The British Book Awards 2025 Library of the Year regional and county winners revealed

Ten libraries and library authorities, from across the UK and Ireland, have been crowned regional and country winners at The British Book Awards 2025, celebrating those that make reading more accessible and inclusive. Lewisham, Manchester and Midlothian Library Services are among those to make the final cut from the 36 shortlisted finalists.

Sponsored by publisher DK and run in association with the Reading Agency, the list features libraries that inspire local communities to engage in reading in innovative and exciting new ways. An 

Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller and chair of the judges for The British Book Awards, said: “I’ve loved every minute of the Library of the Year award so far, from the planning to the launch, and now selecting these 10 winners. That there are joint winners, and four high commendations, speaks to the tough decisions the judges had to make. It’s the libraries and library authorities that do the hard work though, we are just there to support them, and amplify what they do to encourage and develop readers and reading. Congratulations to them all.” 

Libraries that imaginatively made reading accessible for people who have traditionally been marginalised are celebrated among the winners. In Island of Ireland, Mullingar Library is crowned the winner, with its All Star Book Club designed for adults with Down syndrome helping to engage adults who had never previously used the library service. The scheme was so successful that the library has partnered with speech and language therapists to establish a new parent and toddler group for children with Down syndrome, with their approach to the projects highlighted as best practice at a national level.

In South-East England, both Winchester Library and West Sussex County Council are dual-winners. The ‘Winchester GoLD’ programme supporting adults with learning disabilities led to 40% of those attending signing up to the library, while West Sussex County Council has launched literacy classes for adults, training volunteers to support adults learning to read.  

Both the Scotland and South-West winners, Midlothian Library Service and Braunton Library, have made accessibility in language a priority in their external programmes, with the Scottish winner creating both Gaelic and British Sign Language sessions for the local community and Braunton Library launching a creative project engaging Afghan refugees with flower pressing to create bookmarks.  

Meanwhile, libraries that have successfully encouraged reluctant children to engage in the world of books are recognised among the winners. Hertfordshire Libraries claims the win in East England, with its Summer Reading Challenge helping reach new groups of children – more than 17,600 kids have taken part – and including specific training for volunteers to make adjustments for children of all abilities. Midlands champion Stratford-upon-Avon and Alcester Libraries has targeted local schools with a raft of programmes including their Chatterbooks for Reluctant Readers campaign, with 49% of the children who attended having never been in a library before.

In North England, Manchester Libraries was selected as the winner, engaging local schools with its Blue Peter Book Club Live programme, which led to children’s library memberships increasing by a third compared with the same period in 2023. A total of 12,308 people became new library members during this period. 

London winner Lewisham Libraries has targeted specific niches, capitalising on the current boom in fantasy to create the Imagined Worlds festival, a series of events celebrating sci-fi and fantasy. It resulted in new membership figures increasing by 42% compared with the year before. Awen Cultural Trust has won the Welsh title, engaging the local community in the heart of South Wales with its 21 Book Challenge for adult readers alongside the children’s Summer Reading Challenge, resulting in converting more parents to reading.

There were four high commendations. From London Roehampton Children’s Library, and Eltham Centre Library; in the Midlands Leicester City Council; and in North England, Oldham Libraries.

Karen Napier, chief executive of The Reading Agency, said: “This year’s applications for Library of the Year have been exceptional, showcasing the ingenuity and innovation that libraries harness every day to reach new audiences. However, the regional and country winners stood out for their creativity and impact. From large-scale authority-wide events, programming with diverse local partners, to careful and targeted initiatives like a book club for adults with Down syndrome, these winners exemplify the power of libraries to engage communities in meaningful ways.” 

She added: “As community anchor organisations, the crucial role of libraries’ local partners in delivering these activities shone through, and the shortlisted libraries showed what the lasting legacy of their projects would look like locally.” 

The overall Library of the Year award will be revealed during The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House on 12th May 2025.