2012 Awards for Excellence
Article Type: 2012 Awards for Excellence From: Library Review, Volume 62, Issue 1/2
The following article was selected for this year's Outstanding Paper Award for Library Review
“Effective public library outreach to homeless people”
Peter WillettInformation School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
Rebecca BroadleyLatymer Upper School, London, UK
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify good practice in conducting outreach for homeless people, and hence to provide recommendations for future library outreach projects.
Design/methodology/approach – The authors examine of four case studies taken from the library literature, and conduct six semi-structured interviews with outreach and/or inclusion librarians from library authorities in South and West Yorkshire.
Findings – The recommendations include: developing partnerships with relevant organisations; removing proof-of-identity requirements for joining the library; disseminating the results obtained in projects; using book deposits and mobile library stops; training library staff to ensure that they are aware of relevant issues; building trust in the target audience; ensuring that outreach is tailored to the specific needs of different groups of homeless people; and using a range of methods to evaluate project effectiveness.
Originality/value – Identification of themes common to the published case studies and to the interviews provides a reasoned basis for the recommendations that are presented. These recommendations provide, for the first time in the UK, clear guidelines for future outreach projects for homeless people.
Keywords Homeless people, Inclusion, Outreach, Public libraries, United Kingdom
This article originally appeared in Volume 60 Number 8, 2011, pp. 658-670 Library Review
The following articles were selected for this year's Highly Commended Award
“Impact evaluation, advocacy and ethical research: some issues for national strategy development?”
David StreatfieldInformation Management Associates, Twickenham
Sharon MarklessKing's Learning Institute, King's College, London, UK
This article originally appeared in Volume 60 Number 4, 2011, pp. 312-327, Library Review
“Crisis of professionalism in public services: Addressing challenges to librarianship from a public administration perspective”
Glenn S. McGuiganPenn State Harrisburg Library, Middletown, Pennsylvania, USA
This article originally appeared in Volume 60 Number 7, 2011, pp. 560-574 Library Review
“Personal ontological information responsibility”
Jodi KearnsSchool of Library and Information Science, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA and Center for the History of Psychology, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
Rhonda RinehartCenter for the History of Psychology, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
This article originally appeared in Volume 60 Number 3, 2011, pp. 230-245, Library Review
