S&S UK Children's launches Love Your Library campaign with Peters

Simon & Schuster Children’s UK is partnering with specialist book suppliers Peters to launch the ‘Love Your Library’ campaign, supported by the Great School Libraries campaign, the School Library Association, CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals), and CILIP’s School Libraries Group.

The project will feature a range of artworks from well-known illustrators and will be displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)  in central London next month before a nationwide tour. “When Laura Hough, sales & brand director at S&S UK and Jane Buckley, picture book & novelties art director, put out a call-to-arms to S&S illustrators to create an original artwork with the message ‘Love Your Library’, the response was overwhelming,” S&S UK said.

The artwork will form the basis of a touring exhibition with contributing illustrators including Kate Hindley, Sara Ogilvie, Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet. The exhibition will launch in the National Art Library at the V&A on Monday 7th October, during Libraries Week 2019.

Following the launch in London the exhibition will embark on a year-long tour of the UK starting at the Peters showroom in Birmingham before visiting several public libraries including Halifax, Redbridge and Barnsley. The year-long tour will culminate during Libraries Week 2020 with a free prize draw to win one of the 12 original artworks for a school or public library.

Local schools will be encouraged to participate in the campaign by visiting the tour and displaying an accompanying poster and digital materials of the artwork, available to all school and public libraries.

Rachel Denwood, m.d. of S&S Children’s UK, said: “I am immensely proud of the Love Your Library campaign and blown away by the passionate support of our illustrators. Simon & Schuster Children’s UK is fully committed to supporting our libraries and will be continuing to work on creative new initiatives which throw a spotlight on libraries’ essential role. I’m delighted that the exhibition is launching at the V&A, a prestigious and apt starting point for the tour”     

Peters m.d. Ray Dyer added: “We were overwhelmed when Simon & Schuster first showed us the artwork for the Love Your Library exhibition and even more excited when they suggested working with us to create a tour, taking in key libraries across the country. The exhibition will showcase some fantastic illustrators and it conveys the depth of feeling and passion they have for the public library service. We are delighted to be able to bring the collection to a wider audience.”