IAML (UK & Irl) celebrated both institutional and individual excellence at the Excellence Awards ceremony held at College Court, Leicester on Sunday 14th April 2019.
The Excellence Awards are presented every three years and acknowledge activity in music libraries which demonstrates sustained good work and good practice with the potential to be adopted and adapted by others. Music collections from any sector in the UK and Ireland can be nominated for the Award, no matter what their sector, size or type.
The range of music libraries in the UK and Ireland is diverse. No two are alike, each reflecting, supporting and engaging its own user community with a range of collections and services which underpin the vibrant diverse musical life and heritage in the UK and Ireland. This variety was reflected in the range of libraries receiving the Excellence Award in 2019.
New for the 2019 Awards – institutions which were judged to have achieved the highest standard of Excellence in all compulsory criteria were eligible for an Excellence Award “with distinction”. Congratulations to the Gerald Coke Handel Collection and the Royal Northern College of Music Library which both received the Excellence Award for Music Libraries – With Distinction.
The Awards also recognise outstanding personal achievement by individuals with two Personal Achievement Awards being given in 2019 – so, again, congratulations to Claire Marsh (Leeds College of Music) and Jude Paton (Nottingham Performing Arts Library Service) on receiving this Award.
The nominations for the 2019 Awards were judged by a panel of experts from both the music and library worlds, chaired by Dr Charles Inskip, Senior lecturer, Programme Director, MA Library and Information Studies, Department of Information Studies, University College London.
The full list of the 2019 Excellence Award winners is listed here – 11 institutional libraries and 2 individuals:
Excellence Award for Music Libraries – With Distinction
- Gerald Coke Handel Collection
- Royal Northern College of Music Library
Excellence Award for Music Libraries
- Cardiff University Music Library
- City of London: Barbican Music Library
- Community & Youth Music Library (CYML)
- Henry Watson Music Library, Manchester
- Jerwood Library (Trinity Laban)
- Nottingham Performing Arts Library Service (NPALS)
- OUP Music Hire Library
- Royal College of Music Library
- Trinity College Dublin Music Library
Personal Achievement Award
- Claire Marsh (Leeds College of Music)
- Jude Paton (Nottingham Performing Arts Library Service)
Citations for the Awards can be seen here.
Frances Allott, Convenor, 2019 Excellence Awards