We took time out to meet with Jenny Hawke, new Chair of the Youth Libraries Group and to ask her some questions about her career in libraries and involvement with the group.  Find out more below and do consider getting involved with the group if you aren't already!

Please can you give us an overview of your career in libraries (what did they mean to you as a child, how did you come to work in them, what's your current role)?

I have spent over 30 years working in academic, special, school and public libraries. I left school at 17 in 1983 and made the decision to work in a public library which seemed natural to me as I enjoyed reading books as a child. I have fond memories of my parents taking the whole family to the local library on a Saturday afternoon. We would look for our favourite authors and get excited about new books. Armed with a large pile of books we would come home and all settle down with a cup of tea and get lost in one of our new books. Often my dad would read to me, favourites were Watership Down and The Borrowers.

At my first library job, favourite activities would be working alongside the children’s librarian, telling stories to visiting school classes and helping to run under-fives sessions. Five years later I wanted to gain experience in an academic setting so I began working as a library assistant in South Bank Polytechnic which later became South Bank University. Whilst working at South Bank I undertook an access course which enabled me to go back into full time education and study for a degree and it was at this point I decided I wanted to qualify as a librarian, so undertook a Masters at UCL.

After graduating I was appointed as a librarian in a special library/information centre at the International Transport Workers’ Federation ITF (an umbrella organisation for national transport unions). I decided to charter in 2008 and needed to focus on a different sector, so I chose school libraries and, rather conveniently, my daughter’s school invited me to overhaul and expand and organise their modest library. This benefited the children with a fully stocked and fully functioning library and I gained valuable knowledge and experience of working with children’s resources.

I started working for Bromley Libraries in 2008 as a manager of a medium sized library. By now children’s activities and children’s literature was at the heart of my professional career.  Later, when GLL (the charitable social enterprise) who were now running Bromley Libraries asked me if I would like to move to one of their larger libraries and become the children’s librarian I was thrilled.

This was a great move for me involving a variety of interesting projects. I currently wear three hats. One is to plan, prepare and run children’s activities at Orpington Library from Baby Bounce and Rhyme right up to our Older Teen Reading Group.  Another is to work with the children’s team to plan borough-wide activities. Finally, my other hat is the set-up and managing of the GLL Literary Foundation which was launched in November 2024.  This aims to support authors, inspire young readers and champion public libraries.  We are offering bursaries, training, networking and mentoring opportunities for authors through the new foundation. This is an incredibly exciting part of my role and I’m hugely grateful to GLL, the YLG and other organisations who have helped to make this project a reality.

How and when did you first become involved with YLG?

During Chartership, I decided it would be important to sign up to the YLG as one of my Special Interest Groups as I knew children’s libraries and their activities and services was an area I wanted to move into. In 2011 I applied for the YLG SE bursary to attend the YLG National Conference at Goldsmith’s College. This was an incredibly inspiring experience: listening to a mix of authors, academics and librarians talk about children’s literature and library services.

It was also a wonderful opportunity to network and share good practice with other librarians. After the Conference I asked the Chair if I could join the Committee and have been there ever since. I have really enjoyed being an active member of the YLG SE which has involved our annual training day and annual Carnegie Discussion Day and also a monthly Picture Book Chat focusing on either the BookTrust Storytime Prize and the Carnegie Medal for Illustration Shortlist. I am really grateful to the YLG SE Committee members as they have all been very enthusiastic and passionate about everything we set out to achieve.

You've been a judge for the Carnegies, what was the most challenging aspect of this and what was the most rewarding?

I think the main challenge was the obvious one of reading over 200 books across both medals. I had to be very strict with family and friends and at Christmas I would sneak upstairs and furtively read a few exciting chapters of a Carnegie or get absorbed into a Kate Greenaway. Meeting the other judges and discussing the books in such detail was incredibly stimulating and everyone was so committed about the whole judging process.

The best part of being a judge is how much it has helped me in my job as a Children’s Librarian. It gave me a greater awareness and knowledge of literature for children and young people, and obviously helped me with my Shadowing groups over the years as well. Shadowing the Carnegies is a brilliant way to find out about new books for children and particularly books which are often more thought provoking, diverse and promote discussion. I always ensure there is an informal setting with snacks and the children find that chatting about books is just a great thing to do.

What has been the highlight of being involved with YLG?

I think this has to be my two years as a Carnegie judge (2017 and 2018) and particularly the award ceremonies.  Before this 2014 sticks in my mind as this was the year that my Chatterbooks shadowing group won the Shadowing Magazine Award. It was fantastic and we were invited to the award ceremony when Jon Klassen won the Greenaway and Kevin Brooks won the Carnegie. My group did a radio broadcast to start with and then met lots of authors and illustrators as well as watching the ceremony live. The group members are all practically grown up now but I’m sure they will all look back on it as a very memorable experience.  I also really enjoyed chairing the Funny Fiction panel at the 2024 conference in Glasgow, it was such fun!

Are there any particular areas or themes you hope to make the focus of your time as chair?

I’m very excited about the National One Day School which we hope to hold in Eastbourne in the autumn of this year. It will be themed around Journeys and encompass books in translation, empathy, refugees and how children and young people embark on their reading journey.

We need to look at communication with our members and how we currently deliver this and if we can make improvements. AI and new technologies will be affecting the way we all do things so this is another area that the YLG should focus on. There have been a lot of cuts in public services over the years and it’s really important to find ways in which we can support our colleagues who work in the public sector. Governance and business planning should underpin everything we do at a regional and national level.  National committee meetings will be discussing other themes that should be focused on throughout my term as Chair, I’m very fortunate and grateful to have such a brilliant team of people on the National Committee who have already given me so much support since becoming Chair.

Can you give us three top tips for books you enjoyed in 2024 please?

Rainbowsaurus by Steve Antony is a joyful, inclusive and extremely colourful picture book whose characters jump off the page. The family, which has two dads and three children, set out to find the Rainbowsaurus and invite the reader to join them in addition to a number of distinctly coloured animals. Different age groups of readers will engage with this book as there is so much to look out for in the illustrations. This is much more than a simple picture book.

Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler is a compelling and poignant novel set in World War II written from different points of view in a really accessible way. The writing is beautiful with well defined characters from past and present.

Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald is a beautifully written coming of age story and includes themes of acceptance, love and guilt but also the importance of family in its widest sense and friendship.

A big thank you to Jenny Hawke for taking time out to be interviewed!

We are delighted to welcome Alison Brumwell, Chair of the Youth Libraries Group 2020 and 2021, to share her experiences of involvement with the group, her motivations and some of the issues she feels are pressing in the coming years.

My career has always had books and reading at its core. I can’t remember learning to read, it’s something I’ve always done, though I know it was my aunt who taught me before I started school. I found out many years later, while I was a graduate student, that my great-grandfather worked at Newcastle Library when he emigrated here from Norway. Even though I started out in publishing as a Subsidiary Rights Assistant for Macmillan Canada, it seems inevitable to me now that I would end up where I have. Even voluntary work in Uganda with Africa Educational Trust has been led by my passion for books and a belief that every child has a right to read. It’s what I love most about my current role at Kirklees Libraries, supporting 16-18 year olds and adult learners to develop their language skills.

A big part of my working life since 2004 has revolved around the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal shadowing scheme. I still remember the very heated debate my Carnegie shadowing group had about Mal Peet’s Tamar and David Almond’s Clay and how much the Year Sevens enjoyed Emily Gravett’s Wolves. Their re-imaginings of its cover were on display in the main corridor of our secondary school for an entire term and they were thrilled when it won the Kate Greenaway Medal. So, when I began working as Kirklees’ schools library service’s librarian a few years later, I jumped at the chance to join YLG’s Yorkshire and the Humber regional branch. It was Alison Peaden, now Library Service Manager for Northumberland County Council, who encouraged me to get involved. It would likely never had have occurred to me as I had been previously been a CILIP member and hadn’t thought of re-joining. I became a YLG member in 2009 and went on to become a regional CKG judge from 2011-2014, bringing my shadowing journey full circle. It was the pinnacle of my career to serve as 2019 CKG Chair, during a ground-breaking year for the medals.

What makes YLG so special is the chance to share my vocation (being a librarian is far more than a job to me), having a chance to promote the importance of reading and fostering a love of books with children and young people. I think our membership feels just as I do, which is why many individuals come from sectors other than public library services, school settings or SLSs. There’s nothing quite like discovering a children’s book that you know will be enjoyed and could have a positive impact on a young life. YLG has also given me significant opportunities for professional and personal growth, to make sure that I am an advocate for diversity in my profession and in the literature and illustrated material children and young people are able to access

As Chair of YLG until 2022, I acknowledge there are many challenges for us as a CILIP interest group; including, recruitment and retention of members, income generation, affording our membership quality training opportunities and future-proofing at a time when our profession is dealing with the impact of COVID-19. As the UK economy faces a sharp downturn, it is inevitable that libraries and the knowledge management sector will have to adjust and adapt. Being responsive rather than reactive is key. I am extremely proud of how YLG and the CKG Working Party have worked together to introduce and implement positive change regarding the medals process, making these more inclusive and diverse. YLG prioritise representation of all regions and offer as wide a range of CPD as possible through our annual national conference, day schools and events. We have been able to engage more fully with external partners, like Inclusive Minds and Booktrust, forging new relationships which benefit both our sector and our key stakeholder group: children and young people.

At a time when we might recoil from change or perhaps feel negative about the role we’re able to play, keeping sight of this is crucial. I remember several years ago trying to set up a bibliotherapy group at the Leeds secondary school where I worked. It never got off the ground but the name Reading for Recovery was suggested. One student said she thought Reading for Survival was a better one, which is a testament to the power books have to enlighten, uplift and delight.  Nowhere is that spirit more evident in the work YLG members do every day, through our advocacy, our outreach sessions and the myriad conversations we have with each other about how we can improve life chances for thousands of children and young people. They need us now more than ever and I am incredibly proud of my YLG friends and colleagues for doing their best to deliver positive outcomes.

To celebrate the 2020 shortlists of the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, we will be holding a Twitter Takeover on 14 June.  This will be an opportunity to engage and interact with judges and key personnel of the awards and to hear more from the shortlisted authors and illustrators.  The Youth Libraries Group are delighted to announce the provisional programme for the day which runs from 11am to 6pm.

11.00am to 12.00pm Reading around the World
An exploration of the importance of prizes in reading with Shaun Tan (TBC), Kate Greenaway shortlisted author and illustrator of Tales from the Inner City and a representative from the Children's Book Council of Australia, comparing their awards with ours.

12.00pm to 1.00pm Art, Expression and Adversity
Marcus Sedgwick and Julian Sedgwick will talk about their Carnegie shortlisted book Voyages of Orpheus Black in the Underworld and about collaboration.

1.00pm to 2.00pm Empathy and Illustration
Illustrator Poonam Mistry and author and illustrator Chris Naylor-Ballesteros talk about empathy in their Kate Greenaway shortlisted books, You're Snug with Me  and The Suitcase.

2.00pm to 3.00pm True North
Chris Mould (TBC) Kate Greenaway shortlisted illustrator of The Iron Man and Anthony McGowan author of Carnegie shortlisted Lark talk about their books set in the North.

3.00pm to 4.00pm Sea and Survival
Chris Vick Carnegie shortlisted author of Girl. Boy. Sea.  and Beth Waters, author and illustrator of Kate Greenaway shortlisted Child of St Kilda talk about their books and the role of the sea.

4.00pm to 5.00pm A Sense of Self
Authors Randy Ribay and Dean Atta talk about the role of identity in their Carnegie shortlisted books, Patron Saints of Nothing and The Black Flamingo.  Closes with announcement of YLG Awards Shortlist 2020!

5.00pm to 6.00pm Quiz
With CILIP Library Champion Bobby Seagull, via his YouTube Channel.

Please note participants in sessions may change.  Please keep your eyes peeled on Twitter from @YouthLibraries.

Make your voice and views part of the discussion #CKG20.

The Youth Libraries Group are delighted to be extending our Early Bird offer for the YLG National Conference 2018 “Reading the Future”.

Numerous people have expressed interest in attending but have stated that extra time would aid employer decisions. Professional development is a key part of maintaining knowledge and awareness offering a chance to engage with up to date research, changes in cultural context and current best practice. The deadline for the Early Bird offer has been extended until 15 July. We are keen to provide some rationale for attending conference, whether this be as a day delegate or on a full place.

• Conference this year is focused explicitly around reading - one of the six universal offers for libraries decided by the Society of Chief Librarians, policy and agenda setters for libraries across the United Kingdom
• Latest research from key organisations and agencies including BookTrust and the National Literacy Trust
• Networking opportunities with publishers and the opportunity to pitch for author visits, proof copies of books for reading groups
• *It is worth noting that average daily rates reported by the Society of Authors are between £400 and £500 for an author, this means one successful pitch for an author to a publisher - (which would also include the authors travel and accommodation), would more than recoup the entire cost of conference.  Conference gives direct access to a host of publishers and the opportunity to build strong partnerships.
• Showcase of forthcoming titles to aid programming and planning and receipt of publicity materials (tote bags, book marks, badges and more!), copies of new books at no charge
• Chance to share best practice with other professionals across the United Kingdom
• Key part of continuing professional development offered by the Youth Libraries Group, the special interest group for the Professional Body for librarian and information professionals
• Opportunity to showcase best practice from authority and to learn about existing best practice in other authorities and regions so as to replicate existing and proven frameworks for quality and cost-effective service delivery
• Engage with relevant creative provider - app producers, BBC, Gerry Andersen entertainment - to explore models of engagement and hooks to attract non-users
• Receive in-kind materials including book proofs, advanced reader copies, bookmarks, posters and other related point-of-sale
• Actively highlight role of  in supporting and maintaining awareness of the UK's oldest and most prestigious children's book awards, the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the profession's flagship awards.
• Maintain links with the Youth Libraries Group, one of the leading training and development bodies for librarians working with children and young people in the United Kingdom

The Youth Libraries Group Conference is one of the real highlights on the children's book and reading calendar. Find out more and book your place at https://www.cilip.org.uk/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1059241&group=201316