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 Jen Horan, Chair of the Youth Libraries Group to talk about all things Youth Libraries Group conference.

I have just been reading an article claiming that “summer FOMO” (that’s fear of missing out, for the kids who don’t speak acronym) will reach peak levels this year, after two summers of there being not much to miss out on.  I’m already finding myself envious of social media photos showing beach parties and cocktail soirees.  Gathering together with other people who share our passions and interests has become such a treasured occurrence that it enriches our lives now more than ever, and it is something I am valuing professionally like never before.  Now unfortunately I can’t promise sunshine and sky-high temperatures, but this September I can guarantee an opportunity to gather together at a live YLG conference for first time since 2018, and you do not want to miss out on what we have to offer.

This year YLG Conference heads to Sheffield, from Friday 16^th to Sunday 18^th September.  Reading the Planet: Libraries in a Changing Climate will focus on the environment and climate activism, and we are delighted to be able to offer an incredibly strong programme, which can be viewed below.  Here are just a few of my highlights.

Keynote speakers will offer a range of presentations including Environmental Activism in Picture Books, Empowering Young People Through Stories, the Earthwatch Debate, and Nicola Davis delivering the Robert Westall Memorial Lecture.  We have a host of spectacular speakers including new Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, who will share his love of libraries, SF Said, Emma Carroll, Michelle Paver, Sita Brahmachari, Louisa Reid and Dara McNulty.  We are also offering a great choice of breakout sessions including paper craft and activism workshops, storywalks, and digital & multiligual storytelling opportunities, giving you first-hand, practical ideas to take back to your own workplace.

As always, there will be plenty of opportunities to network, particularly over book-themed tea breaks and delicious Gala Dinners.  Michael Murpurgo joins us on Friday night to celebrate 40 years of War Horse, and Saturday night hosts presentations of our 2022 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal (which may feature the shortlist shoes that trended on ceremony day Twitter) and YLG Honorary Memberships.  And, of course, it wouldn’t be a YLG Conference without our incredible Publishers’ Exhibition and bookshop – leave space in your suitcases for all those irresistible purchases!

Early bird discounts end on 15^th July, so book your place now and leave FOMO behind as YLG Conference re-ignites our enthusiasm for our profession after two relentless years.  There has never been a more exciting time to join us.  Find out more and book here.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Jen Horan, YLG Chair

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.

This spring half day training session run by the YLG Eastern group takes place on March 22nd 2019 at Bury St Edmunds Library and will examine some of the reasons children and teens turn away from books and how we can address this issue as librarians, teachers and advocates for reading.

Special guests are: Bali Rai Popular author Bali Rai is never afraid to tackle difficult, contemporary and controversial issues in his vast range of books for children and young people. He has written extensively for dyslexia-friendly publishers of books for reluctant readers, Barrington Stoke and also Penguin Random House. An enthusiastic advocate for libraries, he is also a powerful voice in the area of gaining diversity in children’s and YA publishing, posing the question ; if children and young people cannot see themselves represented in books, how can they engage with the world of fiction?

Amy McKay School librarian of the year 2016 and Corby Business Academy’s librarian, Amy McKay’s passion for books, libraries and reading shines through as soon as she addresses a room. She describes herself as a “stealth librarian” luring her readers in to the library with innovative clubs and activities and using her natural rapport to gradually introduce them to the world of books. She believes that the best school libraries are “fun friendly and vibrant.” She has gained the support of senior management who have seen her narrow the gender gap in school and engage students who struggle with either literacy or motivation. She will look at practical ideas to re-engage students with the world of books. There will also be a Barrington Stoke book sale. It looks like it will be a splendid & inspiring afternoon.

To find out more please get in touch with YLG Eastern's Harriet Cox at harriet.cox@norfolk.gov.uk
https://www.cilip.org.uk/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1106975&group=201316

The Youth Libraries Group annual conference is always a high point in the calendar, a chance to recharge creative energies and to connect with all manner of ideas and with individuals working in the field. Our theme this year is Reading the Future and aims to explore what it means to be a reader in the 21st Century, some of the opportunities and challenges that exist around this and the ways in which information, stories and imagination traverse different platforms and technologies.

Reading is a vital skill, an opportunity to find release from daily lives, to encounter and engage with news ways of thinking, to step into the past or to look forward into the future. Running beneath the conference’s main theme is a series of strands exploring key areas of interest. The capacity poetry holds for conveying feelings, emotion and acting as an access point for reading makes it a very worthwhile focal point. We are delighted to welcome CLiPPA winners Rachel Rooney and Joseph Coehlo as speakers as well as having the National Literacy Trust presenting research on the role reading poetry has on child literacy. 

With the 100 year anniversary of the Representation of the People Act, we’re looking at representation and rights for women in literature for young people. Our distinguished guests include Sally Nicholls, author of Things a Bright Girl Can Do, David Roberts, author and illustrator of Suffragette and many more. This melds with another key for the conference, Enid Blyton. 2018 marks 50 years since the writer, voted by the public as the UK’s best loved author, passed away. It feels an apt time to reconsider her literary legacy and uncanny ability to captivate contemporary readers. We will also have our first ever Midnight Feast in celebration of her work!

In another first, we will also be hosting the inaugural Robert Westall Memorial Lecture. This will be led by Dr Kim Reynolds from Newcastle University and Paula Wride from Seven Stories, the National Centre for the Children’s Book and will look at the indelible impact that twice winner of the Carnegie Medal Robert Westall’s work has made on the field. It feels massively exciting to be working with so many different agencies – BookTrust, Seven Stories, National Literacy Trust, Empathy Lab and more – to bring the latest research and findings and to enable networking opportunities that add value and increase reach.

it also feels apposite that this year’s conference is taking place in Manchester, one of the UK’s new UNESCO Cities of Literature and we’ll be holding a special dinner to celebrate the role of key children’s authors and illustrators from the city. The conference is uplifting, lively, vibrant and most of all inclusive. We look forward to welcoming public and school librarians alike, staff from school library services, people from the education sector and all with an interest in children’s books.

Do join us for what promises to be thought-provoking and enlivening conference and a chance to build change and critical mass around reading. To book your place please visit http://www.cilip.org.uk/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1059241&group=201316

We would love to know your best conference memory or the session you are most interested in attending!