Guille-Alles staff shortlisted for a national library award

GUILLE-Alles Library staff are celebrating success in being shortlisted for a national award to recognise its recent Boundless Curiosity exhibition.

The Guille-Alles Boundless Curiosity team has been shortlisted for the culture & creativity category of the Libraries Connected awards after the exhibition prompted positive feedback and an increase in memberships. Left to right, head of marketing and customer services Adam Bayfield, Jodie Hearn, head of children and young people services, reading and engagement lead Tracey Woosley, marketing and communications officer Abi Paine, and head of operations Chris Jordan. (31834132)

Hundreds of nominations were submitted to Libraries Connected – an independent charity that supports, promotes, and represents all public library services in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies.

The Guille-Alles team is among just six to be shortlisted in the Culture & Creativity category.

A core team of five worked for a year ahead of the Boundless Curiosity exhibition, which celebrated the institution’s 140th anniversary.

Two rooms within the library were cleared and decorated to house a range of books and information displays to tell the story of the library’s founding by Thomas Guille and Frederick Alles in 1882, while a children’s trail and visits to schools and care homes were also incorporated.

The exhibition attracted 8,500 visitors and garnered scores of 10 out of 10 from 75% of those who left feedback. The library also saw a subsequent increase in memberships.

‘It’s an honour, we’re buzzing, we’re so proud,’ said marketing and communications officer Abi Paine.

‘It means a lot to the whole team and it was a huge team effort, with almost all the library’s staff involved at some point.

'It’s great to be shortlisted among some of the big UK libraries.’

She admitted to feeling ‘a bit bereft’ once the exhibition had ended and said she would be keeping her fingers crossed during the wait until June, when the awards are finally announced.

Chief librarian Cornelia James said one of the exhibition’s chief aims had been to encourage people to visit the library and many people had attended who had not done so for decades.

‘We were completely blown away by the response to the exhibition from the community,’ she said.

‘None of this would have been possible without the exceptional work of the team.’

Many of the rare books included in the exhibition – including the Birds of America by John James Audubon – are now back in temperature-controlled, secure storage but they may not stay hidden for long.

The library now aims to take on board public feedback about seeing more of its collection in future displays and events.