Shetland Libraries and the National Library of Scotland have been named winners of the 2024 SLIC Awards. The two library services picked up the prestigious awards at the SLIC Showcase and AGM on Friday November 8th at the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
The Scottish Library & Information Council (SLIC) Awards is an annual celebration of the achievements of library services teams across Scotland, culminating in the presentation of the Library Service Excellence Award and Project Excellence Award.
In its fourth year as Scotland’s leading sector awards, the SLIC Awards recognises libraries who demonstrated proactivity and creativity in service delivery and project design between the period from June 2023 to June 2024.
The judging panel, led by SLIC Chair Alan Clarke, alongside Scottish author Theresa Breslin OBE and journalist Garrett Stell, whittled a strong shortlist down to one winner and one highly commended in each category.
National Library of Scotland won the SLIC Project Excellence Award for its ‘Fitba Research Club: Andrew Watson’s Legacies’ project. The project brought together a team of 13 “community curators” aged 18-25 from under-represented and minoritised communities across Glasgow to celebrate the rich history of sporting achievement by Black people and people of colour in Scotland.
Their entry stood out as a progressive approach to encouraging young people from minority communities, with no previous library experience, to explore their cultural institutions and resources. Speaking on behalf of the judging panel, Alan Clarke said: “This project showed a clear willingness and intention to be led by the voices that it was trying to promote.
“Delivering far more than its already ambitious aims, it has directly affected participants’ confidence, language skills and attainment levels, not to mention inspiring a new SFA Women’s Social Football Coaching Programme tailored to minority communities.”
Shetland Libraries picked up the SLIC Library Service Excellence Award for their commitment to maintaining the library service as a relevant, modern resource for people of all ages. They have established their libraries as a place of escapism from cost of living and other pressures, which has seen visits to Lerwick Library increase by 43% this year.
One Shetland Libraries user commented: “Libraries play a crucial role in the lives of our communities… they are warm, social and supportive spaces for communities with knowledgeable, welcoming and friendly staff.”
Alan Clarke added: “Shetland Libraries provides a perfect example of inspiring local leadership, ensuring all generations are catered for, from young families enjoying Bookbug to elderly users seeking digital support services.
“The breadth of their offering is testament to the encouragement and training provided to their staff, who have played an instrumental part in securing this win today.”
Stirling Council Libraries and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture were also highly commended in the Library Service Excellence and Project Excellence categories respectively.
South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture was recognised for its ‘Lending Voices Portable Podcast’ project, giving users the platform and tools to share stories, ideas and knowledge, enriching local culture and creating a sense of community.
Stirling Libraries was commended for bringing community back to libraries. This was exemplified by Dunblane Library, which supported Ukrainian communities staying at Dunblane Hydro to use its services and introducing a collection of Ukrainian adult and children’s books.
Guest judge for 2024’s award ceremony, author Theresa Breslin, commented: “Revealed in the entries, and providing optimism for the future, was the range and depth and diligence of the work that is happening in Scotland’s library services. I was inspired by the shortlisted submissions which highlighted evidence of forward thinking and enthusiasm. Huge congratulations to the winners and highly commended.”
Joining her on the panel, journalist Garrett Stell added: “The degree of dedication and creativity on display in all of the SLIC Awards entrants demonstrated why libraries are such a vital resource for all walks of like. Congratulations to the winners and to every branch that entered, keep up your important work.”
The awards were open to all SLIC members, with the winners receiving a trophy and cash prize for their success.
