that they worked with to bring about their example of best practice.

6. Details of any cost implications or savings made

7. A letter of support from a member of Cilip – this may be the entrant’s manager or other PLA staff or a prison manager in the case of private prisons.

Entries must be received no later than Monday Thursday 31 July 2008 and should be posted to:
Megan Silver
Librarian
HMP Cookham Wood
Sir Evelyn Road
Rochester
Kent ME1 3LU

The Prize is £100 and a free place at the 2008 Prison Libraries Conference