Long list for the Public Library Buildings Awards 2007 Announced

Four libraries from the Republic of Ireland have been selected for the long list for the 2007 Public Library Building Awards. The four libraries are Bishopstown and Tory Top Road, in Cork City, Johnston Central Library and Farnham Centre, in Cavan and The Source Library and Arts Centre, in Thurles.

There are 16 libraries in total on the long list. The short list will comprise of eight libraries, and the winners will be announced at the Public Library Authority Conference, in October.

Details of the awards and the complete long list can be found on the PLG website:

http://www.cilip.org.uk/specialinterestgroups/bysubject/public/awards/default.htm

Public Library Buildings Awards 2007 Announced

The Public Libraries Group (PLG) of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and An Chomhairle Leabharlanna (The Library Council) launched the Public Library Building Awards in 1995. The awards are recognised throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland as indicators of professional library development and as benchmarks for public library facilities, reflecting the major changes in library provision in the 21st century. The awards are jointly sponsored by CILIP, PLG and An Chomhairle Leabharlanna.

The categories of the individual awards focus on areas of key importance in building design, practice, management and use. In 2007 the categories are:

Architecture Meets Practicality - Application Form (doc,120kb)
New or refurbished libraries of architectural interest which are practical and user friendly, where the building reflects the brief/specification, vision of the architect and delivers the needs of a 21st Century service.

Heart of the Community - Application Form (doc,120kb)
New or refurbished libraries which have been designed to enhance and/or regenerate the library space to facilitate the delivery of new, inclusive, innovative services to the whole community.

Interior Design - Application Form (doc,120kb)
New or refurbished libraries which demonstrate excellence in interior design. Individual sections of libraries e.g. teen zones or a floor of a library would be considered in this category.
The area of the refurbished/new space must be no less than 100 m2

Partnership - Application Form (doc,120kb)
New or refurbished libraries built and/or managed in partnership with other agencies including dual or multi purpose libraries, PFI/PPP libraries etc.

Entrance Criteria:
The awards will recognise achievement from 1 January 2005 – 31 March 2007. Entries must not have been submitted previously. Authorities can enter individual libraries for one category only.
To enter the 2007 awards the following criteria will have to be met:

Completion of a short application form to support a video clip (mpeg) entry (see below) with a succinct description of how the application meets the criteria
Six hard copies of the application form and six copies of the video clip on DVD-R must be submitted by 30 April 2007 to:

Adrienne Adair

Assistant Chief Librarian

SEELB Library Headquarters

Windmill Hill

Ballynahinch

Co. Down BT24 8/DH

Northern Ireland

Technical Requirements

The production of a video-clip production of a video-clip (mpeg) – maximum 4 minutes in length, encoded using MPEG2 at a resolution of 720 x 540 pixels giving an aspect ratio of 4:3. The file should be recorded onto a DVD-R in a format for playing on any domestic DVD player
The video-clip must clearly encapsulate the category applied for
All videos must be a mximum of four minutes long
NB. Videos longer than four minutes and/or not meeting the technical specification will not be accepted

Additional Criteria

Short listed authorities will be given a date for the judges visit and a list of requirements for the visit
Short listed authorities will be expected to send a representative to the awards ceremony during the PLA Conference 2007
Long listed entries for the Delegates Choice will have their video clips re-encoded by PLG in a form suitable for downloading from the PLG website. The content of the video in the re-encoded version will be the same as in the original clip submitted. These re-encoded clips will then be available on the PLG website to facilitate voting in the Delegates Choice category
Long listed entries will be expected to produce three photographs in hard copy and digital format to support their entry in the Delegates Choice. These will be posted on the PLG website with the authority’s re-encoded video clip
The shortlisted entries will be put on the Designing Libraries Website.
PLG/CILIP/An Chomhairle Leabharlanna reserve the right to use images and information submitted for the Building Awards

Special Awards

Judges Award - Mary Finch Accessibility Award
An award to honour the late Mary Finch of BBC Audio Books. The award is given to the library which, in the opinion of the judges, most addresses access issues from physical through to cultural barriers. All short listed libraries will be considered for this award.

Delegates Choice
The library receiving the most votes from both delegates attending the PLA Conference and electronic votes from members of the group via the group’s website.

Judging
The selection process will commence in May and a short list of libraries will be drawn up. There will only be 2 libraries per category shortlisted and visited by the Judging panel. To facilitate the delegates’ choice a list of up to 16 libraries will also be put on the website.

Due to the number of applications no individual feedback is possible. General information after the awards ceremony will be available on the PLG website. The Judges decision is final.

Judging Panel

The Panel for the 2007 awards is:

Joint Chair of Judging Panel:
Adrienne Adair, Assistant Chief Librarian, South Eastern Education and Library Board, Northern Ireland
Norma McDermott – Director, An Chomhairle Leabharlanna (The Library Council, Ireland)
1 representative from PLG Marketing Panel
1 representative chosen by An Chomhairle Leabharlanna

The recipient of the of the PLG Personal Learning Grant will shadow the judging panel to facilitate training and development but will not have a vote.

Specialist judges reflecting the category of the award will be appointed by PLG and An Chomhairle Leabharlanna and seconded to the panel.

The Judges representing PLG will not participate in either shortlisting/judging libraries from their own authority and the Director of An Chomhairle Leabharlanna will not participate in either shortlisting/judging libraries from the Republic of Ireland.

GUIDANCE NOTES FOR APPLICANTS:

The following general criteria will apply to all categories:

Innovative design
Full accessibility – access audit/letters of support from the local access/disability group
Value for money – good use of money in both the design/furniture/fixtures and fittings
Durability – a planned maintenance programme/demonstration of the ease of maintenance
Community engagement – evidence of community profiling and how local people have been consulted and involved in the project

For individual awards the following will apply:

Partnership – level of finance/functional relationship/creativity/PPP, PFI etc
Architecture Meets Practicality – interior design/exterior design/landscaping/innovation/functionality/use of space
Interior Design – partial refurbishment how this integrates into the entire facility
Heart of the Community – access/design/ease of use

For the Special Awards the following will apply:

Mary Finch Accessibility Award – evidence of commitment to integrated accessibility planning for design and services
Delegates Choice – PLG members and delegates at PLA Conference have the opportunity to vote for the awards

For criteria enquiries questions please contact Adrienne Adair at: adrienne.adair@ni-libraries.net
Any technical questions relating to the video clips should be emailed to angie.weatherhead@btinternet.com

Information:

Building Awards 2007 Brochure
Architecture Meets Practicality - Application Form (doc,120kb)
Heart of the Community - Application Form (doc,120kb)
Interior Design - Application Form (doc,120kb)
Partnership - Application Form (doc,120kb)

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