Welcoming library in line for an award
VALUABLE work by Swansea Council’s library service is in line for a national prize.
Judges in the Libraries Connected Awards are impressed by how Swansea Central Library has become a place of sanctuary, welcoming new people settling in and near the city.
Council cabinet member Elliott King said: “Our libraries are at the heart of their communities across the city and county.
“Central Library offers a warm welcome to everybody, including those coming here to live for a variety of reasons.
“It has a large selection of foreign language books and offers an ongoing programme of activities for people of all ages.
“The activity complements Swansea’s proud status as a City of Sanctuary.”
Libraries Connected is a national charity that represents the public library sector to communicate the value of libraries.
Its annual awards celebrate the achievements of library workers who’ve had an exceptional impact on their library service, users or their local communities.
Swansea Libraries Service principal librarian Bethan Lee, programme and events officer Jennifer Dorrian and library assistant Zoe Thomas are shortlisted in the scheme’s culture and creativity category.
They are said to have shown initiative to create new activities and develop resources to enable the central library to demonstrate that it’s a library of sanctuary and welcoming to new people who find themselves settling in and near Swansea.
The award scheme’s shortlisted nominations will now be considered by an expert panel including Lesley Parr, an award-winning author of children’s historical fiction.
The winners will be announced in June.
Isobel Hunter MBE, chief executive of Libraries Connected, said: “We received a record number of nominations this year so it’s a fantastic achievement to have made it this far.
“I’m struck by the huge variety of projects and activities on the shortlist, demonstrating the incredible breadth and creativity of the library sector.”