Two Devon Library Staff Members Shortlisted For National Awards
Two Libraries Unlimited staff members have been shortlisted for the national Libraries Connected Awards 2026. The awards celebrate the achievements and impact of library workers on their library service, local communities and customers.
Emma Ward from South Molton Library has been shortlisted for the reading category. Emma took on running three book groups to support children, teen and adult reading. To ensure people have the best experience in these groups, Emma has been reading and preparing in her own time. She has worked to engage young people by redesigning the Teen Library to make it inclusive and welcoming. Emma improved access to the Teen Library by using local teens’ feedback to inform the changes, ensuring they feel ownership over the new space.
Beth Harris, Libraries Unlimited’s Health and Wellbeing Development Manager, has been shortlisted for the Health and Wellbeing award. Beth has worked to transform the library service’s offer and strengthen the charity’s reputation as a partner on health and wellbeing initiatives. She has secured funding and collaborated to bring programmes and resources to Devon and Torbay. These include making blood pressure monitors available in all libraries, media literacy workshops in partnership with The Guardian Foundation, and The Outdoor Explorer Club, which helps make the outdoors more accessible.
The awards are organised by Libraries Connected, a charity representing public library services across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. The shortlist will be considered by an expert panel, and the winners will be announced at a ceremony in June.
Alex Kittow, Chief Executive Officer, at Libraries Unlimited, shared: “It’s a huge honour to have not one but two members of staff shortlisted! We are delighted that Emma and Beth have received this national recognition for their hard work in going above and beyond to enrich and resource community wellbeing. Libraries have the power to transform lives, but that would not be possible without people like Emma and Beth who bring so much heart, thought and enthusiasm to their work.”
Isobel Hunter MBE, chief executive of Libraries Connected, said: “Huge congratulations to all the staff who have been shortlisted for the Libraries Connected Awards 2026. We had a record-breaking number of nominations this year and the range of projects put forward shows just how creative and committed library workers are, even in challenging times. It’s inspiring to see how staff respond to local needs, find new ways to connect people and ensure that libraries remain welcoming and trusted places for everyone. We’re delighted to recognise their achievements.”
The awards are sponsored by OverDrive, a digital content distributor for libraries and schools worldwide.
