NPTC Group of Colleges Libraries wins CILIP Cymru Wales Team of the Year Award 2023

NPTC Group of Colleges Libraries has scooped top prize in the CILIP Cymru Team of the Year Award 2023 for their range of community events providing essential resources and services to support the health and wellbeing of their student community.

CILIP Cymru Wales (The Library and Information Association) are the leading voice for the information, knowledge management and library profession. They support everyone who has a professional connection to information, knowledge, data and libraries, and shares their belief in their power to change lives. Their purpose is to unite, support and empower information professionals across all sectors.

CILIP Cymru Wales has been celebrating amazing library and information teams since 2020. This award, sponsored by the Welsh Government and CILIP Cymru Wales, celebrates the achievements of teams working within Library and Information Services in Wales. Entries are welcome from all sectors, from teams working across different organisations, and from teams of all shapes and sizes. Nominations can describe special achievements, an innovative project, or resilience in the face of challenging circumstances.

This year’s award received the highest number of nominations yet, with eight teams vying for the coveted prize.

CILIP Cymru Wales Chair, Jamie Finch, was delighted with the entries:

“My heartfelt gratitude to the eight nominee teams and, of these, many congratulations to the three winners. It may sound cheesy, but teamwork truly does make the dream work and helps put libraries at the heart of our communities for environmental good, those in greatest need, and igniting literacy upon which education itself depends.”

NPTC Group of Colleges Libraries were commended by the judges for their work in ensuring sustainable period products for women; for their winter clothes drive and warm spaces events contributing to the health and wellbeing of students; and for their annual reading challenge designed to improve reading for pleasure and literacy and particularly, in 2023, working with refugees from Syria and Ukraine.

The Libraries team is based across our for main sites, Afan College, Brecon Beacons College, Neath College and Newtown College, and serves a diverse and wide-ranging community. The Library Service provides a welcoming and supportive environment for academic and vocational success but also offers essential resources and inclusive support to its community members, especially those who are most vulnerable.

Head of Library Services, Joanne Mather, was delighted with the news:

“I’ve been part of NPTC Group of Colleges Library Services for over 20 years. I’ve always been proud to be part of such a hardworking, caring team and it is wonderful to achieve recognition for the work everyone puts into our library community.”

The three winning teams were commended by the four judges for their innovative approaches to service delivery. However, the judges praised the quality of all eight applications that highlighted universal themes and shared challenges and showcased best practice in library services and activities across Wales.

All three winning teams will be formally celebrated at the CILIP Cymru Wales Conference on 17th May 2024 in the Mercure Hotel, Cardiff.