Media Release 28 May 2012
City of Fremantle wins the Library Award for Excellence
The City of Fremantle was announced as the 2012 winner of the Library Board of Western Australia Award for Excellence at a function at the State Library during Library & Information Week 2012.
Their Outdoor Reading Room project helped transform Kings Square (adjacent to the Fremantle City Library) from an area known for anti social behaviour into a social hub with a lively atmosphere. It was the venue not only for Fremantle’s launch of the National Year of Reading, but for many other library activities including author talks, children’s story time, the library’s quarterly book sale, and a poet’s breakfast.
It had such a positive impact on community spirit that due to popular demand, use of the outdoor reading room was extended to the end of April.
Chairman of the Library Board, Professor Matthew Allen, congratulated the nominees saying that “All of the projects were strong contenders and showed innovation within the Western Australian library community, fulfilling a need for their clients”. He called on library managers in all library sectors to consider nominating in future years.
The Award recognises excellent achievement relating to the provision of library services by any person, library or organisation in Western Australia and it carries prize money of $5,000.
The winner of the 2011 Sharr Medal, Ms Molly Tebo, was also announced at the function. Molly, who works at the State Library, gave a presentation on “Enhancing access to Digital Collections”.
The Sharr Medal recognises the librarian or library technician in their first year of employment who exhibits the most potential to make a significant contribution to the library profession in WA.
Kirstie Nicholson from the Armadale Public Library, was awarded the Kay Poustie Scholarship and plans to travel to the UK and Scandinavia to find ways to improve our public library service, especially in regional areas.
