CILIP names 2014 library staff of the year

Three library workers have been named UK public library staff of the year by CILIP, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.

Jacqueline Cooper, librarian at West Berkshire Council's Newbury Library, was named public librarian of the year for being "active at the very centre of her community". Gareth Hatton, information services assistant with Wrexham Borough Council was named public library champion of the year for his work helping local businesses, and Fiona Litscher, relief mobile driver for Essex County Council, was given the mobile library champion of the year award.

The winners were chosen by the Public and Mobile Libraries Group of CILIP, and nominated by employers and endorsed by colleagues and library users.

Two library workers were commended for their work in the past year, with Kate King, service development leader at Edinburgh City Libraries, credited for transforming prisoner engagement at HMP Edinburgh, and Jo Norris, deputy library supervisor at Sible Hedingham Library in Essex mentioned for her work marketing library events across the community.

Baroness Diane Eccles of Moulton, MP, presented the awards yesterday (12th August) at CILIP's two-day International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions satellite conference in Birmingham.

Dr Darren Smart, chair of CILIP's Public and Mobile Library Group said: "I am proud to announce the winners and runners up of our annual awards which recognise the outstanding contribution that paid library staff make to their customers, the communities they serve and the wider public library profession."

CILIP said: "The awards formally recognise the individual approach and achievement of outstanding library staff employed in different capacities across the public library service, highlighting the value they bring to their employers and the difference they make to service users."