Camberwell Library celebrates its Library of the Year award

14 November 2017

Southwark’s Camberwell Library celebrated its Bookseller magazine Library of the Year award at an event on 30 October.

Cllr Johnson Situ, Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Social Regeneration, was joined by celebrated author, Sophie Hannah, proud library staff and a crowd of more than 60 people to mark the honour.

The new building has transformed library use in Camberwell, where visits have nearly doubled, issues have more than doubled and new borrowers have nearly tripled, since it opened in 2015.

Camberwell’s regular programme of weekly and monthly activities for adults and children means that books are being shared, discussed and borrowed seven days a week.

Library staff deliver, recommend and summarise large print books and audiobooks for the Southwark Pensioners Centre’s visually impaired “Eye-To-Eye Group” and the meeting rooms offer fantastic venues for author talks and community groups.

Volunteers have helped to deliver 250 hours of community sessions, like homework help and reading buddies and the large increase in study space has shown a five fold increase in WIFI use.

Baby and toddler activities saw 5,896 people attending and 540 people also received Internet taster and job hunting sessions from library staff, all during 2016.

Cllr Situ said: “This award recognises the council’s commitment to maintaining and improving its library service, but local people have really taken ownership of this wonderful space and made it their own as well.

“I’d like to thank our library staff and volunteers for organising outstanding events and activities, encouraging partnerships with both local and international authors and welcoming everybody through the doors. This award is a credit to them as well.”

Sophie Hannah said: “Local libraries are an important community resource, and I was delighted to come and talk about books at Camberwell Library, the 2017 Library of the Year!”
 

Page last updated: 14 November 2017