Scotland’s Library and Information Professional of the Year 2024
Winner of Scotland’s Library and Information Professional of the Year 2024 is… Alison Nolan! Team Leader at Inverclyde Libraries. This national award is sponsored by Bolinda Digital.
In 2023, Alison spearheaded a transformative initiative at Inverclyde Libraries, integrating a health and wellbeing focus into strategic planning and allowing connections with other organisations such as Alzheimer Scotland and Barnardo’s. The community, heavily affected by the Covid pandemic due to socio-economic challenges, witnessed a resurgence of communal spirit, motivating a drive to enhance health services within the library framework. Alison has made an effort to share this learning and best practice through contributing to conferences such as EDGE 2024, and creating a series of video communications to capture the impact of the numerous initiatives. Alison shared best practise, ensuring all Library Staff receive Health Literacy Training as delivered by Information Management Team from Public Health Directorate NHSGGC, thus empowering the workforce. The combination of Alison’s leadership and investment has allowed the service to work collaboratively to enable people in Inverclyde to age well, build resilience, maintain independence, and reduce reliance on traditional health and care services. Benefits for the library service include improved signposting and referral, access to training for professional development, and enhanced communication and knowledge of available services, including data sharing.
The judges commended Alison’s exemplary approach to engagement, focusing on key community concerns and priorities in ways that set a fantastic example for fellow library professionals: reinforcing innovative understandings of all that our sector can do and sending out a powerful, positive advocacy message. Congratulations Alison for this very well deserved award!
Congratulations too to our other nominees:
⭐️ Kavan Stafford– Senior Librarian, NHS Lanarkshire
⭐️ Claire McCormick– Assistant in Charge, Girvan Library
⭐️ Emma Grey– School Librarian, Forfar Academy
You can read all about their incredible work and achievements by clicking here.
Three out of four award nominees at #CILIPS24, Emma Grey, Alison Nolan and Kavan Stafford.
Ian McCracken Award Winners 2024
Outstanding practice and achievements- Jimi Mitchell, Senior Library Administrator at the Sir Alex Ferguson Library.
Jimi created The Recording Studio in the Sir Alex Ferguson Library last April after receiving funding from the Innovation Development Fund to build it. This is a service which allows free access to industry-standard recording equipment for anyone to get creative with audio, anything ranging from podcasts to music. Unrestricted access to this equipment does not currently exist in Scotland, and the service has been extremely popular with over 70 inductees into the space in its first year. Free access has allowed users who have incredible ideas to achieve them without the financial barrier which podcasting usually throws up. The service supports users with editing and publishing to combat any barrier to knowledge.
Jimi Mitchell receiving his award at #CILIPS24
Innovation in role or service- Tony Lyon, Librarian at the Mitchell Library.
Tony has, through sheer grit and determination, managed to revolutionise the Mitchell Library by partnering with Music Broth and the We Make Music Libraries initiative to offer musical instruments for free loans to Mitchell Library users. These instruments will allow less advantaged individuals to become musicians without the cost barriers of having to buy an instrument. The initiative will benefit young people all across the city and beyond and will bring a truly positive change to the library service. To achieve this, Tony gave his time unfailingly, working well beyond his normal hours and striving hard to achieve the goal. He has been an innovating asset to the Mitchell Library and to the library service.