Awards
EDGE2025 Awards
EDGE2025 Awards
Winners
The Physical Category – Judged by Alison Nolan, Scottish Library and Information Council
Glasgow Life – ElderPark Library and Community Hub
Judge’s comments
This transformation of Elder Park local library is more than just a refurbishment—it’s a revival of community spirit. By working collaboratively, Glasgow Life and Elderpark Housing Association have created a dynamic hub that successfully meets cultural and social needs. Striking a balance between heritage preservation and modern design, the project pays homage to the library’s category A listed status while embracing innovative upgrades. The library’s thoughtful engagement with its surroundings adds a unique local flavour with the shipbuilding theme in the children’s area celebrating Govan’s rich history, fostering a sense of local pride and belonging. Feedback from library users has highlighted the community’s genuine appreciation and excitement for the newly refurbished facility. This is a wonderful example of transformation, partnership, and community pride.
The Social Category – Judged by Evelyn Kilmurry, City of Edinburgh Libraries
East Dunbartonshire Libraries – Wintering Well Box
Judge’s comments
Wintering Well Boxes is a pioneering and inspirational project developed by East Dunbarton Libraires to improve the health and wellbeing of local people by creating a range of aids for loan to help relieve the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This is a partnership initiative with academics from Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities working with library teams to develop the Wintering Well Boxes. The project has been chosen as a finalist because it has taken libraries from a more passive role in providing health information to a more proactive one with the provision of physical support aids and equipment alongside information as positive treatment for a mental health condition. It is both innovative and inventive and has shown great partnership working with huge support from frontline library staff.
The Digital Category – Judged by Ned Potter, University of York
Darlington Library – The HIVE.
Judge’s comments
The Hive’s digital transformation has been extraordinarily successful. Sometimes the word ‘digital’ can be overused and be so general it loses all meaning, but what Darlington have done is made the digital tangible – they’ve made digital resources and activities of so many kinds available to groups who really need and appreciate them. I’ve chosen them as a finalist partly due to the sheer impact of what they’ve done – this digital transformation has had a halo effect on all their services. Borrowing is up, digital borrowing is up, educational interactions are up, website use is up and the number of people visiting the library is way up. People come for the digital transformation, and they STAY for everything else we have to offer in libraries. Finally, it’s hard to imagine better feedback for anything, ever, than this comment from a Year 3 pupil who visited The Hive: “This is the best day of my entire life!”
Runners Up
The Physical Category
Libraries NI – The refurbishment of Ballymoney Library
Judge’s comments
The Ballymoney library refurbishment, the first UK public building to meet the EnerPHit standard, achieved a 65% energy reduction and cut CO2 emissions by 6 tonnes annually. By prioritizing energy efficiency over cosmetic changes, it features lovely eco-conscious design elements like birch trees and serves as a model for sustainable retrofits. The library offers modern facilities — RFID kiosks, Wi-Fi, and public computers — boosting digital access and attracting 1,005 new members, with a 26% rise in book issues. Staff enjoy improved air quality and a better work environment, while the project inspires wider adoption of sustainable refurbishments, already influencing two more libraries.
AND
Manchester Libraries – Creative Space at Forum Library, Wythenshawe
Judge’s Comments
In response to a clear gap in cultural opportunities within a working-class community, senior leadership at Manchester Libraries took decisive action, launching an innovative project rooted in the voices of local youth. This strategic initiative was shaped by direct consultation with young people, ensuring the programmes directly addressed community needs and fostered a sense of belonging and creativity. The project’s cutting-edge facilities further set it apart. Equipped with a multimedia suite featuring a podcast studio, music production tools, and a fully lit stage, the space goes beyond the traditional library model. It opens doors for both young people and the wider community to experiment with modern creative technology, amplifying their artistic voices. The project’s success is already evident with the Media Cubs opening day video capturing the energy and enthusiasm of the community.
The Social Category
South Lanarkshire Libraries – Lending Voices
Judge’s comments
Lending Voices is a groundbreaking project which has used podcasting to widen the reach of the library service out to those who may not traditionally engage. The project supports participants to develop a whole range of transferable skills, and to grow in confidence and creativity. Professional recording tools and guidance are offered, enabling individuals and groups to document local history, develop skills, and engage with their communities in new, meaningful ways. Lending Voices was chosen as a finalist because of its outstanding reach, the buy in and hard work from library staff to make this excellent project happen, and the sheer impact in empowering individuals, fostering inclusion, and amplifying unheard voices, everything a library service strives to provide.
The Digital Category
Redbridge Central Library – Tickets for the Afterlife
Judge’s Comments
I’ve been in librarianship for a long time, and I can’t remember seeing such an original idea as this. We like to think of libraries as being at the heart of community but that doesn’t happen automatically – we have to make it happen by getting our communities where they need to go. Redbridge identified a unique way to provide support to their community and beyond, in an area that is absolutely universal – dying, death and grief - and did so in such a friendly, accessible way. Tickets for the afterlife is beautifully put together, completely unique, and hugely valuable – a brilliant piece of work.
EDGE2025 awards are now CLOSED
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- Show or sell benefits of library and information services to other sectors, organisations and communities
- Demonstrate innovation and creativity
- Increase participation
- An authority may wish to enter all 3 categories, that’s great.
- An authority may find their application could fit in one, two or three categories, it is fine to enter the same application in other categories.
The purpose of the awards is to recognise positive achievements and promote outstanding library-based initiatives which celebrate the value of libraries. The awards are free to enter.
Our judges are from an external source and each judge receives one category only and chooses the Finalist and the Winner of that category.
There will be three awards. The winners in each category will receive the EDGE2025 trophy (no financial reward) which will follow the format of the conference.
We don’t want the process to be cumbersome, so we are asking for some brief details.
We are looking for cutting-edge innovative projects around developments in the following categories:
Physical Category
1. Physical – buildings, layout, targeted spaces
Social Category
2. Social – Work involving communities or target groups, engagement or making a difference
Digital Category
3. Digital – Websites, apps, virtual library, digitisation
The awards are open to global applications.
Finalists in each category will receive: –
1 x Complimentary 2 Day & Award dinner delegate package (normally £350) – accommodation is NOT included in this package.
The option to book 1 or more Full delegate package (2-day conference, awards dinner, overnight accommodation) at a discounted rate of £300 (normally £395), invoiced in advance.
CLOSING DATE 12 NOON – MONDAY 24th February 2025
If you have difficulty accessing the online form, I will accept your application in word format emailed directly to me using the same Awards guidelines as per the website.
grainne.crawford@edinburgh.gov.uk
Finalists will be announced 3rd MARCH 2025 complimentary & discounted places must be booked by 10th March 2025.
1) Be honest about what you are good at and how you can demonstrate this to the judges.
2) Remember that you must prove to the judges that you are the best organisation that entered the particular award or category in order to win.
3) To impress the judges your entry must stand out. Talk is cheap, the judges will want to see proof of any claims you make about being the best, offering great service, value for money, being innovative etc, so be sure to provide that proof.
4) The world is full of great ideas that sound good but didn’t work or make any money in reality. You must demonstrate that your idea or service has a market, that there is a demand from that market and that it is sustainable.
5) Write in plain English and keep it simple.
EDGE2024 winners
Physical Category
Paisley Culture and Learning Hub – Paisley Central Library
Social Category
Manchester Libraries – Age Friendly Libraries
Digital Category
WelcoME at all libraries across Westminster City Libraries
Many congratulations to all our Winners and Finalists.
EDGE2023 WINNERS
MANY CONGRATULATIONS
Physical Category
Bannockburn Library and Makerspace – Stirling Libraries
Social Category
Ukrainian Refugee Support – Aberdeen Libraries
Digital Category
Library Lab Prototypes – Libraries Hacked
Our judges for EDGE2023 were:-
Mark Freeman – Physical Category
Sean McNamara – Digital Category
Evelyn Kilmurry – Social Category
Our judges are leaders in their field of expertise and taking an active part in EDGE2023.
Winners of EDGE2020 Awards
Physical Section
Community Hub Development Programme – Leeds Libraries
Social Section
Explore Labs – York Libraries & Archives
Digital Section
100% Digital Tablet Lending Scheme – Leeds Libraries
Winners for EDGE2019
Winner Physical category – Norwood Library & Picturehouse
Winner Social category – – Redbridge Libraries with The Final Party
Winner Digital category – Live Life, Aberdeenshire
Winners for EDGE2018
Winner Physical category – Redbridge Central Library with Transformation Project
Winner Social Category – Glasgow Life with Financial Capability Project
Winner Digital Category – South Lanarkshire Libraries with ActiveE
Winners for EDGE2017
Physical award winner is :-
Library at Kelvin Hall: National library of Scotland
Social Award winner is :-
Digi-PALS, Glasgow Life
Digital Award winner is :-
Digi Dabble, North Ayrshire
WINNERS for EDGE2016 awards….
Physical Category
Barrhead Foundry Library & Sports Centre Intregration Project from East Renfrewshire Culture & Leisure Ltd.
Social Category
Stradbroke Library Post Office from Suffolk’s Libraries Industrial & Provident Society (Suffolk Libraries).
Many congratulations to our winners.
Many congratulations to our runners up.
The Stromness Library and The Friends of Broughty Ferry.
Winners EDGE2015
From all the EDGE Team and our wonderful judges …
Many congratulations to our winners.
The Physical Category
Manchester City Libraries – Central Library Transformation Project
The Social Category
Macmillan @ Glasgow Libraries – Volunteering Programme
The Digital Category
Manchester Central Library – Archives+
EDGE2014 Winners
The Physical Category
Macmillan @ Glasgow Libraries
The Social Category
Dementia Awareness for Children, Stockton Library
The Digital/Virtual Category
Get Connected with Suffolk Libraries
EDGE2013 Winners
The Physical Category, sponsored by The Design Concept:
London Borough of Southwark –
Canada Water Library
The Social Category, sponsored by Capita
Northamptonshire Libraries –
Enterprise Hubs
The Virtual/Digital Category, Sponsored by BT Scotland
The Publishers Association and The Reading Agency –
Reading Partners Digital Skills Sharing Project
The free and discounted places associated with the finalists in each category are NON Transferable and only apply to the year of the awards in which they are offered.
