This week (6-11 September) we are excited to announce the shortlists for our Libraries Connected Awards 2021.

We launched the inaugural Libraries Connected Awards to celebrate the achievements of people working in libraries, acknowledging excellence and showcasing good practice.

We looked for individuals or teams working in public libraries who have had a positive impact on the library service, library users or the local community. This could by introducing an innovative new idea or by going the extra to mile to provide an outstanding service. We have received so many incredible entries over the past few weeks and can now reveal the shortlists for Health and Wellbeing, Reading, Culture and Creativity, Information and Digital, Children's Promise and Vision and Print Impaired People's Promise.

The awards are linked to the Universal Library Offers and Promises and were judged by those leading these areas of work nationally, our trustees and leading national figures, as follows:

• Culture and Creativity
  Liz McMillan, Offer Lead; Geraldine Collinge, Director of Events & Exhibitions at the RSC; Jane Ellison, Trustee, Libraries Connected; Claire Robe, Relationship Manager, Libraries, Arts Council England
• Health and Wellbeing
  Sue Ball, Offer Lead; Debbie Hicks, Offer Lead; Jenna Birley, Governance Officer, Arts Council England; Emma Noyce, Trustee, Libraries Connected; Ruth Carlyle Head of NHS Knowledge and Library Services 
• Information and Digital
  Dave Lloyd, Offer Lead; Scott Smith, OverDrive Account Manager, UK & Ireland; Sue Williamson, Director, Libraries, Arts Council England; Liz White, Trustee, Libraries Connected;
• Reading
  Catherine Mann, Offer Lead; Lesley Pearce; Sue Williamson, Director, Libraries, Arts Council England; Kathryn Harrison, Treasurer, Libraries Connected
• Children Promise 
  Chris Myhill, Chair, ASCEL; Joseph Coelho; James Urquhart, Senior Manager, Libraries & Literature, Arts Council England; Carol Stump, President, Libraries Connected
• Visual and Print Impaired People’s Promise
  Mark McCree, Offer Lead; Emma Scott, Director of Editorial and Production, Calibre; Mark Freeman, Trustee, Libraries Connected; Claire Robe, Relationship Manager, Libraries, Arts Council England.

The last year has seen unprecedented demand for library services to be agile in their delivery, with library staff often serving on the frontline to ensure continued support for their local communities. Library staff across the country have often gone beyond expectations to provide essential services and continue to develop their offer to engage with their communities, despite the challenges presented by the pandemic. 

The Libraries Connected Awards offer us the opportunity to uncover new library champions, to encourage the leaders of the future and to give them the recognition they deserve. In addition, the awards showcase the range of work library staff coordinate and deliver, impacting all parts of their communities. 

The awards will be presented at our Libraries Connected Annual Seminar and the winner will receive a free place at the seminar (including accommodation and travel). If a team wins, they will need to choose one person to represent them at the seminar.