Excellence Awards

Music and its performance lie at the centre of our culture and traditions. It offers a rich variety of opportunities for learning, personal fulfilment and research and is a significant part of the UK and Irish cultural and creative industries.

There is so much to celebrate, and IAML (UK & Irl) wishes to recognize the achievement of individual music libraries through its Excellence Award for Music Libraries.

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.

Every three years IAML (UK & Irl) invites nominations for its two Excellence Awards – the Excellence Award for Music Libraries, and the Personal Achievement Award.

These Awards acknowledge activity in music libraries and individuals that demonstrates sustained good work and good practice with the potential to be adopted and adapted by others. From 2019 onward, institutions that were judged to have achieved the highest standard of excellence in all required categories became eligible for an Excellence Award “with distinction”.

Music collections from any sector in the UK and Ireland may be nominated for the Award, no matter what their sector, size or type.

Criteria for the Excellence Award for Music Libraries

The basis of the award will be to demonstrate:

  • sustained good work and good practice which has the potential to be adopted and adapted by others and may also include, if relevant:
  • serious development of a service innovation of obviously lasting value.

The Personal Achievement Award

After the original launch of the Excellence Award, IAML (UK & Irl) instituted a second award to recognize individual achievement by a member of staff in a music library service. The award criteria are the same as for the Excellence Award and can apply to any aspect of service delivery or development.

Note that the person being nominated for the award must still be employed by the library service at the time of nomination.

Criteria for the Personal Achievement Award

The Award is based on sustained good work and good practice which can be adopted or adapted by others. This is the essential criterion against which all applications will be adjudicated. You may also choose for the nominated person to be considered with reference to either or both of the following:

  • Serious development of a service
    and/or
  • Innovation of obviously lasting value

Previous award winners with citations: