Prestigious award for library project giving refugees and asylum seekers access to books

The annual Vaisey Awards are run by The David Vaisey Trust, which is a registered charity that recognises and rewards outstanding initiatives by Gloucestershire’s county libraries that result in more people reading more books.

Four different library initiatives were shortlisted for the award and the Gloucester Library scheme was announced the winner at the Queens Hotel during the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Sunday 15 October.

The winning project is called Books without Barriers and came as a result of a partnership developed between Gloucester Library and Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS).

It aims to give refugees and asylum seekers living in local hotels access to books and other reading material, either by a selection of books being delivered to their temporary accommodation or enabling them to join the library.

The books are often donations or stock deleted from the library catalogue but in good condition. As a result, 62 new library memberships have already been created.

The award was presented by Irish author Claire Kilroy. More information on the David Vaisey Prize is available at https://davidvaiseyprize.co.uk/

Cllr Dave Norman, cabinet member for libraries at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “This is a fantastic project which helps refugees and asylum seekers living locally to gain access to books. I would like to congratulate Gloucester Library on their success as well as all the other shortlisted libraries, as they are all running great initiatives which are really having a positive impact in their communities.”